Free Planet in Peril by John Christopher Page A

Science doesn’t fit into that capitalism, it developed a hierarchy which meshed in with the real society around it. Scientists did their good work while they were young, and landed the plum jobs in later life.
    “But observe the managerial arrangements: a basic and largely disciplinary and conditioning training up to the point of graduation. Followed by specialization. Very efficient. Too efficient. Because to the managerial world it would seem pointless to train a man in the sciences unless he were going to spend the remainder of his life in those fields; and once he had been trained in a scientific discipline, then they made sure that he did that, and nothing else. You get it?”
    Charles said: “And now they will have to do something about it—about science, anyway?”
    “Now,” Dinkuhl said, “they are doing only one thing— scrambling for the means of domination that’s been tossed into the arena. What’s the answer? One will get it, or more than one will get it. If the former, you have your centralized world control. If the latter, you either have a smaller, tighter hierarchy, or else a bloody struggle which one may win. Give managerialism credit for political astuteness—I think they will arrange it peaceably in the long run.”
    “And then?”
    “Not much more than a century sees managerialism on the way out. I don’t know what comes next. Maybe the deluge.”
    “But why destroy, without having anything to offer?” “Some things need destroying. We should put them out of their misery.” Dinkuhl smiled. “That’s why I like you, Charlie. You’re the kind of time-bomb they can’t stop happening. You and Humayun and Sara Koupa l . ”
    “I can think of more comfortable roles to have.” Dinkuhl looked round for a moment, and then bent down and stubbed his cigarette out against the TV screen control panel.
    “Yes, you do have your personal situation to consider. Well, our Interplanetary friends, who have permitted me to get indignant at such length about the world at large, will presumably be coming through with a nice warm offer for you. You will understand that—could they be sure of knocking out Humayun and Sara Koupal as well—it might be more convenient for them simply to eliminate you. Shortsighted, but then, they are all incorrigibly myopic, as I have been trying to make clear. Well, they can’t. At the moment, anyway.”
    Dinkuhl glanced thoughtfully in the direction of the TV screen on the near wall. “It would be more cheering, of course, if you could eliminate the possibility that the hierarchy will be formed before the weapon materializes. From their point of view—Interplanetary and whoever hold the remaining two—that might be a simpler solution. It must have occurred to them. In that case you would all become dispens —”
    Dinkuhl broke off speaking. The TV screen was glowing into life. Dinkuhl chuckled.
    “I thought that might fetch them.”
    Ellecott’s expression, on the screen, was somewhat ruffled. He made an evident effort at self-control; the same thin smile on the same fat features.
    He said: “I may say that my remarks, unless otherwise specified, will be addressed to you, Official Grayner . You wanted to see Dinkuhl again, and your wishes rank very high on our priority list. It is quite true that you are now in the hands of Interplanetary. You are of very great importance, not only to us in Interplanetary, but to the whole world.”
    “Where are Humayun and Sara Koupal ?” Charles asked.
    “We don’t know—yet. We have a good Contact Section, and they are working on it. It will be a help when we have you safely at Luna City. We can then allow the rumor that we have you to get around. That may bring in something.”
    "I am not impressed by the prospect of Luna City,” Charles said.
    "Luna City is our stronghold. We could withdraw our relatively small bases on the planet and destroy every major city within twenty-four hours, from the space stations. It has