Battlefield Earth

Such sentiments were the ideas of madmen. The Psychlos had tailor-made life this way and had then said, see? this is the way life is.

How could he reach these mighty lords?

“Our industries,” another cried, “are geared to war. An intergalactic peace would ruin us, every one!”

Yes, thought Jo

Jo

"In the near future there will be cross-shipping between your worlds. The Psychlos had it worked out that everything was first shipped to Psychlo. By that very fact, they throttled trade. It will be worked out so that you can quickly and cheaply exchange goods from one system to another. Out of that alone will come prosperity.

“Your people, now starving and rioting, can become gainfully employed in peace industries. They can have things for themselves. Such things as better houses and furniture, better clothes, better food.

“You have a golden chance here to herald an age of prosperity and plenty!”

He wasn't quite reaching them. They were listening, which was all you could say.

“That doesn't handle riots going on right now!” said Dom.

Jo

Browl looked at Voraz. “Would you do that?”

Voraz found he had MacAdam on one side of him and the baron on the other. They both were jabbing him to say yes. He just sat there.

Jo

Voraz ignored the jabs he was getting. He was looking at Jo

Jo

The head of the Galactic Bank felt like he was in a tidal wave. He hadn't really agreed he would let this young man set bank policy. Should he get up and denounce it?

The Galactic Bank had dealt with nations. Then suddenly he realized they had depended upon the Psychlos.

Voraz thought furiously. The bankers of the Gredides knew how to do these things. He thought of their own vast population, much of it always unemployed. Suddenly he had a vision of small offices of the Galactic Bank springing up in every town, every continent, every planet, ma

And these planets to colonize. Lending money to buy them.... He was abruptly hit with the fact that he would have to do something with one million, two hundred thousand planets! They couldn't just sit in trust idle. And getting them into production would keep pace with the money supply so as to avoid inflation. This young man was trying to get these excess assets busy.

But, but, but! he protested to himself, this idea of lending money to governments so they could buy food for their people and just give it away.... That was social banking! It was not unknown. But this phase-over period he was talking about would be long. These governments would be in debt up to their gills.

Suddenly Lord Voraz shot an awed look at Jo

Yes! He could see it in his eyes. He did!

“Answer, Voraz!" said Browl. “Is it true you would do those things and on that scale?”

Voraz stood up. “My lords, it so happens that the Galactic Bank has just come into possession of assets a thousand or more times greater than anything it ever controlled before. It will be necessary to put those assets to work. You have all been good credit risks. The answer is, yes. With the proper papers and formalities and commitments, the Galactic Bank stands prepared to make those loans as described.”

The lords sat for a while. This expansion of policy was very sweeping.

“And now, my lords,” said Jo

They were hesitating. Worse, some of them looked negative. Mr. Tsung's quote flicked through his mind: “The power of money and gold over the souls of men passes all wondering.” These were not men, but it fit. Dominated by Psychlo materialism over the long ages, they had come to think like Psychlos. He would have to treat them like Psychlos, appeal to their personal greed.

It was slightly repugnant to his own ethical sense to do what he knew now he would have to do. But there were too many lives, too many civilizations at stake to fail here.

Jo

“They're off,” a small thin voice came back.

Jo

The small gray men tapped their lapels with a twist. “We attest they are off.” He certainly had their attention now. They were riveted.

Jo

They were very alert.

“What do your major firms manufacture?” whispered Jo

“Armaments,” came whispering back.

“And what do you think will happen to interests in those firms, to their stocks and bonds?”

The lords wondered that he didn't know. “They'll crash!”

“Precisely,” said Jo