Incredulously Walton said, "How long has this been going on?"
"Ever since I came to Popeek. This group is older than Popeek. They fought equalization all the way, and lost. Now they're working from the bottom up and trying to wreck things before you catch wise and confiscate their estates, as you're now legally entitled to do."
"And now that you've warned me they exist," Walton said, "you can be assured that that's the first thing I'll do. The second thing I'll do will be to have the security men track down their names and find out if there was an actual conspiracy. If there was, it's jail for them. And the third thing I'll do is discharge you from Popeek."
Fred shook his head. "You won't do any of those things, Roy. You can't."
"Why?"
"I know something about you that wouldn't look good if it came out in the open. Something that would get you bounced out of your high position in a flash."
"Not fast enough to stop me from setting the wheels going. My successor would continue the job of rooting out your league of landed gentry."
"I doubt that," Fred said calmly. "I doubt it very much—because I'm going to be your successor."