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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9467d10 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #68523 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68523) diff --git a/old/68523-0.txt b/old/68523-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a5aba17..0000000 --- a/old/68523-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8563 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Pattern for Conquest, by George O. -Smith - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Pattern for Conquest - -Author: George O. Smith - -Release Date: July 14, 2022 [eBook #68523] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PATTERN FOR CONQUEST *** - - - - - - Pattern For Conquest - - By GEORGE O. SMITH - - Illustrated by Kildale - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Astounding Science-Fiction March, April, May 1946. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - - - - I. - -The signal officer leaped from his position and made a vicious grab -at the thin paper tape that was snaking from his typer to the master -transmitter. It tore just at the entrance slot. The tape-end slid in; -disappeared. - -The master transmitter growled as the tape-end passed the scanner. -Meters slapped up against the overload stop and two of the big -rectifier tubes flashed over. Circuit breakers came open with a crash -down in the power room, and up in the master modulator room the bell -alarms rang, telling of the destruction of one of the tuning guides -from overload peak. - -The signal officer paid no attention to the damage his action had -caused. He grabbed for the telephone and dialed a number. - -"I want confirmation of messages forty-eight and forty-nine," he -snapped. "What fool let 'em get this far?" - -"What happened?" asked the superior officer mildly. - -"I got forty-eight on the tape before I came to forty-nine," explained -the signal officer. "I grabbed the tape just as it was hitting the -master transmitter. The tape-end raised hell, I think. Default alarms -are ringing all over the building. But who--?" - -"It was my fault--I'll confirm in writing--that forty-eight was not -preceded by an official sanction. You were quite correct in stopping -them at any cost. As soon as the outfit is on the air again, send 'em -both." - -"Yeah, but look--" - -"Orders, Manley." - -"I'll follow 'em," said Signal Officer Manley, "but may I ask why?" - -"You may, according to the Book of Regs, but I'm not certain of the -reason myself. Frankly, I don't know. I questioned them myself, and got -the same blunt answer." - -"The whole terran sector has been slaving for years to keep this -proposition from happening," grumbled Manley. "For years we have been -most careful to stop any possible slipup. Now I find that the first -time it ever gets down as far as my position and I leap into the breach -like a hero, I'm off the beam and the stuff is on the roger." - -"I'll give you a Solar Citation for your efforts," offered the superior -ruminatively. "I know what you mean. We've been trying to keep it from -happening by mere chance. And all of a sudden comes official orders, -not happenstance, but ordering it. Let's both give up." - -"The gear is on the air again," said Manley. "I'll carry on, like -Pagliacci, roaring madly to our own doom. But first I'm going to have -to restring the master. Shoot me a confirm, will you? I don't expect to -use it, but it'll look nice in some time capsule as the forerunner of -history." - -Within a minute messages forty-eight and forty-nine were through the -machine, up through the master modulator room and out in space, on -their way to Mars and Venus, respectively. - - * * * * * - -The Little Man looked up at Co-ordinator Kennebec. The head of the -Solar Combine looked down with a worried frown. This had been going -on for some time. The Little Man had been, in turn, pleading, elated, -demanding, mollified, excited, and unhappy because the ruler of the -Solar Combine could not understand him fully. He was also unhappy -because he could not understand the head man's meaning, either. - -The Little Man had three cards in his hand. He was objecting violently, -now. He was not angry, just positive of his desire. He put two of -the cards on the desk before Kennebec, and agreed, most thoroughly, -that these were what he wanted. The third card he tossed derisively, -indicating negation. This one was of no use. - -Kennebec shrugged. He picked them up and inserted the unwanted card -between the other two. He did it with significance, and indicated that -there was a reason. - -The Little Man shrugged and with significance to his actions, accepted -the three. If he could not have the two without the third, he'd take -all three. - -He saluted in the manner that Kennebec understood to be a -characteristic of the Little People's culture. Then he turned and left -the office, taking with him the three cards. - -As he opened the door, he was almost trampled by Kennebec's daughter, -who was entering on a dead run with a bundle of transmitter tape -trailing from one hand. Patricia looked down, made a motion of apology -to the Little Man, whose head came just even with her hip, and then -turned to her father as the Little Man left the scene. - -"Dad," she said, "here are press flashes from Mars and Venus. Singly, -either one of them pleases me greatly. Simultaneously I can't take it." - -"Sorry, Pat. But this isn't a personal proposition." - -"But it means trouble." - -"Perhaps." - -Patricia snorted. "It does mean trouble and you know it. How are you -going to avoid it?" - -"I'm going to assign Flight Commander Thompson to the task of keeping -or combing them out of one another's hair." - -"And if and when he's successful," smiled Pat derisively. "I assume -that Thompson will be awarded the Solar Citation for bravery and -accomplishment far above and beyond the call of flesh?" - -"He'll have earned it," smiled Kennebec. "Let's see what the sister -worlds have to say." - -"Not much--yet. Neither one of them seems to be aware of the other's -action--yet. I'll bet the Transplanet Press Association wires will be -burning when they all find out." - -"TPA is going to suppress any word of dissension," said Kennebec. - -"Um-m-m--seems that Terra, as usual, has a bear by the tail. Why -couldn't he have picked less dangerously?" - -"Knowing nothing of the Little People's culture, I can't say. I don't -even understand him most of the time excepting that I have attained the -idea that something is very important and must be done immediately. -What it is I don't really know, but I gather that it concerns the -integrity of a number of stellar races including that of the Little -People." - -"Sounds like corny dialogue from a bum soap opera," said Patricia. -"It's a sorry day for civilization when it must depend upon a deal like -this." - -"I'm certain that they understand. The Little Man reviewed the records. -Given the apparent understanding of mere records that he has--in spite -of not being able to understand me or any other Solarian--he must know -that we're all playing fireman in a powderhouse. He is going on through -with it in spite of what he must certainly know." - -"I feel inclined to take a vacation at Lake Stanley or Hawaii until -this blows over." - -Kennebec laughed. "It won't be that bad, and besides, you're a part of -this and no matter where you go, you'll be in it. Might as well give -up, Pat. You can't run now." - -"I know," answered Patricia wistfully, "but I'd like to keep out of the -way of any flying glass." - - * * * * * - -Stellor Downing was Martian by birth and by six hundred years of -Martian-born forebears. His family could trace its line back to the -first group of Terran colonists that braved the rigors of Martian life -before technology created a Martian world that was reasonably well -adapted for human life. - -Downing, being of hard nature, cold and calculating, and murderously -swift, should probably have been dark and swarthy with beetling brows -and a piercing stare. - -But Downing lived on Mars, where in spite of the thin atmosphere, Sol's -output was low. Downing had light hair, a skin like the baby-soap ads, -and pale-blue eyes that looked as innocent. - -A lot of people had been fooled--but not Martians. - -Stellor Downing's rapid rise up through the ranks of the Solar Guard -was legendary on Mars. His swinging gait was more or less known to all -theater-going Martians, and the sound of his voice over the radio was -familiar. He wore a double modine belt, with one of the nasty weapons -on each hip--where they crossed over his stomach, a dull silver -medallion held them together. - -The medallion was the sharp-shooter's award. - -Stellor Downing came on the spaceport escorted by six or seven -officials. He talked with them until it was time for take-off. Then -they all became more serious. - -"We have no idea what this mission is," said one. "But if you do it -honor, you'll get that other star." - -"That'll make you a Flight Co-ordinator," added another. - -"I can't make any promises," said Downing. "I'll do my best." - -"Terra must be really in a hole to call on you," laughed a third. -"You're by and far the best flight commander in the Guard." - -Downing lifted his eyebrow. "I'll admit that I'm not the worst," he -said cheerfully. "I hope you're right about the other." He turned to -his orderly and gave a sign. The orderly lifted a whistle and blew a -shrill note that cut the thin air of Mars. - -Three hundred men entered twenty-five ships, and the spaceport was -cleared. Radio messages filled the ether, as the ships were checked -before take-off. Then as the clamoring of the radio died, a more -powerful transmitter in the flight commander's ship gave the order to -lift. - -The center ship, bearing the red circle of Mars with the five stars -ringing it, lifted first, followed by the next concentric ring of ships. - -The third ring followed in close formation and then the last. In -a great space cone, the flight closed into tighter formation and -streaked straight upward and out of sight. - -Stellor Downing was on his way to Terra. - - * * * * * - -Flight Commander Clifford Lane was driven onto Venusport in a -cream-colored roadster that was either spotless enamel or mirror-finish -chromium as far as the eye could reach. In the car with Cliff Lane -were four women whose glitter was no less flagrant than the car's. The -slight olive-tint to their skin made their very white teeth flash in -the sunshine as they smiled at their passenger. - -This was Venus--living at its highest temperature. The car rolled to a -stop beside Cliff Lane's command and they all climbed out. It was with -a generous display of well-browned skin. - -Lane's costume was no less scanty than the women's. The modine over -his right hip was chased with silver and engraved, the holster was -hand-tooled and studded with five small emeralds. - -"What are you going for?" asked one of the women. - -"Don't you know?" teased the one beside her. "Cliff is going to Terra -to court Patricia Kennebec." - -"I think we should kidnap him." - -"You'd be sorry," laughed Cliff, waving the official order in front of -her. - -"Maybe we can bribe him. Tell you what, Cliff, you get this job done -and you'll probably get a promotion. If you do, we'll all chip in and -get that insignia on your modine holster changed to six full stars. -But to do it you'll have to come back to us--single." - -Cliff laughed. "And if it takes me more than six months, you'll all be -off elsewhere." - -"But what's Patricia got that we haven't?" wailed one. - -"Him," grinned another. - -"No, we've got him--now." - -"Any time someone wants something else, you might as well give it to -them, because they'll get it one way or another." - -"Look, kids," interrupted Lane, "we've been talking this up and down -for three hours. Now it's time to take off. Scram, like good little -lovelies." - -Cliff bade them a proper good-by and herded them back into the car. -It started and rolled slowly away amid feminine calls. Its course was -erratic, for the driver was handling the car by instinct; her head -being turned back over the front seat to watch Lane, too. Had she been -on a road instead of a broad, shining expanse of tarmacadam, trouble -would have met her more than half-way. - -Cliff waved a last good-by and turned to face a group of -kine-photographers. "Hi, Hal. Hello, fellers." - -"Hey, Cliff, will you wipe your puss or don't you care if Venus sees -their Favorite Son in lipstick?" - -Lane laughed and wiped. "On me it doesn't look good," he agreed. -"What'll you have?" - -"We'd like shots of you giving the last order, entering the ship, and -then wait until we can get set up on the edge of the field. We want a -pan shot of the command hitting the ether." - -"O.K. That we can do." - -He turned to the group of unit commanders and said, "The usual, -fellows. Straight up and away. Hey, Hal, pan the gang, will you? As a -hotshot I'm slightly cool if they aren't behind me." - -"Great stuff," grinned Hal. The kinephotogs spread out, took their -shots, and then closed up for the final order. As the space door -clanged shut, they raced for the edge of the field and waited. - -With an instantaneous rush, the lead ship, bearing the green triangle -of Venus surrounded by the five stars of the flight commander, took off -in a slight swirl of airswept dust. Then at a separation of exactly -three tenths of a second, the other twenty-four ships leaped into the -sky and formed a long spiral in space. - -The specks that were lost in the sky were Clifford Lane and his command -heading for Terra. - - - - - II. - - -The Little Man had a name. Once in his own tiny spacecraft and -surrounded by his cohorts, he was addressed in his own semi-speech, -semimental means of communications. - -"You have succeeded, Toralen Ki?" - -"As best I can." - -"Not perfect?" asked Hotang Lu. - -"As long as the lack of communications exists, there can be no transfer -of real detailed intelligence between the two races. They have no -mental power of communication at all, of course, and since we use our -mental power when we wish to carry over a plan or abstract thought, we -fail when we are confronted as we are now. There are no words in our -audible tongue that have the proper semantic meaning." - -"But you did succeed in part?" - -"I have succeeded so far as gaining their co-operation. They will -assign to me or to us, rather, the necessary personnel and material to -complete the task." - -"Then we have succeeded." - -"In a sense. To carry this concept over was most difficult. As long as -we have their consent, everything will work out in time." - -"You have succeeded in convincing them that the Opposites must be used?" - -Toralen Ki smiled. "The Opposites we picked are violent enemies." - -"Good!" - -"It could be better. I'd hoped that they would be mere opposing -personalities. It is not necessary that people of opposite personality -be bitter rivals for everything." - -"But the greater the opposing forces, the greater the strength of the -mental field." - -"In this case," said Toralen Ki thoughtfully, "they insist upon -including a third party, of equal rank, to act as referee, or mediator. -It will be his task to keep the Opposites from fighting one another." - -"They were quite concerned?" - -"Definitely. It was most difficult to convey to them the fact that the -future of their--and all, for that matter--race depends upon absolute -co-operation between the mental opposites we have picked." - -"Once the suppressor is destroyed, communication with this race will be -easy. Then they can be told." - -Toralen Ki shook his head. "Fate is like that. To carry out the plan -properly, they must co-operate. In order to tell them what they must -do, the suppressor must first be destroyed. And were it not for the -suppressor in the first place, the mental capability of this race would -require no assistance from the like of you and I or any other member of -any other race. The Loard-vogh were very brilliant, Hotang Lu. To hurl -suppressors of mental energy through the Galaxy was a stroke of genius." - - * * * * * - -Hotang Lu smiled sourly. "I suppose it is a strange trick of fate to -have the fate of the entire Galaxy hanging upon an act of co-operation -between two bitter rivals. Especially when the means to explain fully -also hangs upon the outcome of their co-operation. I am reminded of an -incident in my boyhood. I sought work. I had no experience. They wanted -men with experience. In order to get the experience I must work--but -they wouldn't put me to work without experience. But it will be easier -once the initial step is taken," said Hotang Lu. - -"I know it will. It will be so much easier once they understand our -motives, at least. Had they proved non-co-operative, we would have -been completely stopped. As it is now, we can foresee the proper -culmination of all of our plans. We will win, yet!" - -"To our