Watson grinned. "Make mine whisky, Jerry. You've no complaints. Our benighted heathens have a national beverage fermented from a plant similar to cactus. Ought to be drummed out of the human race." He spoke idly, forgetful of the Tulan guards stationed at the doorway. * * * * * Kennedy passed drinks around for everyone save Mayer, who shook his head in distaste. If only for a brief spell, some of the tenseness left the air while the men from Earth sipped their beverages. Jerry Kennedy said, "Well, you've heard our report. How go things on Texcoco?" "According to plan," Plekhanov rumbled. Mayer snorted. Plekhanov said ungraciously, "Our prime effort is now the uniting of the total population into one strong whole, a super-state capable of accomplishing the goals set us by the Co-ordinator." Mayer sneered, "Undoubtedly, this goal of yours, this super-state, is being established by force." "Not always," Joe Chessman said. "Quite a few of the tribes join up on their own. Why not? The State has a lot to offer." "Such as what?" Kennedy said mildly. Chessman looked at him in irritation. "Such as advanced medicine, security from famine, military protection from more powerful nations. The opportunity for youth to get an education and find advancement in the State's government--if they've got it on the ball." "And what happens if they don't _have it on the ball_?" Chessman growled, "What happens to such under any society? They get the dirty-end-of-the-stick jobs." His eyes went from Kennedy to Mayer. "Are you suggesting you offer anything better?" Mayer said, "Already on most of Genoa it is a matter of free competition. The person with ability is able to profit from it." Joe Chessman grunted sour amusement. "Of course, it doesn't help to be the son of a wealthy merchant or a big politician." Plekhanov took over. "In _any_ society the natural leaders come to the top in much the same manner as the big ones come to the top in a bin of potatoes, they just work their way up." Jerry Kennedy finished his drink and said easily, "At least, those at the top can claim they're the biggest potatoes. Remember back in the twentieth century when Hitler and his gang announced they were the big potatoes in Germany and men of Einstein's stature fled the country--being small potatoes, I suppose." Amschel Mayer said, "We're getting away from the point. Pray go on, my dear Leonid. You say you are forcibly uniting all Texcoco." "We are uniting all Texcoco," Plekhanov corrected with a scowl. "Not always by force. And that is by no means our only effort. We are ferreting out the most intelligent of the assimilated peoples and educating them as rapidly as possible. We've introduced iron ..." "And use it chiefly for weapons," Kennedy murmured. "... Antibiotics and other medicines, a field agriculture, are rapidly building roads ..." "Military roads," Kennedy mused.