The story was revised significantly in 1962 (re-titled as “Dream Castle”).

A separate revision occurred in 1982 (ref: 1, 2, 3).

Quotes:

“Now, as to your process, it clearly has been developed while you worked for us; therefore it becomes our property. There are a thousand legal precedents to this effect.”

Farrero waved his hand. “Irrelevant. My basic idea is to bring Class III homes down to the Class II price level, which is of course not a patentable process.”

“Well, Douane,” presently came Marlais’ soft voice, “you probably could have handled him more subtly...” His voice trailed off to a whisper. Then: “We’ll have a hard time proving ownership of any patents. Still, it may be for the best. The industry is stable. We’re all making money. No telling where disruption might take us. Perhaps we’d better call a meeting of the association, lay our cards on the table. I think everyone will contract neither to hire Farrero nor use his process.”

Republished in The World-Thinker and Other Stories, Spatterlight,2012

Well-phrased action story. It is the kind of action as in for example the 2011 Thor movie. Like in movies of that kind, the flow of the action should keep you from examining the unbelievable premises. And the reader is left with a big plot hole...

Republished in The World-Thinker and Other Stories, Spatterlight 2012

In a customer review it is characterized as a “unfinished children’s story”, and its publication in Light from a Lone Star “clearly is intended more for scholars of Vance’s work than for his fans”. Foreverness calls it “First chapter and outline of unfinished novel” (ref. 1, 2).