ultimate victory," said Hotang Lu, taking a sip from the tall -tube before him. Toralen Ki followed the other, echoing the words. - -"It is fortunate that they have evolved as far as they have," said -Toralen Ki, after the toast. "Dealing with a completely ignorant race -is more difficult. These people have a proper evaluation of technical -ideas. Therefore they will understand the proper course without having -it forced down their collective throats." - -"With their already available knowledge of the super drive, it -indicates their ability. Have they colonized any of the nearer stellar -systems yet?" - -"Several. But the urge is not quite universal, yet. Only the -adventurers and the malcontents seem to go. They will spread though, if -they're not stopped within a reasonable time." - -"Time.... Time--" muttered Hotang Lu. "Always time. Must we fight time -forever?" - -"Fighting time is most difficult when you are behind," remarked Toralen -Ki. "When you are ahead, it is no longer a fight." - -"We must move swiftly and yet we can do nothing to cause haste. -Confound it, must a man always be pinched between the urgency and the -impossible?" - -"Certainly. It makes one feel the ease of life during the times of -no-stress." - -"Some day I hope to see a period of no-stress that is longer than one -tenth the duration of the trouble before and after it." - -"You may," smiled Toralen Ki. "But there will be no after." - -"Gloomy thought. I'll forget it, thank you. But to change the gloomy -subject, I suggest that we contact Tlembo and let our ruler know that -we have, in part, been successful." - -"Right. I wish we were artists. So much can be conveyed to others by -mere pictures." - -Hotang Lu shook his head. "How could you possibly sketch the operation -of a suppressor? Perhaps _they_ could do it, for they seem to have -advanced the art of thought-conveyance through pictures to a high -degree. But recall that no Tlemban ever considered the art a necessary -one and so we lack the technique." - -"I know." - -"After we contact Tlembo, when can we say we are to start?" - -"I think they convey something about two days. We await the arrival of -the contingents from the other planets." - -"More time wasted." - -"Think of the eons before this and the eons that will follow. And then -think of how utterly minute your two days are. They will arrive, but -quickly enough." - - * * * * * - -Flight Commander Cliff Lane heard the recognition gear tick off, and he -whirled to look at the scanning plate. "The devil," he growled. - -"Sir? - -"What is he doing here?" - -"I don't understand, sir." - -Cliff smiled wryly. "Sorry. I thought this would be more or less -pleasant." - -"Isn't it?" - -"That trace," he said, pointing to the squiggle on the scanning plate, -"happens to be the recognition trace of no one other than Stellor -Downing." - -"Oh," said the orderly. "I didn't know." - -Lane grinned. "Then you're the only one that doesn't. Any of the rest -of this outfit know it on sight. Take a good look at it, Timmy, and the -next time you see it, do your best to do whatever that is doing, but do -it quicker, neater, and with more flourish. Understand?" - -"Yes, sir." - -Lane strode into the operations room, and looked over the plotter's -shoulder. "What's he doing, Link?" - -Lincoln made some calculations on a paper, plunked the keys on his -computer for a moment and then came up with an equation. He showed it -to Lane with a grimace. - -"Landing," said Lane cryptically. - -Lincoln nodded. - -"Can we beat him in?" - -"I think so--if we get the jump on him." - -"There are just two landing circles on Mojave that aren't dusty," said -Lane. "One of them is not far from the field office building. The other -takes a full hour of travel before you can check in. I don't like to -walk." - -"Right. I'll see what we can do." - -"Good." - -One-tenth of a light-second away, an aide entered Stellor Downing's -cabin. "Recognition, sir," he said. "Flight Commander Lane, from Venus. -I thought you'd like to know." - -"What's his course?" clipped Downing. - -"Mojave." - -"Tell the tech to drop interferers. Tell navigator to correct course -for blitz-landing, and tell pilot to streak for landing Circle One. -Also broadcast crash-warning." - -"Right. We're going in if we have to collide to do it, sir?" - -"We'll have no collision. Lane wouldn't care to scrape any of his -nicely painted little toys." - -"On the roger," said the aide, leaving immediately. - -Two flights of ships changed course. - - * * * * * - -Down on Mojave, in the control and operations tower, signal officer -Clancey's face popped with beads of cold sweat. He sat down heavily in -a chair and: - -"Tony! Get me the chief!" - -"What's wrong, sir?" asked Tony. - -"This desert ain't a big enough landing field to take on Lane and -Downing. Not all at once." - -"Lane and Downing!" Tony streaked for the telephone. He called, and -handed the phone to Clancey, who plugged it into his switchboard, -putting it on his own headset so that he could hear both the chief and -the operations. - -"Chief. Look, this is too hot to handle. Lane and Downing are both -heading for Mojave." - -"I know." - -"Do you?" asked Clancey sarcastically. "They're heading for Mojave. -They're racing for Number One. And they're due to arrive within three -or four milliseconds of one another!" - -"Hell's Rockets!" exploded the chief. "Get 'em on the air and tell 'em -they're under orders." - -"There isn't any air. One of 'em dropped interferers." - -"Official?" - -"Unofficial." - -"O.K. Record the fact and then go out and watch. It's out of your hands -if they can't hear you. As long as you have a record of interference -it's not your cookie. It belongs to them." - -"Mind if I head for a bomb-shelter?" grinned Clancey. - -"Oh, they're both smart. That's one fight that never hit an innocent -bystander." - -"--yet," added Clancey. - -"Well--?" - -"It might be the first time I died, too," objected Clancey. - -"You don't want to live forever, do you?" - -"Wouldn't mind." - -"Nuts. There must be something good about dying. Everybody does it." - -"But only one; never again." - -"Well, play it your way. I sort of wish I could be there to watch, too." - -"Just tell mother I died game. So long, chief. I hear music in the air -right now, and hell will pop directly." - - * * * * * - -Like twin, high-velocity jets of water, the two space flights came -together, rebounded off of their individual barrier-layers and mingled -in a jarring maze of whirling ships. In a shapeless pattern they -whirled, and they might have whirled shapelessly all the way to Mojave, -except for one item. - -From Downing's lead ship there stabbed one of the heavy dymodine beams, -its danger area marked with the characteristic heterodyne of light. -It thrust a pale green finger into the sky before it, and as it came -around, the other ships moved aside. That was the breaker. The flights -reformed into twin interlocked spirals that thrust against one another -with pressors and tore at one another with tractors in an effort to -break up the other's flight. - -Lane snapped: "That's a stinking trick." - -"He's warning--" - -"Oh, nice of him to heterodyne it. I wish I had a roboship. I'd drive -it into his beam and tell him that he clipped my men--" - -Stellor Downing grinned at his unit commander. "I told you he'd duck," -he said loftily. - -"Wouldn't you?" - -"Nope. I'd drive into it and see if he'd shut it off before I hit it." - -"Supposing he didn't shut it off?" - -"Don't ask me," said Downing. "If he did, it would be to spare the -men with me. If I ducked at the last minute, it would be for the same -reason. If we were alone, I wouldn't dive into a beam--but we might -try a bit of rivet-cutting." - -The unit commander's face whitened a bit. That was an idea he disliked. -And yet some day he knew they'd get to it. Just as practically -everybody knew it. - -The hard ground of Mojave whirled up at them, and the twin spirals -flattened out. Like a whirling nebula, they spun, slowing as they -dropped. - -Clancey groaned from the top of the tower: "There ain't room for fifty -ships in Circle One. There ain't room for six ships fighting one -another. Holy--" - -The spattering of force-beams, tractor and pressor, died as the last -hundred feet of altitude closed in. The ships, still wabbling slightly, -slowed their spinning around and curved to drop vertically for fifty -feet. - -The ground shook-- - -And there was left but one dustless landing circle at Mojave--the other -one. - -Windows in the control tower cracked, a fuse alarm rang furiously, and -somewhere a taut cable snapped, shutting off the fuse alarm for lack of -juice. The lights went out all over the Administration Building, and -every ceiling dropped a fine shower of plaster freckles. - -They landed on empty desks and open chairs. - -Seven thousand employees of Mojave were crammed out on the view-area, -wiping the dust from their eyes and shaking their heads. - -And through the dust, weaving their way between the ships of either -command. Cliff Lane and Stellor Downing advanced upon one another. - -Out of a cloud of dust came Lane. Downing emerged from the other side -and faced the Venusite. - -"You fouled me," snarled Downing. - -"Who, me?" asked Lane saucily. - -"I broadcast a crash-warning." - -"You should have done it before you dropped interferers. All I know is -that you disputed my course." - -"So I did. So what?" - -Lane reached for a cigarette. He did it with his left hand, though -he knew that Downing wouldn't draw his modines while either hand -was occupied. Downing was fair, anyway. "So you didn't get what you -wanted--again." - -"Neither did you." - -"All right. Are you happy? Got to have the best, don't you?" growled -Lane. "Can't stand to see anybody take even a toothpick that you can't -have two of." - -"If you were more than a drug-store cowboy ... brother, what a get-up." - -Lane flushed. "My clothing is my own business." - -"It's very fetching. Chic, even." - -"Shut up, dough-head. _I'm_ not forced to wear an iceman's uniform so -people won't think--" - -"What's the matter with me?" gritted Downing. - -"You might at least put on a clean shirt," drawled Lane, tossing his -cigarette at Downing. - -"Oh, swish--" - -That did it. Lane's right hand streaked for his hip after a warning -gesture. Downing's two hands dropped and came up with the twin modines. - -Only a microtime film record would ever tell the quicker man. Their -weapons came up and forward and the dust of landing Circle One was -shocked with a sharp electrical splat. - - - - - III. - - -"And that's your job, Thompson," said Kennebec. - -"And that's enough," responded Thompson. He wiped his face. - -"Oh, I'll issue the proper orders. They'll receive them--and any trace -of insubordination on the part of either of them will be cause for -reprimand. Public reprimand." - -"But the reason behind all this? I don't understand." - -"Nor does anyone else. Look Thompson, the Little Man has a super ship -out there on Mojave. It is a real bear-cat. Packed into space smaller -than this office is enough stuff to hold off the Guard for a week. -That's premise number one. - -"Number two. They have some sort of telepathic means of communications. - -"Number three. They came here for help. Why, I may never tell you until -it's analyzed by the experts. But they came here for help. A machine, -bomb, some means of hell and destruction or other must be destroyed. It -must be located, too. Using some means of analysis on our card files, -voice records, identification quizzes, and so forth, they decided upon -Lane and Downing as the mainsprings. They'll have none other. Now why -or wherefore isn't for me to decide. If they want Lane and Downing, -they'll get Lane and Downing and none others. At the very least, we've -got to play their game as long and as well as we can play it. I want to -have the Solar Guard equipped as well as that ship is, and this is the -way to do it." - -"Why don't they go out and destroy this thing themselves?" asked -Thompson. - -"I wouldn't know. You know as much as I do." - -"They may fear the cat race." - -"If I had their stuff, I'd fear nothing." - -The telephone rang and Kennebec lifted it. He listened and then hung up -slowly. - -"Your job--" he said. "Lane and Downing are making a running fist fight -to see who lands on Circle One. If you go a-screeching fast, you might -be able to make it by the time they hit." - -"Right--" and Thompson left unceremoniously. - -He hit the street, landed in his car, and was a half block away, siren -screaming, before he realized that he had a passenger. It was Patricia. - -"Huh?" he asked foolishly. - -"Well, the engine was running, wasn't it?" - -"I didn't notice." - -"Fine thing." - -"You must have heard." - -"Who hasn't. Come on, Billy. A little more soup. I know that pair and -they won't waste time." - -Thompson poured more power into the car and it increased in speed. The -way was cleared for him, though it took some expert driving to cut -around and through the traffic, stopped by the demanding throat of the -official siren. - -Thompson roared up the main road to Mojave, sent the guard-rail gates -flying dangerously over the heads of onlookers, and sped out onto the -tarmacadam. The dust of the rough landing was just starting to rise -as Thompson slid into the outskirts of the circle of ships. His car -skidded dangerously on locked wheels, and he used the deceleration -of the vehicle to catapult himself forward. He landed running and -disappeared into the circling dust. - -He could be certain that Lane and Downing would be at the center of -this whirling mass. - - * * * * * - -Lane blinked. Downing shook his head in disbelief. Both recharged their -modines and-- - -"That's about enough!" snapped Thompson, coming through the dust. "You -pair of idiots." - -They whirled. - -"No, you didn't miss, either of you." He waved his own modine. The -aperture was wide open. "But I've got a job to do and you aren't going -to spoil it on the first try. I'd hate to report to Co-ordinator -Kennebec that I'd failed--doubly. And that all there were to his plans -were two hardly scarred corpses." - -He tossed his weapon on the ground and nursed his hand. - -"You're the fool," said Downing. "Don't you know you can't absorb the -output of three on one of 'em?" - -"I did," snapped Thompson. "Though I'd rather use a baseball bat on -both of you." - -"We didn't intend to hurt anybody," explained Lane. - -"Good. Now that that's over, you might play sweet for a while, doing -penance for burning my hand." - -"You mean we're going to work together?" asked Lane in disbelief. - -"And you're going to act as though you liked it." - -"I won't like it," scowled Downing. - -"Just make it look good. You've got a job to do, and once it is done -you can go rivet-cutting for all I care." - -"It's an idea." - -"All right. But listen, you pair of fools, Patricia is coming through -this haze you kicked up. Take it easy." - -"Pat!" it was a duet. - -"Yeah, though you should both call her Miss Kennebec after this -performance." - -"You leave her out of this," snapped Lane. - -"After one more statement. You fellows can fight all you want to, but -remember, if you're fighting for Pat, just consider how she'd feel to -A, if as and when A chilled B to get rid of B's competition. Now let's -behave ourselves--and if you're asked, this was a fine shindy; a real -interesting whingding." - -Clancey saw the four of them emerge from the aura of dust and he held -his head. "Look at 'em, chief. It ain't goin' to last. I know it ain't. -Mis's Kennebec holding an arm of each of them and Mr. Thompson chatting -to all three from behind." - -"Clancey, this may be the calm before the storm. But from what I hear, -both of them will be a long way from Sol when the tornado winds up. -They're heading for the Big Man's office right now. He'll tell 'em." - - * * * * * - -"I think I get it," said Lane. "He wants us to analyze it. That's why -this motion of our heads to the thing." - -"You may be right." - -"This is a long way from here, though. I don't quite get it." - -Kennebec explained his reasons for playing the Little Man's game. - -"O.K., chief. I've heard of this cat race," said Downing. - -"You have?" - -"Only malcontent rumors. Tramps, adventurers, and the like are inclined -to take runs like that for the sheer loneliness of it--and the desire -to set foot where no man ever stood before. It's about the limit of -run with even a Guard ship. I suppose any rumors can be discounted, -but I've been given to understand that they are a rather nasty kind of -personality." - -"Being cats they would be," added Lane. - -"Not necessarily," objected Thompson. "We are basic primate-culture, -but we don't behave like apes." - -"No?" asked Kennebec with a sly smile. - -"O.K." - -"Now," said Kennebec. "They've chosen you two for the job in spite -of our explanations that you are slightly inclined toward dangerous -rivalry. Why they insist I do not