"I am," said Vidac. "Governor Hardy is now in the process of setting up
Roald currency. Each of you will be allowed to borrow against future
yields, a maximum amount of five thousand Roald credits. This will be
your beginning. If your crops fail"--Vidac shrugged his shoulders--"you
will forfeit your land holdings!"

There was a storm of protest from the assembled farmers. They stood up
in their chairs and hooted and howled. Vidac faced them coldly. At last
they fell silent and Vidac was able to speak again.

"I would advise you to consider carefully the proposal I've made here.
Your equipment--the equipment given to you by the Solar Alliance--has
been lost. The chemicals which you are now being offered are the
property of the official governing body of Roald. We cannot give you the
material. We can loan it to you, providing that you guarantee the loan
with your future profits. All those interested may draw the necessary
supplies from Tad Winters and Ed Bush in the morning."

He turned and walked out of the hall.

"We'll go to the governor!" shouted Logan. "We won't be treated like
this. We're free citizens of the Solar Alliance and under their
jurisdiction. We know our rights!"

Suddenly Tad Winters and Ed Bush appeared, seemingly from nowhere. A
sneering smile on his face, Winters held two paralo-ray guns and covered
the group of farmers while Bush slipped up behind Logan and hit him on
the back of the neck. The elderly man sank to the floor.

"Now get this!" snarled Winters to the colonists. "The joy ride is over!