"First I heard all about the business of 'relax and save your energy forever'."
The doctor smiled. "Standard indoctrination for longevity subjects."
"Then he asked what I did. I told him a little about our work in The Company and that set him off! The man's a menace. He knows more about The Company than I do." Brill's suavity was quite gone. "And what a rugged tyrant he must have been. Positively treasonable in his attacks on governmental regulation. He believes in business for the businessman—thinks only people with capacity for handling high finance ought to run the country for the country's good. It was heresy—appalling!"
"I was rather of the opinion," commented the doctor, "that the views of your company ran something along the same line."
"Not at all, not at all! We believe firmly in the committee system and systematic regulation by elected agencies. There can be no grand-scale despotism in The Company! Why, our officers receive psychotesting every six months to assure the policy-holders that they have no personal power ambitions. I tell you, Doctor, that such men as Elbert Avery are a threat to our national democracy. He seems perfectly capable of going back into business at the drop of a hat. The Company may have to send a man to Washington to work out some sort of control to prevent such men from re-entering business."
Dr. Farrar looked thoughtful. "The control would be easy enough, but expensive," he remarked doubtfully.
"The good of the country is always expensive."
"What would you think of sending this whole group of social misfits out of the country?" Dr. Farrar could be cagey.
"Force, Doctor? We couldn't do that."
"But you'd like to see 'em go?"