know. Be that as it may, gentlemen, -you have this project. You have twenty-five ships each, all armed to -the best of Solar technique. You'll have to play it close to your vest, -I gather, since this machine or bomb is at present running through -their system. Therefore I order you, officially, to refrain from any -competitive action until this project is completed. The Little Man has -detectors to locate the thing, you'll each get one of them. Track it -down and analyze it. Destroy it after you could reproduce it. Thompson, -your only job is to remind this pair of worthies that their prime job -is to finish this project." - -"It may be not too hard," smiled Thompson. "I won't have any trouble." - -"Look, Downing, if this thing is as important as they claim, we're -fools not to work together. Right?" - -"As corny as it sounds--the fate of races depends--I believe the Little -Man. Until this fool project is over, no fight." - -"Shake." - -Downing made a "wait" gesture. He picked up an ornate dinner candle -from the mantelpiece and lit it. He took cigarettes, offered one to -Lane, and they shook hands. And they lit their cigarettes in the same -candle flame. - -And Thompson said to Kennebec: "A pair of showmen." - -"And the best flight commanders in the Guard, confound it!" - - * * * * * - -Stellor Downing, out of his Martian uniform and wearing the dress -uniform of Terra, piloted Patricia Kennebec through the tables to a -seat. "Stop worrying," he laughed. - -"I suppose I should," she admitted. - -"Then please do." - -"I will. It isn't complimentary to you, is it?" - -"I wouldn't worry about that." - -"All right. But I still think I'm fostering trouble for both of you." - -"By coming out with me tonight? Lane asked--but he was late. He can't -object to my making plans first, can he?" - -"He admitted that he had only himself to blame." - -"Then?" - -"But I can't help thinking that I'm the cause--" - -"Look, Pat. Analyze us. Cliff is Venusite. His family went to Venus -about six hundred years ago--probably on the same ship that mine left -for Mars on at about the same time. Lane's impetuous and slightly -wildman. I'm more inclined to calculate. Dance?" - -"Yes--that was a quick change of subject, Stell. How do you do it?" - -"The music just started--and my basic idea in coming here was to dance -with you." - -"How about ordering? They'll get the stuff while we're dancing." - -"Everything's ordered," he smiled. He drew back her chair, offered her -an arm, and led her to the dance floor. - -Downing's dancing was excellent. He was precise, deft, and graceful -despite his size. The orchestra finished the piece, and then with a -drum-roll introduction led into the classic "_Mars Waltz_." - -The step was long and slow and though some of the other couples drifted -off the floor to await something more springy, they finished the long -number with a slight flourish. - -Another drum-roll, and: "Ladies and Gentlemen," said the announcer, -"that number was in honor of Stellor Downing, number one Flight -Commander of the Martian sector of the Solar Guard!" - -There was a craning of necks to see the Martian, and Downing politely -saluted before he retreated to his table. - -"And in this corner ... pardon me, I mean over here, ladies and -gentlemen, we have Clifford Lane, the top Flight Commander of the Venus -sector!" - -The necks swiveled like the spectators at a tennis match and the -spotlight caught Cliff, standing at the door with a woman on each arm. - -At a word from the manager, four large, square-shouldered men in -tuxedos accepted two tables. Base lines for defense-- - -But Lane merely nodded affably in the bright spotlight. "Thanks, and -now, professor, that light is bright. Play, George. The Caramanne if -you please." - -"But I can't dance the Caramanne," objected the girl on his right. - -"And I wouldn't dance it in public," said the girl on his left. - -"Well, we all know someone who can and will," laughed Cliff. He led -them to Downing's table, shook hands with Stellor and underwent a -ten-second grip-trying match. He introduced them all around and then -asked: "Downing, may I steal her for a moment? I think she's the only -one present that can hang on while I take care of the Caramanne." - -"For a moment," said Downing. - - * * * * * - -The four men in tuxedos blinked and shook their heads. The manager -took a quick, very short drink. It was a draft of sheer relief. - -The pulse-beating rhythm of the native dance of Venus started with -rapid tomtom, and then carried up into the other instruments. With -the floor to themselves, Cliff and Patricia covered most of it in the -whirling, quick-step. - -"A fine specimen of fidelity you'd make," she laughed. - -"Well, you were busy. I had to do something." - -"You seem to do all right. They're both rather special." - -"Know them?" - -"Only by nodding acquaintance." - -"Well, any time you have time to spare for Cliff Lane, just let me know -and I'll toss 'em overboard and come running." - -"And in the meantime?" - -"And in the meantime, I'm not going to rot." - -The dance swung into the finish, which left them both breathing hard. -Lane escorted Patricia back to the table, where Downing sat silent. As -they came up, a third man approached. Lane seated Patricia and then -greeted the new-comer. - -"Hi, Billy. Lucky, we've got a girl for you, too." - -Thompson breathed out. "Oh," he said surveying the situation. Both -situations looked him over and smiled. "Lenore, and Karen, this is -Billy Thompson. He's in division." - -"Which division?" asked Lenore. - -"Subdivision," grinned Thompson. "I'm the guy they got to comb these -guys out of each other's hair." - -"Poor man," sympathized Karen. - -"You gals match for him," laughed Cliff. He tossed a coin. - -"Heads!" called Lenore. - -"You lose--take him," chuckled Lane. - -Lenore put her arm through Thompson's. "Nope," she said brightly, "I -win." - -The spotlight hit the table. "We might as well finish this," laughed -the announcer. "I present the referee ... pardon me, folks, I mean the -top man of the Terran sector; Flight Commander Billy Thompson!" - -The music started, and all three couples went to dance to a medley of -Strauss' waltzes. - - - - - IV. - - -"It was all sort of whirligig, like," explained Patricia. "We didn't -get home until along toward the not-so-wee large hours of the morning." - -"I know," responded her father dryly. "The whole gang of you were -raiding the icebox at five." - -"The rest of them left shortly afterward." - -"All of them?" - -"No, Stellor outsat them and lingered to say goodnight." - -"What do you think of Stellor?" - -"I've always thought highly of Stellor. He's got everything. He knows -what he wants and he knows how to get it." - -"And Cliff Lane?" - -"Cliff is strictly on the impulse." - -"I wouldn't say that," objected her father. "After all, both of them -got where they are because of their ability." - -"Well, Cliff gives the impression that he just thought of it." - -"Of what?" - -"Of whatever he was going to do next." - -"A good thing nobody ever asked you to decide between them." - -"It would be difficult." - -"Well, it won't be necessary. They're leaving after the next change of -watch." - -"So soon?" - -"The Little Man gave the impression that all of us were fighting for -time." - -"I see. You do believe that this is important?" - -"I can see no other reason for it." - -"Um-m-m. Well, I'll be down to see them off." - -"All of us will." - -"I was worried, last night. I could see a beautiful shindy in the -offing." - -"And it didn't get bad at all?" - -"No," answered Patricia in surprise. "I think Cliff saved the day -by showing up with a couple of women. I wouldn't have wanted to sit -between the two of them all by myself. That would have been strictly -murder. And I wouldn't have wanted to see Stellor off without saying -farewell to Cliff. Stellor got here first with the plans--I was -strictly a fence. I didn't know what to do. So I did it. And everything -turned out fine." - -"You can hope that it will always turn out fine. What'll you do if one -of them turns to some other woman?" - -Patricia laughed wryly. "I'd lose both of them, Dad. Believe me, I -would. The other would barge in and set sail for the woman just as sure -as I'm a foot high." - -"But ... but ... but--" - -"I don't really know--nor do I care too much." - -"Anticipating me? You mean you don't know which one really wants you -and which other is just here for sheer rivalry?" - -Patricia nodded. "They don't, either," she said sagely. "It is a good -thing that we have time. Time will out, as you've always said. Time -will get us the answer. Right now I'm neither worried about time, or -even not having my mind made up on a future. I've got a number of years -of fun ahead before then." - -"Bright girl," laughed Kennebec. "Now let's get going. We want to see -them off, don't we?" - - * * * * * - -Two hours later, seventy-five of the Solar Guard's finest ships arrowed -into the sky above Mojave. In the lead, determined by a toss of the -coin, was Stellor Downing's command. Thompson's outfit, running to his -own taste, encircled the Downing cone at the base in a short cylinder, -while bringing up the rear was Cliff Lane's long spiral. An hour out of -Mojave, the flight went into superdrive and left the Solar Combine far -behind in a matter of minutes. - - * * * * * - -By the clock, it was weeks later that the Solar Guard's flight dropped -down out of superdrive and took a look around. The Little Man, in -Thompson's ship, used his own instruments and indicated that the yellow -star--it was more than a star at their distance--dead ahead was the one -they sought. - -"Downing," called Lane. "How's your power reserve?" - -"Like yours, probably." - -"We'd better find a close-in, hotter-than-the-hinges planet where they -won't be populating and charge up, what say?" - -"Good idea. Better than the original plan of charging in flight. If -it's close in, it'll have ceased revolution, probably. We can hit the -twilight zone and rest our feet a bit." - -"O.K. I'll put the searchers on it." - -"We'd better take it by relays, though. A fleet that's planeted for -charging isn't in the most admirable position for attack." - -"Reasonable. You charge, Thompson'll guard, and I'll scout around." - -"You'll do nothing of the sort," growled Downing. "You and Thompson -will both guard." - -"Afraid?" - -"No, you idiot. I'm jealous as hell. I don't want you to take all the -glory." - -"And that's probably the truth," laughed Lane. - -"Take it or leave it." - -Thompson interrupted. "This sounds like the leading edge of a fight. -Stop it. We'll play it safe--Downing's way." - -"O.K.," assented Lane cheerfully enough. - -"Thing that bothers me," muttered Downing, "is the fact that if this -bunch have any stuff, we're being recorded on the tapes right now." - -"So?" - -"And if they're as nasty as the Little Man claims, they'll be here with -all of their nastiness." - -"All right," snapped Lane. "We've got detectors and analyzers, haven't -we?" - -"Uh-huh. But we're a long way from home base. What we've got we've got -to keep--and use. They can toss the book at us and go home for another -library. Follow?" - -"Yup. Located a planet yet?" - -"Haven't you been paying attention?" - -"No. You're in the lead. I'm merely following as best I can." - -"Then sharp up. We're heading for the innermost planet now." - -"Go ahead--we'll go in to see. Then Lane and I will scout the sky above -to keep off the incoming bunch, if any," said Thompson. - -It was an armed watch. Downing's flight landed and set up the solar -collectors. From the ships there came a group of planet-mounted modines -which had little to offer over the turrets in the ships save adding to -their numbers. - -The other two flights dropped off their planet-mounts, too, since they -were of no use a-flight and might even become a detriment if trouble -demanded swift maneuver. - -Then a regular patrol schedule was set up and alternately Lane and -Thompson took to the sky to cover the area. The detectors were -overhauled and stepped up to the theoretical limit of their efficiency, -and couplers and fire-control systems were hooked in and calibrated. - -It took nine days by the clock to get the camp set up, and Downing's -flight was almost recharged by the end of that time. - -As Thompson's flight went in for re-charge, Downing and Lane discussed -the camp. - -"I say leave it here," said Lane. "Might be handy." - -"When?" - -"I don't have any real idea. But we've got one hundred and fifty extra -dymodines planet-mounted down there. I say leave it there until we get -this problem off our chest." - -"Expect trouble?" scoffed Downing. - -Lane nodded. "I expect this to end in a running fight with one of the -two of us making a blind but accurate stab in the dark and getting -that machine the Little Man talks about. If the going gets tough, we -can hole out here for some time with the solar collectors running the -planet mounts." - -"Wonder why the cat race hasn't come up," mused Downing. "It isn't -sensible to permit any alien to establish a planethead in your system." - -"They might not even know." - -"Unlikely." - -"Look, though," offered Lane, "we came in sunward, almost scorching -our tails. The solar centroid of interference might make any flight -detection undistinguishable from background noise." - -"Yeah? Remember that we came in over the edge of the sun from -_somewhere_. We were out in space mostly." - -"Then you answer it--you asked it!" - - * * * * * - -The catmen came as Thompson's flight left the camp and Lane's ships -dropped into the charging positions. They came in a horde, they came -and they swarmed over the two flights that were patrolling. - -In a wide circle, the Solarians raced just outside of the camp. The -planet mounts covered the sky above, and a veritable arched roof of -death-dealing energy covered the twenty-five ships of Lane's flight. -The space between the Solar circle and the catman circle was ablaze -with energy, and the ether was filled with interference. Even the -subether carried its share of crackle, and the orders went on the -tone-modulated code instead of voice. - -Solid ordnance dropped, and exploded through the crisscrossing of the -planet mounts, and the planeted ships ran their charges down instead of -up by adding to the fury over their heads. They were sitting ducks and -they knew it. - -But unlike the sitting duck, these could shoot back. And they took -their toll. - -Then without apparent reason, the flight of catmen left their whirling -circle on a tangent and streaked for space. - -Behind them lay nine smoking ships--prey to the Solar Guard. - -But they had not gone in vain. There were seven of the Solar Guard -that would fly no more--seven ships and a total of one hundred and -seventy-five men. - -"_Whew._ They haven't any sense at all," snarled Downing. - -"Either that or they value their lives rather poorly." - -"Must be. I wouldn't know. But usually a vicious mind doesn't value -life too highly." - -"I wouldn't be too certain of that." - -"All right. I won't belabor the point. I don't know. It just seems--" - -The next ten days was under rigid rule. Lane's ships charged, and the -last day was spent in replenishing the charges lost in the short but -torrid fight. - -"Now," said Lane, "what's with this hell-machine that the Little Man -mentions?" - -"The detectors do not detect," objected Downing. - - * * * * * - -They confronted the Little Man with the nonoperating detector. He shook -his tiny head and worried visibly. He puzzled over it, juggled the -circuit controls, and then threw up his hands in bafflement. He spoke -to Hotang Lu: - -"The field must be so great that the detector is paralyzed." - -"It is more than likely. Remember, it was working on Tlembo. It was -working on ... on ... I have not the word for their star. Many many -light-years away it is good. Close by--it must be paralyzed." - -"Then we must make it less sensitive." - -"Do you know how?" - -"I did once, long ago. But I have forgotten my techniques and my -ability lags because of lack of practice." - -"And I devoted myself to the arts instead of technology. A revered -master at the problem of mental culture; I cannot invade this gadget -with tools." - -Hotang Lu smiled. "You might try psychoanalyzing it." - -"Yes, if it contained but one memory-pattern," laughed Toralen Ki. - -"They'd have done better to have sent a plumber and an electrician than -we two failures." - -"At this point, we must attempt to convey the idea of a search for the -master machine." - -"It will not be hard. This race will search rather than return home -with an incomplete mission. The rivalry that exists between the leaders -insures the success of our plan despite any set-back." - - * * * * * - -Toralen Ki and Hotang Lu faced Lane and Downing. All four shook their -heads in complete misunderstanding. Then Hotang Lu sketched a crude -diagram of the catmen's star-system. He indicated the master machine -and also indicated their search for it and its ultimate destruction. - -Lane gritted his teeth. "How big?" he asked aloud, and pointed from the -machine to several bits of equipment in the ship. - -Toralen Ki said: "Don't know." - -Hotang Lu nodded in agreement and tried to convey their ignorance of -the size. - -"I gather that they've never seen it." - -"Chances are if they'd seen it they'd have bopped it themselves," -observed Downing. - -"Reasonable attitude." - -"Well, we have about ten to the twenty-seventh power square miles of -blank and utter nothing to curry-comb for a dingus of some sort." - -"Blank and utter nothing--hell! I wouldn't mind blank and utter -nothing. We could comb it if it weren't for sun, planets, asteroids, -meteors, noise-impulses from nowhere-in-particular, just plain hell, -and a crew of wild-personalized catmen." Lane paused to take a deep -breath. "As it is, the latter is the most complicated of the bunch -mentioned. We can't spread out in a space-lattice and comb. We've got -to do one of two things. Either we enlist the help--or get freedom of -search--of or from the catmen or we comb in a large and armed body." - -"That's a nice problem. Either way." - -"As has been mentioned before--'Take it or leave it!'" - -"Mind explaining how you go about getting chummy with a race that took -a swing without asking questions first?" - -"That's partly our fault. We just invaded." - -"We couldn't spend a few months getting chummy first. We needed -power--and bad." - -"All right," agreed Lane. "But they didn't know that. And it's all -right with me because I'm leery of letting anyone know that I'm -vulnerable. Especially people I don't know and therefore cannot trust." - -"Have we got what it takes to barge in there and settle down? Can we -hold them off until we can make it clear that we don't want their -stinking planet?" - -"Have we?" - -"If we do right now, there'll be a lot of us that stay there for good." - -"How many of us are expendable?" - -"All of us as long as that dingbat is destroyed." - -Lane grimaced. "And how important is it?" - -Downing gave an "I don't know" wave of his hands. "We might go looking -for trouble, Lane." - -"Meaning catch us a single shipload of catmen and let 'em go, well -filled with cream and a fine explanation?" - -"Might even get a rat or two for them." - -"Meaning?" - -Downing grinned maliciously. "Guilty conscience?" he taunted. "Forget -it, hothead." - -"Don't make cracks, Iceberg. O.K., forget it. It's probably the best -idea yet. How do we bait a cat trap?" - -"Cream--or catnip." - -"Very funny," interrupted Thompson. "Exceedingly amusing. You make me -laugh, _haha_," he added in a flat, disgusted tone. - -"Shut up," chorused Lane and Downing. - -"All right. Then stop making light of this. Bait a cat trap. You'll -just have to pirate the planet lanes and catch you one." - -"The trouble with you, Thompson, is that you have no sense of humor." - -Thompson subsided. He realized that this light banter was a cover-up -for a deeper feeling. Deprive them of niggling at one another in a -light way and they might take to it in a more serious vein. - -"It is agreed, then, that we grab us a boatload of catmen and -indoctrinate them with Solarian good will and propaganda." - -"It is," said Downing. "Time's a-wasting. Let's grab." - - - - - V. - - -Like a contracting funnel, the Solar Guard closed down on the catman -ship. They crowded the catman spacer, forced him into a pocket, and -then started to drive him their way. - -But unlike a pocketed ship, the catman slashed back. An invisible beam -came from somewhere on the craft. It slashed out, closed down upon a -midsection of the nearest Solar Guard, and ripped the belly out of the -ship. It was both brutal and sickening. One moment the Solarian craft -was forcing the catman ship to give space or collide. The next moment -the midsection had been gouged away; ripped out as with a vicious claw -or a set of cruel, gigantic teeth. The crushed midsection was flung -free of the stricken craft and as the ship collapsed over its open -belly, and died, the catman slashed at another and another of the -Solarians. - -"Superdrive!" exploded Lane. - -The slashing catman got one more ship before the Solar Guard went -into the superdrive and raced away. - -"Did you record that?" asked Lane. - -"Tried to. The recorder blew." - -"So did all of them. Creepers! What a nasty thing to have around." - -Thompson said: "One of my techs is repairing a recorder now. He thinks -he can give the wave analysis." - -"How?" - -"He finds that certain of the crystalline structures in the wave -recorder are de-crystallized." - -"Meaning what?" demanded Lane. - -"Meaning that certain frequencies hit the nuclear resonance of the -crystalline structures. I'll let you know." - -"Let us know quick," said Downing. "If we can analyze it, we can either -reproduce it or shield against it." - -"Cats at seven o'clock, forty degrees!" exploded the observer in Lane's -ship. - -"Anywhere else?" demanded Lane. - -No answer. - -"Fight 'em," snapped Lane. - -There were six catmen converging on Lane's command. The rest of -the Solar crew flung around and headed for the local fight. Lane's -dymodines flashed out and were stopped cold by barriers. - -"Crash stations!" ordered Lane. "Prepare for total destruction!" - -The six catmen got above Lane's ship and drove him downward with -pressors and an occasional light--it must have been very light--touch -of the belly-tearing beam. Above the six were the sixty-odd Solarians -fighting to get through and fighting a useless battle. - - * * * * * - -"We can't damage 'em," snarled Lane. "Superdrive--right through 'em!" - -He almost made it. His ship rammed up under the stellar drive, came -level with the screen of catmen, and almost made it through. But four -of them reached forth with the belly-tearing beams and took separate -parts of his ship. The warning creak of plates caused the pilot to stop. - -Lane's ship was thrust down below again. - -"Superdrive--away!" - -Lane's ship turned and dropped. - -The action was too fast for the Solarian crew, and he left them far -behind. But the catmen were right with him all the way. - -"Cut it," said Lane in a tired voice. "Let 'em play. Save our strength -for later when we can do something." - -They went inert. No drive, no sign of fight, no objection. - -A side-force hit them, slapping the ship sidewise about fifty feet. It -jarred the ship's delicate mechanisms into a short fluster of unreal -alarms and ringing signals, but the sturdy stuff was not permanently -damaged. - -Still no response from Cliff's ship. - -They poked him down brutally with a pressor and then jerked him back up -again. - -More alarms and more nosebleed among the crew. - -They caught the ship in force-zones and played catch with it from one -catman to the other, poking and thrusting. They ripped off one of the -turrets with the snatcher. - -Then they stopped. And they waited. Quietly they hung above Lane's -ship, watching, watching, watching. - -A full, solid, nerve-breaking hour they waited, and the men in Lane's -ship waited, wondering. - -"Try it!" snapped Lane. - -The ship leaped into motion, driving to one side. - -Snatchers raced out and caught the fleeing ship, dragged it back, and -again they went through the pushing, pulling, tossing program. And then -again they stopped with a few, final perfunctory pokes and shoves. - -"They're catmen, all right," snarled Lane. - -The rest of the Solar Guard came up, and once more they tried to break -through the screen to free Lane's ship. Lane shook his head. "Pilot. -How long under superdrive before we hit the speed of light?" - -"Seven minutes." - -"Then drive straight down. I don't think any beam can exceed the speed -of light. Once we get up there, they can't reach forward after us, at -least." - -Lane's ship dropped. And the catmen followed, maintaining their -distance with superior balance and accuracy. A minute passed. Two. -Three. Four. Five. And then at an even six, a snatcher reached forward -and took Lane's ship by the empennage and shook it enough to rend a few -seams. - -"O.K., cut it," he said wearily. "I wonder what they want of us beside -to play cat-and-mouse?" - -There were three more sessions of the cat-and-mouse trick, separated by -hour intervals. Then the six catmen, their nature satisfied, took hold -of Lane's ship in a cluster of snatcher beams. Lane heard the plates -give as the fields-of-focus closed down. - -He closed his eyes, breathed a short prayer, and waited. - - * * * * * - -Stellor Downing called Thompson. "Back to One," he said. - -"Giving up?" - -"Can you think of anything to do?" - -"No." - -"Well, let's get back where we can plan." - -Thompson assented. It was reluctant, however, and a day later, when -they landed on One at their camp, he faced Downing. "Sort of solves -your problem, doesn't it?" - -"Look," snapped Stellor Downing. "I've got a few feelings and a number -of nerves. Lane and I were not deeply in love with one another. Yes, -it solves a lot of problems, Thompson, but don't taunt me about it, or -I'll take a modine to your throat, see?" - -"We might have tried again," insisted Thompson. - -"We might have tried for a month. We couldn't even touch them. If -you're intimating that I gave up quick--?" - -"You weren't leaning over backwards." - -"Quoting an old, famous fable, 'sometimes it is better to fall flat on -your face.'" - -"Meaning?" - -"We've got whole skins. They were after captives, not meat. They wanted -the same thing we do but they got 'em first." - -"So?" - -"So we take whatever wave analysis we have and try to figure 'em out. -If we can reproduce any of that stuff, we'll go back." - -"Hm-m-m." - -"Look, Thompson, as far as this job is concerned, your job of keeping -Lane and myself out of one another's hair is over. One head of hair is -gone, see." - -"And what do you intend to do about it?" - -"I intend to carry on. Now forget about the fact that a personal grudge -of mine has been taken out of my hands and let's get on to working out -some means of fighting back. Lane is gone. I'm trying not to gloat. But -you're not helping. So stop it." - - * * * * * - -Toralen Ki shook his head in a worried manner. "One is gone." - -"A substitute?" - -"I fear that any substitute may not be as good." - -"Nonsense, Toralen. Were there a better man than either, we'd have -selected him; if either had not existed, a lesser man would have -sufficed." - -"The right kind is so very few," complained Toralen Ki. - -"We can find one. We will have to return to their planet to do so, and -it will be harder for us--but it can be done. No good general has only -one plan of battle." - -"But so much depends--Ah well, despair is the product of the inferior -intellect. We will, we must carry on." - -Hotang Lu opened his large case. "I will contact our superiors -immediately and ask their advice." - -"Yes," nodded Toralen Ki. "Also ask them if they have the answer to the -less-sensitive detector, yet." - -Hotang turned the communicator on and waited for it to warm up. His -hand dropped into the case and came up with another small instrument of -extreme complexity. - -"Once the suppressor is destroyed," he said with a smile of -contemplation, "we can use this on them." - -"And that means success!" breathed Toralen Ki. "From that time on, our -plans--" - -"Wait, the communicator is operating," said Hotang Lu, waving a hand. -He reached for the communicator's controls and started to talk swiftly, -pressing his head against the plate above the voice-transmitter. - -Flight Commander Thompson handed Downing a sheaf of papers. "There's -the wave analysis," he said with pride. - -Downing looked them over. "You've got the technical crew. Can we -reproduce all or any of it?" - -"Only by tearing down a couple of modine directors. The boys can -convert the spotting, training, and ranging circuits--they'll use the -components--and rebuild the thing to generate barriers. The snatcher -is easy. We'll just juggle the main modulating system of a tractor -generator. That comes out so simple I feel slightly sick at not having -thought of it myself." - -"What is its analysis?" asked Downing. - -"Couple a force beam with a tractor focus-zone generator. The tractor, -you know, operates on the field-of-focus principle. A rough sphere at -the end of the beam--anything in that field is drawn. The snatcher -merely applies the field-of-focus idea to the side-thrust of a force -beam. You raise the power several times and anchor it with a superdrive -tube coupled so that the thrust is balanced against a spatial thrust -instead of the ship. That tears the guts out of anything." - -"I have an idea that you might be able to cut instead of tear if -you include some nuclear-resonant frequencies in the field of focus -generator." - -"Is it necessary?" - -"Might be interesting," said Downing. "They tear. If we land on them -with something that quickly, precisely, quietly, and almost painlessly -slices a sphere out of one of their ships, they may be impressed." - -"You have something there. I'm going to tear into some of the -planet-mounted jobs. We are now sixty-three ships. I can make one -snatcher out of every dymodine that's planet-mounted out here. Shall -I?" - -"How long?" - -"Ten hours each." - -"Six hundred and thirty hours. Twenty-six days and six hours." - -"We'll make it in twenty days. By the time the boys get to Number Ten -or Twelve they'll be working shortcut and on production-line basis and -the piece-time will drop." - -"Twenty days is long enough, believe me. We'll toss in my gang and -Lane's gang, too. They can go to work on the modine directors and make -barriers out of 'em if you claim they'll work." - -"They'll work." - -"Then let's get going. The Little Guys are tearing their hair as it is." - -Thompson nodded. - -"But look," said Downing, "don't rip up any dymodines ahead. Convert -slowly. If the catmen attack, we'll need all we can muster to fight 'em -off." - -"Right." - -"And as for Cliff Lane--he isn't dead until we prove it, see? So far as -I know, he might be getting an education in cat-culture right now." - -Thompson looked at Downing for a long time, saying nothing. Then he -turned and left, still without comment. - - * * * * * - -Cliff Lane and his ship were herded down to the ground. His ship was -surrounded by the six catmen, their beams pointed at him, waiting. For -an hour they waited, using all the patience of the feline. It got on -the nerves of the humans, and they wanted to do something. - -Their trouble was that they didn't quite know what to do. - -Cliff, after the full hour had ticked off, said: "I'm thinking of the -cat that got a neuropsychosis over mice because one came out of the -hole and kicked him in the face." - -"Think it's wise?" - -"Never was very fond of cats," admitted Lane glumly. "I find them even -more obnoxious when I see them employing intelligence. That makes it -worse--" - -"But just going out--?" - -"D'ye want to sit here for months?" - -"Think they would?" - -"Probably. At least, long enough to have us tearing out each other's -hair." - -"But--" - -"But nothing. Have we got the planet-analysis yet?" - -The aide pawed through the delivery basket on Lane's desk and came -up with a sheet of paper. He read: "Pressure sixteen point three. -Temperature eight-one, humidity thirty-seven. Air: Oxy twenty-one, -nitrogen all the rest--with a trace, of course, of CO_{2}. Pollen count -not too bad, bacteria count about normal, but the spore count is zero." - -"No spores?" - -"Nope." - -"Gosh," smiled Lane. "Imagine a world where they can't smother a steak -with mushrooms!" - -"So what are you going to do?" - -"Me? I'm going out there and tell 'em what they're missing. Imagine--no -mushrooms!" - -"I'm just thinking of what a nice world this would be to do tropical -research. I've even seen fungus growing on steel." - -"No, you haven't. Bakelite I'll buy, but when the stuff grows on steel -it is growing on the dust that has collected. Well, tell the boys in -the back room to cover me as I emerge." - -Lane undogged the spacelock and the rams pulled it back out of the -frame. Riding on the front of the automatic runway, Lane stood in an -indolent attitude, the thumb of his right hand hooked over the belt -just one-half inch from the butt of his modine. His other hand held a -cigarette. - -As the runway hit the ground, Lane took a last puff of the cigarette, -stepped to the ground and dropped the glowing butt. He crushed it with -his heel, and then took five forward steps, looking about himself with -open curiosity. - -The catman ship directly in front of him opened its spacelock and one -of the catmen emerged. - -Lane walked forward boldly to inspect this alien creature. He acted -as though he were not a prisoner, but a visitor--and it was probably -that attitude that saved him from further cat-and-mouse, for the catman -seemed unsure of the next move. - -The catman was more man than cat, just as the human--in