Karen laughed. "Oh, that's all right," she said in the low voice he liked to hear. "We've all been cleared."
"Not officially. I've got to see the papers."
She glared at him then and stamped her foot. "How stupid can you get without having to be spoon fed?" she snapped. "You've seen how much we think of regulations here. Let's have those equations, Mac."
"But—blast it, Karen, you don't appreciate the need for security. Berg explained it to me once—how dangerous the rebels are, and how easily they can steal our secrets. And they'll stop at nothing. Do you want another Hemispheric War?"
She looked oddly at him, and when she spoke it was softly. "Allen, do you really believe that?"
"Certainly! It's obvious, isn't it? Our country is maintaining the peace of the Solar System—once we drop the reins, all hell will run away from us."
"What's wrong with setting up a world-wide federation of countries? Most other nations are willing."
"But that—it's not practical!"
"How do you know? It's never been tried."
"Anyway, we can't decide policy. That's just not for us."