“Quite right,” said William cheerfully. “Nobody really wants to interfere in local affairs on a world; and nobody really wants to impose an institution on it from the outside, such as the open market, against the will of some of its people.” He shook his head at Donal’s smile. “No, no—I’m being quite truthful. Most of the delegates here would just as soon the problem of an open market had never come up at all on New Earth, so that they could tend to their own styles of knitting without being bothered.”

“I’ll still reserve my judgment on that,” said Donal. “But in any case, now we’re here, we’ve got to come to some decision. Either for or against the current government; and for or against the market.”

“Do we?” asked William. “Why not a compromise solution?”

“What sort of compromise?” “Well that, of course,” said William, in a frank tone, “is why I asked you to lunch. I feel very humble about you, Donal—I really do. I was entirely wrong in my estimate of you, five years ago. I did you an injustice.”

Donal lifted his right hand in a small gesture of deprecation.

“No . . . no,” said William. “I insist on apologizing. I’m not a kind man, Donal. I’m interested only in buying what others have to sell—and if a man has ability, I’ll buy it. If not—” He let the sentence hang significantly. “But you have ability. You had it five years ago, and I was too concerned with the situation to recognize it. The truth of the matter is, Hugh Killien was a fool.”

“On that, I can agree with you,” Donal said.

“Attempting to carry on with Anea under my nose—I don’t blame the girl. She was still a child then, for all her size. That’s the way these Exotic hothouse people are—slow growing. But I should have seen it and expected it. In fact, I’m grateful to you for what you did, when I think back on it.”

“Thank you,” murmured Donal.

“No, I mean that absolutely. Not that I’m talking to you now out of a sense of gratitude alone—I wouldn’t insult your credulity with such a suggestion. But I am pleased to be able to find things working out in such a way that my own profit combines with the chance to pay you a small debt of gratitude.”

“At any rate, I appreciate it,” said Donal.

“Not at all. Now, the point is this,” said William, leaning forward over the table, “personally, of course,

I favor the open market. I’m a businessman, after all, and there’s business advantages to perfectly free trading. But more than open markets, it’s important to business to have peace between the stars; and peace comes only from a stable situation.”

“Go on,” said Donal.