the catman's -nomenclature an apeman--the human was more man than ape. He stood -erect. His legs were long and excellently muscled. His shoulders were -broad and sloping, and his arms were well rounded. The temperature -was high--to Lane's liking, being Venusite--and the scanty uniform of -the catman matched the shorts, high-laced boots, shoulder straps and -cape of the Solarian. The catman's hands were long and spatulate, and -the fingernails were as broad as Cliff's. The retractile claws were -gone--deleted in a hundred thousand years of evolution. Gone were the -fur and the tail and the slitted eyes, and all of the other basic -cat-characteristics. The whiskers were gone also, and the ears were no -longer mobile, but on each side of the head just as the human's. They -were still pointed on top and resembled, or at least reminded Cliff of -a cat's ears modified in human mold. - -Catman? - -Well, there was something distinctly feline about the creature, -humanoid though he seemed. He was lithe, and instead of walking -forward, he prowled. There was a quick alertness--not visible, but -felt--to the catman's every move. - -Yes, this creature was definitely of feline evolution. - -And Cliff Lane walked forward boldly. He smiled inwardly, gaining -confidence from the fact that he was still alive and unharmed. Prisoner -he might be, but he was no humble prisoner. He was proud and haughty, -and he was not taking any guff. - -He strode forward to hasten the first meeting between Primate and -Feline on the common ground of civilization. - - - - - VI. - - -The catman's steps faltered. This alien, that had come from some -distant star, was definitely primate in evolution. He knew -primates--they had primates on Sscantoo, here--and primates were nasty -animals. They were filled with curiosity--mass curiosity--that had been -the basis for a platitude on Sscantoo: "Curiosity saved a mansee." When -you killed or wounded a primate, the woods would fill up with curious, -chattering hordes of his fellow-primates. It made life rather dangerous -unless you were prepared to fight your way out. - -And this curious fellow was none the less a primate in spite of the -fact that his face bore the stamp of civilization and he wore clothing. -He was curious--even more curious than one of the Sscantovian apes. He -walked forward boldly in spite of the fact that he was a prisoner and -must know that fact. The catman wondered how bold the primate would -have been if his ship had landed of its own free will--or had landed -despite the objections of his six ships. - -If he were bold now, a prisoner, he would be downright arrogant as a -victorious captor. - -Linzete, the catman, stopped. He didn't like primates, and the idea of -confronting a primate armed with intelligence as well as the natural -instincts of the apeman bothered him. - - * * * * * - -At Linzete's commandatory motion, Cliff Lane stopped. But not until -he'd taken a full step beyond the catman's command just to show him. -Twenty paces apart they stood, eying one another. - -Cliff smiled. - -Linzete's eyes glittered. - -Cliff shrugged. This was getting nowhere. - -Linzete took a step forward, and Cliff stepped forward two steps. - -Linzete seemed pleased. This primate, he thought, is no larger nor does -he seem stronger than I. I do not believe that he is as quick. - -"_A move out of you_," thought Lane, "_and I'll clip you!_" - -Linzete stooped and picked up a pebble from the ground. He put it on -top of another pebble, and then stepped back and to one side by fifty -paces. He waved Cliff a waiting motion, and then with a lightning -motion Linzete drew his side arm and fired. - -The sharp crack of electrical discharge split the air. A dazzling -pencil of energy spat forth and the pebble disappeared in a blinding -coruscation. - -Lane laughed. - -Linzete scowled. That sound was very much like the chanting and -cachinnation that went on among the primates when they were amused. - -Cliff Lane stooped, picked up a pebble and threw it high above -Linzete's head. The modine came from Cliff's holster, poised for an -instant while it spat energy, and then was thrust back home again. -The motion was a flowing swift thing of muscle and timing, and the -end-result was the explosion of the pebble in midair. - -The flash and the explosive report of tortured air and matter caused -Linzete to blink. When his eyes opened again, the primate's weapon was -holstered. - -Linzete's breath came out in a sharp hiss. - -Lane shrugged and remembered the hiss of an annoyed cat. - - * * * * * - -Sound in the air caused both of them to look up. A small ship was -circling the open spot, and it landed not far from Cliff. Clad in -spotless white--spotless and seamless white--from toe to fingertip, and -an inverted bowl of clear glass or plastic, the catman emerged from his -open craft and came forward. On his back was a small tank and valves -for air, obviously. - -Cliff puzzled for only a moment. The white-clad one lifted a square -case from the plane and, coming forward boldly, snapped down a portable -set of legs and opened the door in front of Cliff. - -From the cabinet he took slides of glass. He took Cliff's hand between -his gloved fingers and pressed the human's fingers to the slide. He -caught the human's breath on another slide. He made a convulsive motion -with his face, and Cliff smiled and coughed on another slide. From the -cabinet he took a scalpel and with a deft motion--and before Cliff -could act--the doctor took a neat slice out of the small finger of -Cliff's left hand. He doused the cut immediately; the substance removed -the pain, at any rate. - -He took a sample of Cliff's blood, scraped the skin of Cliff's forearm, -and clipped off eight or nine of Cliff's crisp black hairs. - -Then he closed the cabinet and sealed it. From the plane he took a -large spray, and setting it up aground, the doctor proceeded to stand, -turn, and generally bathe in the atomizer output. He sprayed the -outside of the cabinet with it, and then proceeded to work the ground -and air over, spraying in all directions, including the other catman, -Linzete. The doctor finished his proceedings by spraying Cliff Lane's -ship on the outside, and turning the spray into the spacelock and -liberally drenching the runway and entrance of the Solarian vessel. - -Cliff nodded understandingly. He didn't even object to being sprayed -himself, for the stuff was aromatic though a bit sticky when it started -to dry. - -The doctor took off. - -"Wonder what he'll find," mused Cliff. And then a large white craft -landed. It was completely inclosed, and the driver's compartment was -set off from the rest. - -"The paddy-wagon," grinned Cliff. Clad as the doctor had been, four -catmen came from the craft bearing sprays. One of them approached Cliff -and motioned for him to follow. Cliff nodded, but turned and called -back: - -"Let 'em sterilize to their heart's content, fellows. After all, we -want their co-operation!" - -He entered the large ship as the other three catmen entered the -spacelock of Lane's ship and went to work. - -Within fifteen minutes, Cliff Lane was residing in a sterile, -spotlessly white room. The windows were sealed and the door was -air-tight. A portable atmosphere-cleaner purred in one corner, -freshening the air and cooling it. From a speaker in the wall there -came music--of a sort--and through a double window in the wall Lane and -the catmen indulged in mutual inspection. - -A large block of paper hung on an easel, and a heavy black crayon lay -in the tray. Cliff nodded. Heavy black crayon so that his sketchings -could be seen from the distance. He smiled, scowled at the music, and -then started to sketch. - -The Little People had not been able to convey the reasons for their -desires to the humans, but human and catmen were not possessed of any -form of telepathy to augment their communications. Cliff was a fair -cartoonist, and he progressed well. - -The catmen began to understand. - - * * * * * - -The days sped past, marked only by the clock and the chiming of -watch-change bells. Dymodines returned from their mountings on the -living rock of the innermost planet, they entered the ships of the -combined commands, and were converted, one by one. The machine shops in -the bellies of the ships hummed and racketed, and the stockroom stores -went down. The scrap pile outside on the airless face of One grew as -the dymodines were converted; parts of no use were tossed out. - -The catmen did not molest them. Not once during the twenty days of -labor was there any report, or any sight of the catmen. If the catmen -were using scanners on them, the catman scanner used frequencies never -tried by humans, for the detectors gave the spectrum a clear ticket. - -Yet the strain was there, and the men worked furiously to convert -the dymodines to snatchers, because they knew that until they were -finished, they were a group of sitting ducks. Dymodines had been -blocked by the catmen--and that left them unarmed. - -Then on the twentieth day, Stellor Downing gave the order to lift and -head for the fourth planet. - -In a close formation, the sixty-three ships arrowed into the sky, hit -superdrive, and headed away from the sun. - -They arrived above Four and began to look for trouble. They circled -the planet twice, took a few tentative stabs at the ground with their -improved snatchers, and generally let it be known that they were there -and seeking either their fellow or knowledge of his whereabouts. - -The recognition detectors flashed Lane's trace, and they put -direction-finding equipment into gear. They circled above the field -upon which lay Cliff Lane's craft. - -There was no sign of human life there. The spacelock was closed, and it -could not be known whether from the inside or from the outside. Signals -gained no answering flash, but the complete confidence with which they -circled this field did get them an answer of sorts. - -Beams flashed up, and spattered against the barriers of the flight. A -pair of extra heavy battlecraft leaped out of underground slides and -drove up into Downing's flight. The heavy beams lashed about, and four -of Downing's ships folded over their torn midsections. Then Downing's -ship answered fire. - -It was not spectacular. The sphere of energy was not visible, nor was -it heterodyned. It closed upon the midsection of the heavy battlecraft. -It cut, quietly and with lightning swift precision. It moved, swinging -on a force beam and taking with it a sphere of the battlecraft's -middle--a perfect sphere, mirror-finished on the plates, girders, and -equipment that met the surface. - -The energy ceased and the perfect sphere dropped toward the planet. - -Smoke poured from the gaping hole, and the battlecraft buckled, -folded, and exploded like a bomb. Bits of broken ship spread far and -wide, and the main mass fell back upon the spaceport. - -It lay there, inert, smoke trickling from its shapelessness. - -It was a blackened monument to two hundred thousand years of -civilization. - -The other battlecraft sped on through the flight unscathed. It looped -high in the space above Downing's flight and crossed around, looped -away and came back on the level against Thompson's group. It drove in -through the flight, lashing sidewise at Thompson's ships. - -And four of them reached out and sliced four large spheres from the -battlecraft. Shredded, the ship died in the air. It disintegrated, -and it rained metal parts for fifty square miles--a rain of smoking, -shapeless masses of deadly steel. - -"More?" snapped Stellor Downing. - -Blatantly, the flight landed on the field, covered the other ships, and -then waited for a move. As Downing said, "It's their move this time!" - - * * * * * - -The white ship landed in their midst. From it came Lane and his crew. -The crew entered their ship, but Lane remained, waiting for Downing. -In the crook of his arm he held a small, white-furred creature, and he -stroked it gently with his free hand. - -"Just lucky," grunted Downing. - -"You talk big," retorted Lane. "But stay back, Downing. You're -contaminated." - -"Meaning?" - -"You're alive with deadly bugs." - -"Nuts. So are you." - -"No I'm not. I've been sterilized within an inch of my life. Look," he -said, holding up the Sscantovian equivalent of a guinea pig. - -"Cute--but so what?" - -"I've got the catmen scared of all Solarians--and from here on in, I'd -hate to be any race that bucks us. Take hold of this animal, just for a -moment." - -Stellor Downing put his hand on the creature's back. He held it for a -moment and then let go. Lane put the little animal on the ground and -stood back. - -"Well?" - -"Wait a minute, will you? Even potassium cyanide takes time to kill--" - -The little creature was running around, sniffing the ground and -obviously looking for food. For three minutes it searched quietly, and -then with a plaintive mew, it sat on its haunches and scratched its -back. The plaintive cry became louder--and tufts of hair came from the -back where the hind paw was scratching. - -The creature scratched furiously--and succeeded in de-hairing its back, -_in the shape of Stellor Downing's hand_! - -"What in--?" - -"Wait." - -Downing looked at his hand in a sort of horror. - -The scratching increased, and bits of skin followed the pattern of the -bare patch. The plaintive cry became strident in a tiny voice. The -little animal stopped scratching, turned over on its back and wriggled -in the dirt of the spaceport. It wrenched itself back and forth -sharply, and with squeals of pain. Its four feet opened and closed -against its stomach, and the whites of its eyes gleamed. - -A black patch appeared on the pink of the abdomen, and the paws -scratched at the spot. It grew, and the pig cried continuously. - -Cliff Lane took out his modine and blasted the suffering pig with a -shake of his head. - -Both he and Downing were a little sick. - -"What--?" - -"Fungus. As I gather it, the Solar sector of the Galaxy is alive with a -violent evolution of fungus. We live in it, we breathe it, and we--eat -it. They cringed in horror at what they found on the microscope slides, -and this is the fourth pig I've killed. But I'm completely fungicided -now, and I can handle 'em. But you see, Downing, you are alive with -fungus spores looking for a place to live. They can't live on you, but -what few that do escape the bactericidal action of the skin find it -quite easy to go to work on an animal that has never been required to -strive for life against fungi." - -"Are the whole race like this?" - -"No. Not entirely. But they haven't our strength against such--not -by a jugful. They're right on the edge of the Solar sector, as I get -it. They have some fungi, but it's nothing like the stuff we have on -Terra. I think that Sol may be the center--the evolution may well have -started there, mutated there, and anything that grows elsewhere may be -spore-born on the Arrhenius Theory to the rest of the Galaxy. Brother, -we're tough!" - -"Well, what have we accomplished besides killing guinea pigs, -discovering a set of new weapons, and blasting the guts out of a couple -of their best craft?" - -Lane smiled. "I've succeeded in carrying over to them the problem of -why we're here. They do not understand any more than we do, but they're -willing to let us seek out the machine." - -"What about blasting their ships?" - -"Won't bother them too much. They'll rather enjoy the development of -the slicing cut--after all their human appearance, they're still cats. -They like to fight silently, and slash quietly, and then to slink away -in the night. They're strictly predators, and their evaluation of life -is rather low." - -"So?" - -"You may have to prove your prowess with a bit of fighting, Downing. -Personal, I mean." - -"Well--" - -"And you may not. You've always accused me of being brash, bold, and -impulsive. All three of 'em got me across to this gang. I've always -accused you of being quiet, shy, and coldly-calculating. They'll like -those features, too." - - * * * * * - -Three white-clad doctors surrounded Downing with their sprays. - -"That stuff they have is better than the glook they sprayed me with," -remarked Lane. "But it doesn't smell as good and it is inclined to -sting a bit. They developed it after making me live in a glass-inclosed -laboratory for about two weeks." - -Downing submitted to the spray with scratching and shrugging. "Tell -me," he clipped, "how're the women?" - -"Cats," grinned Lane. - -Downing grunted. "Sounds like 'sour grapes' to me." - -"Frankly, they ain't bad, Downing. But a guy can't do much when he's -living in a laboratory." - -Downing laughed. "People who live in glass houses shouldn't." - -"Shouldn't what?" - -"Shouldn't--period!" - -"Well, I intend to return after we get this thing off of our chests. -This gang is not human. They aren't the kind you could trust, but they -are interesting. It is really something to see their civilization--and -to see just how catlike they behave. They never laugh. Their exhibition -of amusement is a deep-throated purr. And when one of 'em gets his feet -stepped on, he hisses like a couple of cats squaring off on the back -fence." - - * * * * * - -Thompson came up, followed by the spraying doctors. "This is all very -fine," he said. "But we've wasted a lot of time. The Little Men are -getting quite nervous." - -Downing looked at Lane. "I'm sort of glad you turned up," he said -flatly. "Especially with permission to hunt that thing." - -Lane smiled bitterly. "If I hadn't turned up, Downing, you'd have spent -the next fifteen years combing this system for confirmation, wouldn't -you?" - -"Naturally. Now let's find that machine. I've got a little project of -rivet-clipping ahead." - -Thompson intervened. "Seems to me that you've both accomplished plenty. -Lane here gained the confidence of the catmen and Downing has the fleet -equipped with heavy stuff." - -"Who?" asked Lane. "I have a hunch that it was your doing, Billy." - -"And any confidence-getting he did was strictly fear of our natural -environment coming here," returned Stellor Downing. - -"All right, break it up." - -"We're all to return here as soon as we get the machine destroyed," -said Lane. "They want to know what the answer is, just as we do. I have -a hunch that finding the machine itself will tell us plenty." - - - - - VII. - - -Toralen Ki turned from the communicator. "Hotang," he called. "They -have the answer!" - -"Good. Then our time has not been wasted! For now we have the other one -back." - -"The technicians on Tlembo have just given me full and complete -instructions on how to lower the sensitivity of the detector to a -proper level." - -"Not shielding?" asked Hotang Lu skeptically. - -Toralen Ki laughed. "What manner of shielding would stop the suppressor -wave? Nothing, I know. Absolutely nothing can deflect or stop it." - -Toralen opened the detector case and started to fumble inside. He was -not deft, and the tools from the equipment case did not fit his hand. -But in an hour he had made the changes suggested by the technicians on -Tlembo--but aided finally by one of Thompson's crew of technicians who -went to work on the thing with dexterity but complete ignorance of its -principles of operation. - - * * * * * - -Then with the one detector in operation, in Thompson's ship, the -flight took off and began to take the last measures necessary to the -completion of their task. - -Hour after hour they went, out into the space beyond the last planet of -the catmen, and out and out, running slowly so that they would neither -collide with the machine nor overrun it. - -It was a matter of days. - -"Dead ahead," said Thompson on the communicator. - -"Target?" asked Lane. - -"Meteor, it looks like." - -"Might be camouflage," suggested Downing. "Remember if it must be -destroyed, it is a sign that those who made it knew that it would be -against the wishes of _somebody_." - -"Did either of you think that it might be a good thing?" - -"You mean the machine might be benign?" - -"Yes," answered Thompson. - -"That's why you are going to analyze it before we destroy it," said -Lane. - -"Yes?" - -"If we destroy it and discover it is benign, then we can reproduce it. -Follow?" - -"Excellent idea," said Thompson. "Kennebec thought of that?" - -"Kennebec is a smart man," said Lane. "He wanted the stuff in the -Little Man's ship--stuff none of us can understand yet. He agreed to -come out here and blast the machine. But he considered it likely that -the Little Man was making a cat's-paw out of the human race and he -wanted to repair any damage done as soon as we found out we'd made a -mistake." - -"Did you ever think that the interval between destroying this and -getting the reproduction in working order might be just time enough?" -demanded Thompson. - -"Yup. I've figured all of that. But I'm following orders, Billy. I'm -going to wreck that thing as soon as you tell me you can reproduce it." - -Downing interrupted. "You're going to do it? I am." - -"Want to bet?" snapped Lane. - -"Cut it," said Thompson. - -"Make you a deal," said Lane, ignoring Thompson. - -"Go on." - -"I order you to stop it," snapped Thompson. - -"Go fly a kite," growled Lane. "Look, Downing, I'll fight you for the -privilege of destroying that machine." - -"Deal. How?" - -"When Billy has his pictures and data, we'll take off in our fleeters. -The idea will be to see who can blast the thing first--no holds barred, -right?" - -"It's one way of finding out who's the best flier," agreed Downing. - -Toralen Ki looked up at Thompson. Billy smiled. He made motions, -conveyed the idea to the Little Man that Downing and Lane were going -out to destroy the machine personally. - -Toralen Ki fumbled for the meaning and then understood. He agreed -vigorously, nodding and smiling. - -"The Little Man here says to go ahead," Thompson said, into the -communicator. "I'm supposed to be a buffer until this mission is -complete--it will be complete when that machine is blasted. Everybody -knows that you fellows are going to go rivet-cutting sooner or -later--might as well have something to do it over." - -"Thanks," said Downing dryly. "And the guy that loses makes a public -announcement of his inferiority, see?" - -"I'll be listening to you," came Lane's taunting laugh. - -"What you'll be hearing is my acceptance," returned Downing. - - * * * * * - -Thompson left them quibbling and took his crew over to the meteor that -carried the machine. It was a real meteor, a huge one almost a half -mile in jagged diameter. A well penetrated it, sealed by huge metal -doors. They breached the doors and resealed them, once they were -inside, to pressurize the cavern. - -Then they went to work on the huge machine. - -It was bizarre. It was unreal and unearthly. Atomic generators powered -it silently, pouring torrents of high power into its apparently -senseless circuits. Great silvery crystals twisted and distorted slowly -under piezoelectric stress, and sputtered-silver contacts carried off -the impulses to other circuits. - -Solid metal bars carried some sort of circulatory impulse from place to -place--they were reminiscent of wave-guide plumbing but no microwave -set-up could function in a system like this. - -Then, slowly, the thing appeared to have pattern. Whatever it was, the -output of the slowly-distorting crystals was fed in or out of phase -through filters and transmission bars to the topmost crystal. It was -multi-faceted and obviously not a natural formation. It scintillated -and pulsed rapidly, and the facets gleamed against the lights as the -crystal throbbed in tune with the feeding currents. - -"This," said Thompson, "is going to be reproduced later if for no other -reason than just sheer curiosity. Whoever built it is a little ahead of -our time and I want to get caught up. Benign or malignant, it must be -remade and studied." - -Then for hours, Thompson's technicians went over the machine with a -fine-tooth comb. Pictures--tridimensional shots, moving pictures, -microtime film, and hand sketches. Technicians measured potentials, -made pictures of wave shapes from the oscilloscope patterns, and drew -endless schematic diagrams. Metallurgists took minute samples of the -metals, of the dielectrics, of the crystals themselves, cutting bits -out with microscopic modine beams. - -Then, as they ran out of things to measure, Thompson took one last look -at it. "O.K., fellows," he said, "can you rebuild it?" - -"To the last decimal place." - -"It's alien," warned Thompson. - -"It's still made of metal and crystal." - -"O.K." He turned to Toralen Ki and made suggestive motions. He turned -off the main feed line, and the atomics thrummed to a stop. Then he -suggested that now it was off, why didn't they just take it back to -Terra and not bother reproducing it. Toralen Ki shook his head--No. He -waved Thompson to come along, and they left the machine in the meteor -forever. - -"I'm finished," said Thompson, "but wait before you blast. The Little -Man seems to want me to confer with him for a moment." - -Thompson's ship took off. Toralen Ki emerged from his stateroom with -the instrument. He planted it on a table, turned it on, and strapped -the plate to his forehead. He offered the other one to Thompson. - -Thompson understood. He knew that the Little People had a means of -mental communication that augmented their speech. He accepted the -plate and strapped it on his own head. - -"Now," said Toralen Ki, "I may at last converse with you and your race." - -"What is the machine?" asked Thompson. - -"The others--they are all right?" - -Thompson nodded. "They are destroying the machine. Tell me, what is it?" - -Toralen Ki nodded in agreement. "Tell them to destroy it and then to -return, for I must speak with them through this, now that the machine -is stopped and I may. But destroy it, for the Loard-vogh may have -remote control and if they have, it may be started again at any moment." - -"Before I blast any alien machine," said Thompson, "I must know what it -is. You insist that it be destroyed. How do I know that the machine is -not benign?" - - * * * * * - -"The machine," explained Toralen Ki, "is a device which suppresses -the mental activity of all races within its field of radiation. It -was built by a ruthless and predatory race to hold down the overall -galactic mentality. It must be destroyed, for even though it is not -running, full and complete regaining of the mental strength will not -be possible until the machine is destroyed because a certain amount of -residual power exists in the radiating crystal." - -Thompson smiled, nodded, and went to the communicator. "O.K., fellows, -have your fun. Blast it!" - -Two ships circled Thompson's craft--two tiny ships, both as fleet as a -beam of light and as maneuverable as thought. They circled one another, -winding away from Thompson's ship in a tight twin-corkscrew spiral. - -"Twenty thousand years ago--of your years--this race planned to conquer -the Galaxy. They were an old race then, a mad race, with dreams of -grandeur. Their numbers were countless, for they were spreading through -their own section of the Galaxy like a mobile gas. - -"They struck trouble, twenty thousand years ago. They hit a race that -fought them--that almost succeeded in holding them to their line. -Unfortunately, they were too numerous. They won. And then they decided -that it would take many thousands of years of work to conquer the -Galaxy. And in those years, younger, lustier races might evolve. Races -that by sheer youth and strength might outstrip them. And so they made -and sent forth horde upon horde of these suppressors. - -"Your race," continued Toralen Ki, "has never been able to use its full -mental power. That is because of the suppressor. True, you are a long -way from the suppressor, but its power is fearsome and its effect is -lasting. It passed through your system thousands of years ago and it -held sway over your mental ability to now. - -"Your race," said Toralen Ki, "is best equipped to fight the -Loard-vogh." - -"I don't feel any more intelligent than I did before," objected -Thompson. - -"No, because you have been under the influence of the suppressor for -countless generations. It has become an inherited trait. It will remain -an inherited trait until the mentality of the human race is energized, -or triggered by a rather powerful wave of mental energy. - -"The Loard-vogh will enslave the Galaxy if they are not stopped. Our -original home was overrun three thousand years ago, and fourteen times -they have caught up with us. Again, Tlembo is being attacked, or -perhaps it has not started yet. Fourteen planets named Tlembo lie in -our history, and fourteen times have we combed the Galaxy waiting and -seeking a race with the proper mental power and technical ability. It -would have been useless to energize your minds a thousand years ago, -Solarian, for you had not the technical skill to accept it. The shock -would have made you all mad. You believe me of superior intellect -and knowledge because I have been able to make this machine. I am -acknowledged the highest intellect among the Tlembans. I intend to -sacrifice my intellect for humanity. The energizing will destroy me." - - * * * * * - -The meter in Lane's ship read forty. Forty miles per second. Dead ahead -was the lacery of the star field, clustered around the tininess of -black that was the meteor of the machine. Somewhere in the invisibility -of space was Stellor Downing, coming this way. - -He knew, because his detector said so. - -This was not only a test of operator's skill, but of technical -superiority, too. Detectors were not calibrated to the last foot of -distance, and he who had the best capability in the art of tuning a -detector knew better where the other man was at any time. - -But it was also necessary to judge your opponent's error. For a single -error would destroy both. - -Downing's ship came. It was there and it was gone. Missed by a matter -of feet. - -And yet not a bead of sweat came. Neither had given ground. Lane -grinned inwardly as his ship slowed for the turn. Dead ahead was the -sealed door to the machine. He touched the button on his drive-rod, and -the dymodine flared forth, boring down the shaft and driving great -scintillating clouds of super-heated gases up from the bowels of the -meteor. The machine was blasted. - -"You stinking opportunist," snarled Downing. - -"Mad?" - -"That was--" - -"One step ahead of you." - -"You haven't won--" - -"Only succeeded. Now we can fight this out for good. Really want to -play, Stellor?" - -"I'll run you right into that hole in the meteor," snarled Downing. - -The two tiny ships approached on a converging course. Collision course, -it was, and somewhere far ahead there was the meteor again. Downing was -on the spaceward side, and edging sidewise into Lane's course. Lane -was pinched between meteor and Downing; edging outward into Stellor's -course and calculated to miss the meteor by several yards--if he did -not give. - -At fifty miles per second they rocketed forward, approaching one -another, and telling each other what was going to happen next. - - * * * * * - -The communicator in Thompson's ship told the story. Thompson heard it, -and Toralen Ki understood it from Thompson's mind. - -"They--Stop them!" - -"I cannot," replied Thompson, with a smile. - -"You must. They are necessary to our plan." - -"Plan?" - -"I am going to give up my intellect. Lane and Downing are emotional -and psychological opposites. In one great burst of mental energy, my -intellect will be expended. The shock wave from my mind will energize -their minds. Their intellects will merge, making them emotional twins -and psychological equals, each with the double power gained by joining -with the other. They must willingly submit to this mental combining, -for then the wave of energy from their minds in twin transfer will -awaken every human in the Solar sector of the Galaxy." - -"You're asking them to give up their identities." - -"I am. And they must." - -"They will never do it." - -"You are stalling for time. Order them to cease. If either of them -is killed, our plan may fail completely. Both of them are of the -highest order of intellect--and of opposite psychology. That is -necessary--order them to stop--_immediately_!" - -Thompson laughed. - -"I am willing to die for civilization. They should--" Toralen Ki looked -at Thompson, and his eyes widened in wonder, fear, and finally horror. - -"You are under control--the Loard-vogh!" - -Thompson smiled affably. "The Terran known as Billy Thompson left this -body when the machine was blasted," he said. "Previously I could but -urge and draw him into agreement with me. And you, Toralen Ki, are also -necessary to the plan." - -Thompson's one hundred and eighty pounds of fine body came forward. -Thirty-seven pounds of Little Man shrank back in fear. Not fear of -life--but fear for civilization. - -And as Thompson's body reached for Toralen Ki, the radiation alarm -blared. It registered; dymodines had been fired and simultaneous hits -had been made. - -Toralen Ki's free hand snapped the power of the telementor over full. -Physical weakling though he was, he was aided mentally by the power in -the mental transfer machine. He invaded Thompson's mind and fought the -Loard-vogh intelligence that he found there. - -Waves of mental energy spewed forth, and Hotang Lu came running to aid -his friend. Stricken rigid, Thompson almost ceased to breathe; his -heart faltered. For Toralen Ki and the alien Loard-vogh were using all -of Billy Thompson's mind against each other, trying to drive the other -out, calling upon more and more, even to the point of short-circuiting -some of the voluntary sectors. It was battle, silent and fierce. - -And the waves of mental energy spread in a vast radiation pattern -as Toralen Ki and the Loard-vogh fought for the possession of Billy -Thompson's mind and body. - - - - - VIII. - - -Lindoo entered the crystal palace proudly. Not for Lindoo was the -belly-crawling approach to the mighty Vorgan, Lord of All. Lindoo was -not a mere stripling; Lindoo was the head of the Board of Universal -Strategy, and Lindoo had not only permission, but orders to enter but -quickly, and tell but swiftly, anything that might possibly affect the -future plans of the Loard-vogh. - -Vorgan lifted a hand to silence the one upon the floor, his wish was -conveyed by a man-at-arms, since the one on the floor was flat on his -face, as befitted one of the lower caste. - -"Urgent?" asked Vorgan. - -"Perhaps urgent, but informative at least," explained Lindoo. "Kregar -has made full contact with the Susceptible One." - -"Susceptible One? Who may that be? Of what importance?" - -"His thoughts are confused. His name is not pronounceable from the -mixed thought-pattern. He is important. He was sent to maintain order -between the Extremes." - -"Ah--and Kregar has succeeded?" - -"He has. But not without incident." - -"Trouble?" - -"Some. The Little Men of Tlembo have, in part, been successful. I curse -them as you do, Lord of All. Yet the Loard-vogh must prepare and be -always prepared for resistance. It is written that smooth sailing is -a vain hope. The Little Men have carried out their intent. They have -succeeded in harnessing the Extremes together--for a time. They have -succeeded in destroying the suppressor--which is why Kregar was able -to control the mind of the Susceptible One. Kregar is brilliant, Lord -of All. Kregar deserves attention." - -"If Kregar earns it, he will get it. I am not unjust, nor has any -Loard-vogh been unjust. Tell me--his brilliancy?" - -"Kregar learned of the rivalry through the Susceptible One. Through the -latter, Kregar was able to set one Extreme against the other, fighting -a mad duel to ascertain the better man. The intellectual apex, the -Little Man known as Toralen Ki, the key to their future, is now being -attacked by the Susceptible One, through Kregar's control." - -"Excellent. And the outcome?" - -"Obvious. Toralen Ki will die. So will his cohort Hotang Lu. Thus dies -those who understand their intellectual limitations and the will to -lift others above them. The Extremes, upon whom the Little Men pinned -their hopes, will be split forever. One will certainly die--perhaps -both." - -"It is best. Shall we then attack the Planet of Terror?" - -"It will not be necessary. Their possible danger to us is over." - -Vorgan smiled, and he looked almost benign. He was a tall man, bearded, -with a full head of hair that tufted white in patches. His ancestry? -His classification? It is hard to say. He was vertebrate. He was -warm-blooded. He was intelligent and he was more than dextrous with -his hands. Both hands. He was also dextrous with his mind. The Lord of -All had not become Lord of All because of his heritage, his faith in -deity, or his sheer ruthlessness. All helped, but the Lord of All was -ruler because of his ability to rule. - -"I'll witness the final act," he said. - -"The reason I came--" nodded Lindoo. "Kregar is working madly, and -yet there is interest there. It will be enlightening. For even the -Susceptible One is most difficult." - - * * * * * - -The Loard-vogh at the instrument was sweating profusely. His hands were -clenched, and blood ran from the center of the right fist where his -fingernails had pierced his palm. His entire frame was tense, and his -eyes were half-closed. - -Vorgan looked, nodded, and spoke freely to the recorder beside Kregar. -The Lord of All knew that the operative was concentrated beyond all -physical stimuli. "The details, Neckal?" - -"Lord of All, the battle progresses favorably. The Extremes--they -are fighting each other. As you entered, the Susceptible One's mind -indicated that there might have been a culmination to their feud. Two -of their weapons have been discharged in a location that makes us -believe that simultaneous death may have taken place. Toralen Ki is -fighting for his life--" - -Vorgan laughed. "Thirty-odd pounds against six times that mass! Lindoo, -your operator has done well." - -"Naturally," said Lindoo proudly. He could afford to be proud; he had -picked Kregar. - -"Yet I feel that we should do something about the Planet of Terror." - -"You think--?" - -"Sending out another suppressor will do no good." - -"You are certain?" - -"Not entirely. I just fear them. It is good sense to fear a strong -enemy, Lindoo. We, of course, shall conquer, but far better to find -them easily beaten than to lose ten billion of Loard-vogh's finest." - -"The master plan does not call for invasion of that sector for -twenty-four hundred years." - -"I should hate to have my ultimate offspring cast slurs at my -memory--and perhaps erect a statue to throw excrement at." - -"But one cannot cover all dangers--" - -"I know. Yet let us wait. It will depend upon Kregar's success." - -Neckal spoke: "The battle progresses." - -Vorgan frowned. "Why or how can one so small defend himself against one -of the Planet of Terror?" - -"The Little Man is agile and the Terran is clumsy." - -Lindoo nodded. "We may both curse and praise that. If the Terran were -less clumsy, he might well be more difficult for Kregar." - -"Toralen Ki also has mental amplification." - -Kregar's hands opened and closed convulsively. Once they clutched at a -space near his belt, but closed as though in futility--what he sought -was not there. He reached forward, and only Neckal's quick action in -turning Kregar around slightly prevented the Loard-vogh from clutching -a delicate adjustment of the instrument through which Kregar worked. - -Lindoo smiled. "It is written that a good big man will always conquer a -good small man, my Lord of All." - -"What lies between the Loard-vogh and the Planet of Terror?" - -"Ten thousand light-leagues of space." - -"A most dangerous spearhead--is it not?" - -"It might be more than dangerous. To fight a war on many fronts is -death. To warn a thousand races between the Loard-vogh and Terra might -be the balance." - -"Then we must hope," said Vorgan. "And only as a last resort will we -drive forward." - -"Face the fact," smiled Lindoo. "Kregar has--will have soon--the Little -Man in his power. The cohort of the Little Man comes next. Dispose -of them and the Planet of Terror will never know what it missed, in -spite of the destruction of the suppressor. If nothing more than that -happens, we are still safe. The Extremes fight one another--or fought -one another. One or both of them may be dead. Grant the impossible and -assume that Kregar is not successful and that Toralen Ki and Hotang Lu -escape. Without the Extremes, releasing the mental torpor of the Planet -of Terror will be most difficult. - -"Now," continued Lindoo, with a very superior smile, "we grant the -complete failure of our plans. All escape. Toralen Ki explains his -plan to the Extremes. Have you any idea of sheer rivalry? Then consider -your own attitude upon being asked to relinquish your identity to your -most bitter rival." - -Vorgan nodded. "How simple it would have been to wipe out all Tlembans -so many hundreds of years ago instead of permitting those few to -escape. I curse Mangare and I think I will erect a statue to his -dishonor, that all Loard-vogh may spit at he who was not thorough." - - * * * * * - -Kregar's muscles tensed, wrapped him in knots, and his head jerked -to one side in a spasm of pain. His eyes opened, glazed. They stayed -open--wide and glassy. - -Slowly he started, and with accelerated motion, he toppled to the -floor. His frame went into one spasm, and he curled convulsively over -his stomach. Then he stretched out straight and stiff. - -"Dead," said Neckal, frantically. - -"Dead?" echoed Lindoo. - -"What happened?" asked Vorgan in a hollow voice. - -"He failed." - -"Failed?" - -"How?" - -"We may never know. But the failure was complete." - -The Lord of All scowled. "Lindoo, plan the attack upon the Planet of -Terror!" - -"Yes, Lord of All. We shall strike Terra as soon as our forces can be -deployed. It will take time, but we shall move with high speed." - -"A word of caution, Lindoo. If they do not embark upon the Plan of the -Little Men, merely hold our spearhead force in everlasting readiness. I -dislike this attack, though our numbers permit it. I'd prefer to stay -closer to the Master Plan. But--if they change, attack!" - -Vorgan returned to his throne room, to ascend his crystal seat. He -waved for the serf upon the floor to continue, and the man-at-arms -conveyed the Lord of All's desire because the serf still had his face -to the floor. - - - - - IX. - - -Hotang Lu came at the call of his fellow. He saw the tableau. Thompson -stricken rigid with mental effort, and Toralen Ki, tense and firm, -before him. The Little Man's eyes were closed lightly, and his hands -were clenched tight. Every muscle was tight in the mental effort, -trying to drive the Loard-vogh out of Thompson's mind. - -The waves of mental energy spread. Invisible and silent, they were -not undetectable, for the men in the ships felt the waves of mental -bleakness and strife and knew a deep and unreasoning fear. - -Toralen Ki fought--and Hotang Lu stood by. To connect himself into the -mental hookup at this point might destroy the balance. To destroy the -balance might permit the hated Loard-vogh to enter, and no matter how -brief the entry, it would be fatal. - -So he waited, alert and ready to snap the transmentor over his head -if Toralen Ki failed. He would give the Loard-vogh no chance to get -set again; he would strike quickly while the Loard-vogh was still -recovering from the headlong success. For in the moment of mental -victory, the Loard-vogh's mind would be reeling forward like a man -forcing a door that suddenly gives way before him. - - * * * * * - -Thompson's frame was rigid, his eyes open but glassy and--but they were -not vacant. They were ablaze with an unreal light, the conflict in the -helpless mind behind the eyes energized them. - -But--the machine was destroyed. - -And--there were waves of mental energy in the Terran's mind. - -The conflict raged, and despite the helplessness of the Terran's mind -and control, there was the untouchable subconscious that told him that -he must fight for the beliefs he had always held. - -His faltering breath strengthened. His rigid muscles freed, slightly, -and the creases of sheer pain left his forehead. Still in fog, his mind -scanned the mental data. Two forces struggled for control--of _his_ -mind. The thought came: - -_Hurl them out!_ - -But one was--friendly--fighting for him. - -The other was alien, inimical. - -And with an effort of will, Thompson set his mind against the -Loard-vogh, and with the efforts of Toralen Ki and Hotang Lu, plus -their mental amplifier, Thompson hurled his weight of mind against the -invader. - -Thompson was annoyed, confused and not too logical. To his mind, this -was sheer pain, caused by the Loard-vogh. He hurled his hatred at the -distant alien. - -And the pressure of the conflict died. Thompson's body resumed its -natural looseness, and the light of reason returned to his eyes. He -smiled his usual smile and relaxed, breathing hard, and rubbing his -temples with the palms of his hands. - -The severe headache was leaving with noticeable rapidity. He faced the -Little Men with an attitude of power and great will. - -Hotang Lu stood in amazement. - -Toralen Ki relaxed slightly also. They still faced one another, Little -Man and Terran. But in their attitude was a vague feeling that they -were fighting side by side. - -And Hotang Lu understood. Toralen Ki intended to excite the minds of -Lane and Downing by forcing them, psychological opposites, into mental -contact. And he, Toralen Ki, was right now in bitter conflict with his -own mental opposite--the Loard-vogh. The mental energies released in -Thompson's mind had given the Terran the full and perfect control of -his own mental ability. - -They opened their eyes, both of them. - -"Won," said Thompson, wiping his brow. - -Toralen Ki inspected the Terran carefully. "You know, now?" - -Billy nodded. "The rest of Terra and Sol must be excited. Wait--I must -order Lane and Downing to stop." - -The planetoid loomed larger and larger, and Downing crowded Lane -closer. On approaching courses, it was becoming evident that the -conjunction of courses would occur simultaneously with their arrival -at the huge meteor. And yet Downing was the better off, for if he and -Lane kept their courses doggedly true, Lane's ship would hit the meteor -first. The carom, of course, would drive the flaming remnants of Cliff -Lane's craft upward into Stellor Downing's ship, with the resulting -injury to the latter. - -Downing jacked up the magnification of his course-scanner with a twitch -of his free hand. A rounded knoll of rock covered the scanner plate, -and the cross-hairs that marked Stellor's course were just above and -just to the left of the top of the knoll. A full-power shot with the -dymodine in the right place-- - -And the caroming ship would deflect sidewise instead of straight up! - -Stellor Downing trained the dymodine projector until the tiny circle -in the course-scanner was still farther to the left of the top of the -knoll than his ship's course. - -The course-scanner in Cliff Lane's ship told him that he was heading -for the knoll of rock. It would be a slicing blow, with Cliff's ship -bounding up into Downing's craft. That much he knew. - -Unless he did something. - -He could drive up into Downing's ship right now. But that would be -no solution as to whom was the better man. That would get Terra two -corpses, but finely divided ones. - -He could swerve. - -And give Stellor Downing the right to say that he, Cliff Lane, had been -bluffed? - -Now if he were Stellor--? - -Cliff Lane's dymodine sight was centered on the cross-hair of the -scanner. He trained it slightly to the right and down, and then he -touched the trigger. - - * * * * * - -Both dymodines blasted at once. Both beams raved out from positions -one above the other, and both beams hit the knoll of rock in slightly -different places. The splatter of energy from the coruscation ahead -blinded both men, and set up shock-interference in the scanners. - -A gout of flaming gas burst from the hit. - -And within a few milliseconds of the hit, Cliff Lane arrived, with -Stellor Downing almost on top of him. - - * * * * * - -Downing's ship hit the gout of flaming gas, and the velocity of ship -was high. It deflected upward slightly, bending the spine of the little -fleeter, rending a few plates, and dazing the Martian. - -Lane's ship hit the flaming gas--which was almost homogenous where Lane -passed through. The Venusite's nose plates dinged in slightly from the -metal-to-gas impact. Right into the hit went Cliff Lane. - -And out through the scar on the far side went the Venusite, roaring off -in a halo of gases from the explosion. - -They snapped radio sets. - -"Well?" grinned Cliff saucily. - -"Wise, aren't you?" grunted Downing. - -"Try it again," advised Cliff. "I'm still spaceworthy." - -"I'm buckled, but still capable," snorted Downing. "I'll be around--" - -The ringing of the emergency alarm interrupted them. Thompson's voice -came through. "Stop--at once!" - -"Why?" asked Lane insolently. - -"Don't even answer," scorned Downing. - -"Stop, you fools. Stop--or Patricia Kennebec may die!" - -Downing and Lane came around in tight arcs. As one they met on -adjoining courses and raced like madmen for Thompson's command. They -magnetted their ships beside the spacelock, breached it with the -outside controls, and entered. They sent the door to Thompson's cabin -slamming back against the wall and strode in. - -"What's all this about Pat Kennebec?" - -Thompson smiled. "It was about the only way I could stop that -foolishness." - -"Look, Billy, you've been interfering--" - -"Don't be an idiot, Lane. Frankly I'm sick and tired of that schoolboy -bickering of yours. As far as I'm concerned you can both go out and -kill one another. But this is bigger than I am and it should be bigger -than you are. Your job isn't through. We thought it was, but it is not. -You, in fact, are just beginning." - -"Quit talking in riddles and tell us what goes on." - -"That machine restricted mental energy. It has been restricting mental -ability for this entire sector of the Galaxy for twenty thousand years. -It has been destroyed. But until the minds of Solarians are excited -by a shock wave of mental energy, they will not have the use of their -intellects fully and freely. You two are mental and psychological -opposites, and the shock excitation of your minds in mental contact -will excite the minds of all men." He turned to Toralen Ki and said: -"I'm puzzled. There was sufficient mental conflict between you and the -Loard-vogh to give me my release. Why hasn't it taken care of these two -wildmen?" - -"You mean the re-radiation from your mind operating on theirs as their -radiation will free the minds of the rest?" - -"Right. Why?" - -"Lack of sympathetic tuning," explained Toralen Ki. "Your mind is -unlike mine, and unlike the Loard-vogh known as Kregar, the one we -fought and killed. Yet since you were at the focal point of the mental -strife, your mind, untuned as it was, was excited by sheer brute force, -so to speak. Selectivity could not keep out such sheer power. But -selectivity would and did prevent re-radiation of the mental energy. -You, therefore, have been freed, but no one else." - -"Too bad," said Thompson critically. "It might have shoved some sense -into their thick skulls." - -"Hey!" exploded Lane. "He's talking to the Little Guy." - -"How come, Billy?" - -"You mean talking to him? Well, I was given mental release by a bit of -a battle between Toralen Ki, here, and one of the Loard-vogh who was -trying to control my mind." - -"Give us more. You sound like a synopsis." - -Thompson explained. - -"Well, but how can you speak with him?" - -Billy turned and asked Toralen Ki. - -"You're surprised? Just as Lane and Downing will become mental twins, -you, Billy Thompson, have gained twinship with my mind. Also that of -Kregar, the dead Loard-vogh." - -Billy smiled. "Simple enough," he explained to the pair. "After your -minds are given release, you'll be able to understand him, too." - -Thompson did not explain the twinship idea. Co-operation was one thing -to explain, but the concept of accepting one another's personality -would have to be given to them by someone who outranked them. Let them -wonder--or even better, let them remain in ignorance, on the basis that -what they did not know wouldn't harm Terra. - -Toralen Ki shook his tiny head and looked puzzled, as well as -shamefaced. "I didn't expect this," he said. "The concept of mental -struggle between myself and another never occurred to me." - -"It saved my neck," grinned Billy. - -"And the collective necks of most of the Galaxy. And it is just as -well that we didn't energize them, too. The main release for the solar -sector must come when they go into the change. Had they gone into the -change out here, in Sscantoo, the mental radiation would not have been -strong enough to trigger the minds of your fellows near Sol." - -Thompson nodded and turned to Lane and Downing. "You two are going to -have something to fight--but against, not over. That's been a private -fight of yours for years. If you'd like to continue it, you'd better -knock off the battle long enough to stop the Loard-vogh cold. Then you -can resume personal hostilities and be damned." - -"What about this Sscantoo?" asked Lane. - -"They have some stuff that'll come in handy in fighting the -Loard-vogh," nodded Thompson. "But we're not running off half-cocked. -We're heading back to Sol right now, to make plans." - - - - - X. - - -Stellor Downing's hard fist came down on the table with a shattering -crash. "I will not!" he said in a powerful tone. - -"And I agree," echoed Cliff Lane. - -Kennebec smiled patiently. "So far as I know it is the first time -you've ever agreed on anything." - -"The future--?" pleaded Toralen Ki. - -Kennebec nodded at the Tlemban. "He's willing to die. He thinks enough -of the future to die for it. You two might sublimate your lives just a -little for it." - -"Get a couple of others!" - -"There are none suitable." - -"What a stinking set-up," grunted Lane. "I've got to forget my -identity and become a sheer hyphen." - -"Look," snapped Downing, "it happens that you're sneering at my -personality, remember?" - -"I wouldn't have your personality for a gift." - -"You couldn't--it's too big for the like of you!" - -"All right," said Kennebec. "Stop it." - -Toralen Ki said, sorrowfully: "I might have been dishonest, -Co-ordinator Kennebec. I should have told them that the mental -transformation would prove who was the better man." - -"A convincing lie for the benefit of mankind is often better than the -disquieting truth," observed Kennebec. - -Thompson looked up. "What they need is to have their heads knocked -together," he said sourly. "A fine rotten pair." - -"Look," started Downing. - -"Now listen," grated Lane. - -"Shut up!" snapped Thompson. "You've both heard what Toralen Ki said. -You know what's heading this way. You are aware of just what can happen -on Sol if Sol isn't smart. And you sit there like a pair of flat-headed -imbeciles, prating about your own petty fight. Patricia was right. It -is a sorry day for civilization when it must depend upon the likes of -you. Why don't you get smart? Where is your good sense?" - -"You've no right--" - -"Shut up!" snapped Thompson. "I have every right in the world and by -thunder I'm going to use it! It was funny, for years now, that you -two were running all over your respective worlds, crowing like a pair -of bantam roosters. The Favorite Son of Mars and the Pride of Venus! -A bright pair of grown-up juvenile delinquents! Well, bright boys, -civilization still depends on you." - -Stellor Downing turned on Thompson and snarled: "No one is asking you -to give up your identity. I haven't noticed any passion for anonymity -in you, Thompson." - -"You won't find any," gritted Thompson. He turned to Toralen Ki and -asked: "Is there any way in which I may take either of their places?" - -"Mine," offered Stellor Downing. - -"Over my corpse!" shouted Cliff Lane. - -"That I can arrange," ground Downing at Lane. - -Toralen Ki shook his head, part in negation and part in the -hopelessness of the situation. "No, on two counts," he said slowly. -"One, your mind is not of an extreme nature. Second, your mind is -already energized." - -"Hm-m-m," mused Thompson. "Energized but still slumbering, I gather. -Thanks for the tip, Toralen Ki." - -He turned and bore his gaze on the battling pair. - -"Listen--and carefully," he said. - -"Why?" - -"Because I tell you so," he said in a hard voice. "I'm tired--as -everyone is--of your foolishness. I'll say no more about it. I've -said my last." He opened his eyes slightly, and caught their gaze. He -said nothing, but held their eyes as though what they saw must not be -lost from sight lest disaster follow. For minutes he held them, and -then he said in a quiet, low voice: "You will become mental twins. -The battle for supremacy between you will and can become one of sheer -mental force. You will each have that which you sneer at in the other. -With all factors in the mind, you will struggle. Whichever of you is -best fitted for existence under such circumstances will emerge victor. -Understand. There will never be a public admission of mediocrity on the -part of either one of you, for you will both change toward the one that -is victorious. Now if you really want to finish that fight, this is a -way to do it." - -He turned to Kennebec. "At this point, they'll do it or I'll strap 'em -both down--" - -Toralen Ki interrupted. "They must enter it willingly." - -Thompson looked the pair over. "Shall I call in the Interplanetary -Press?" - -Downing had been thinking deeply. He looked up and shook his head. -"Lane, I'm willing to bet my mind against yours. Put up or shut up." - -"Anything you can do I can do better--and faster!" - -"Baloney. Toralen Ki can start right now, if the other half isn't -afraid." - -"Afraid--!" - -"Well, are you?" sneered Downing. - -"That doesn't even rate an answer. I'll take your mind over." - -"Uh-huh. This time we'll have an answer. O.K., Billy. Bring on your -devil-gadget and we'll play ball." - - * * * * * - -Toralen Ki looked about him, his face a mask. Stonily silent, he -walked to the greenhouse and looked out over the landscape. He basked -in the warm sunshine, and thought how much it reminded him of the -bright sunshine of Tlembo. The buildings on the edge of the clearing -were vast; Toralen Ki felt dwarfed by them, and he felt all alone and -utterly alien in this world of giant beings. - -A phonograph was playing somewhere, a piece of Terran music that suited -the Tlemban fancy, and Toralen Ki was drinking it in. - -The greenhouse was slid open in one section, and mingled with the -soft phonograph were the myriad sounds of living. Faintly there came -the raucous rattle of a rivet gun, the rumble of a sky train passing -overhead on its way to the antipodes. He slid the section shut, closing -the sounds of this alien world of monsters from his ears. He pressed a -button and the steel shutter closed off the light that was so much like -his own Tlemban sunshine. - -It seemed wrong that such a familiar sun should shine down upon -buildings of such vastness, glint against skycraft of such magnitude, -and give warmth and life to a race so huge and so very, very young. - -He turned and ran his hand over a bookcase. He touched a favorite -volume, but did not remove it from its place. He had not the time. - -He ran his hand over the tiny controls of his little craft. It had -carried him so many light-leagues of space faithfully and well, -following the dictates of his hands on the worn plastic handles. - -_End of quest!_ - -This was it. He had come to the end of his search, the answer to his -desire. This race would carry on where he and his race could not. The -flaming torch-- - -Toralen Ki broke off with a bitter laugh. He was sounding slightly -overdramatic to himself. - -He faced them. Hotang Lu, who was looking at the blank wall with intent -stare, and the Extremes, Lane and Downing, whose huge frames were -cramped in the tiny control room. - -Even here, they were. He could not escape them--and he admitted that -he did not want to escape them. Yet he felt the touch of resentment. -Unthinkable light-years from his home, surrounded and overwhelmed on -every side with utter bigness--slumbering giants, all of them, awaiting -the touch of his mind to awaken them to their rightful place. - -It might have been Tlembo's rightful place were it not for sheer size -and other natural factors. Why couldn't fate have given Tlembo that -gift instead of this race? - -But, time went on. And there was so little time-- - -Toralen Ki went to his desk and took a quick drink from the tall tube, -and then inhaled the aroma deeply. It had no smell to Terrans, nor -taste, but Toralen Ki loved it for its powers--_not too much, Toralen -Ki, you have a job to do!_ - -He went over and slipped the headset on. - -"I'm sorry," he said. "I did want this last minute--" - -He took up the hypo, inserted the needle in the vein of his arm, and -pushed the plunger home. - - * * * * * - -Countless light-years away, Lindoo watched his meters rise higher and -higher as he increased the penetration. Ever seeking, ever tuning, -Lindoo strove to find another man whose mind was at balance and -receptive. Given time-- - -And with a rush, all meters hit zero. A backlashing surge of power -drove Lindoo back from his position. He turned and faced Vorgan. - -"As with Kregar--" he started. - -"Kregar died," said the Lord of All, ominously. - -"Kregar died of mental overload. I received no such punishment. Kregar, -recall, was in charge of the mind of the Susceptible One who thought -of himself as Tawmpsahn. He was forced out and away, and pursued by -Tawmpsahn and the Toralen Ki himself." - -"So--?" - -"Toralen Ki is dead." - -"Good!" - -Lindoo shook his head. "He did not die in vain." - -Vorgan blinked. "They--?" - -"I have failed. I have been trying to find another one to control. -Those who may be controlled were in no political position to do any -good--I found several others." - -Vorgan nodded. "Time was short." - -"I did not locate one controllable among those who might have done some -good. And now I never will. The Extremes have joined!" - -"And the shock wave?" - -"Has undone all the good our suppressor did for twenty thousand years." - -"Order the attack." - -"Yes, Lord of All. The logisticians indicate a short period of -mobilization and preparation. The Enilode Sector is being stripped of -our men--they're not too hard to handle now--and a tenth of the men in -all other sectors not actively fighting are being sent to the spearhead -sector. I hate time. It takes so much of it to handle thirty million -men and the supplies necessary for their support." - -"That," grumbled Vorgan, "and the inoculations. A man undergoing them -is a sick Loard-vogh for a week." - -"Our initial attack may be some time in coming. But it will be -complete, throughout that entire sector. We'll destroy the menace -immediately, and from then on, all we'll have to do is to hold that -sector against any possible enemy." - -"A long and dismal prospect," said Vorgan. "But we must not give them -time." - -"They will have no time to do more than plan," said Lindoo. "It takes -time to put a new skill into practice. We shall conquer them!" - -"We shall conquer them," echoed Vorgan, the Lord of All. - -"And we shall have to force the catmen, too, Lord of All." - -"Why?" thundered the Lord of All. - -"Because the catmen of Sscantoo are unsympathetic to all forms of -alliance." - -"They need never know." - -"They will be told. Sol will ask their help." - -"But ... I see," agreed Vorgan. "Being against all forms of alliance -means that they will form an alliance, temporarily, in order to keep -from being included in an everlasting tie. Yes, you are right. We may -have to force them. But let us conquer Sol at any cost. And soon." - -"As soon as we can prepare." - -"Better cut the preparation somewhat. Let the initial attack come -before full preparation. Only in that way will we gain time." - -"It is a gamble." - -"I know it is a gamble," agreed Vorgan. "But one must gamble if the -Galaxy is worth the fight." - -"I wonder if we could convince the Sscantovians that our interests--No, -it would not work. I like not that idea." - -"Sscantoo would demand proof. It is far easier to prove that we have -been all-conquering than otherwise. An alliance with them could not be -made. To do so would require that we give them full confidence. And -we cannot control a quarter of a galaxy of Loard-vogh slaves so well -that they must not speak. And their weapons are less efficient than -ours--we could gain nothing but manpower which we do not need.... No, -Lindoo, we must go forward alone as we always have." - - * * * * * - -Lindoo smiled. "We must be on the everlasting lookout for spies." - -"We shall. I wonder if it would not be best to exterminate them -completely." - -"I could do it alone." - -"I know. I wonder. They are a hardy race, though, and ambitious -workers. Extermination--" - -"Merely eliminates one menace." - -"I don't think it would work." - -"May I try?" - -"May I have your head if you fail?" snarled Vorgan. - -"Then I shall not try, Lord of All." - -Vorgan nodded cryptically. "Losing faith in your own ability?" - -"No. I merely have reason to respect your judgment." - -"You are a true diplomat, Lindoo. Someday it will get you into trouble." - -"When it does, that is a sign that I am not as good a diplomat as I -thought I was." - -"Or that someone has exceeded you, Lindoo." - -"I might wear out--" - -"No. When you fail, Lindoo, it will be because you have confronted -yourself with your superior." - -"And then?" - -"Then the Lord of All will have a new Head of Strategy." - -Lindoo laughed. "At that time I shall expect you to need one. Well, I -must start preparation. I have much to do." - -"You have," nodded Vorgan. - -Throughout the lands and planets of the Loard-vogh there started a -slow and gradual crawl. The forces of the Loard-vogh began to move -slowly, like the rivers of the ocean. They could be felt; slowly and -inexorably, though they could not be seen. Throughout a thousand suns -the soldiery left their billets in twos and threes. They bade good-by -to their temporary homes, kissed their slave-lovers and serf-women -farewell and faced new fields. They collected along the frontier, -planets full of brawling Loard-vogh that swarmed like the all-consuming -locusts. They fought among themselves. They stole and they looted, -and they took souvenirs of value. Native women--some of them the -intellectual superiors of the Loard-vogh--were not safe on the streets, -and the fighting was not without its overwhelming toll of innocent -bystanders. - -Somehow it was very few of the Loard-vogh that got hurt. - -And the planets began to pile deep with equipment. It was a real -springboard, this planet frontier. Like a storm cloud collecting -electrons, they would pile up to the bursting point and then with a -crackle and a flash of lightning, they would hurl themselves across -space to blast the focal point. - -Terra! - - - - - XI. - - -Cliff Lane and Stellor Downing faced one another. They had spent hours -in complete slumber after the incident, and their awakening had been -almost simultaneous. They were both in a mental tizzy; they knew that -Something Must Be Done but were slightly foggy as to what. Their former -animosity seemed gone, or at least secondary to the urgency of the -present situation. - -They did not ask the usual question upon awakening, they knew that they -had been removed from Toralen Ki's ship and hospitalized. - -They did not mention Toralen Ki--not openly. But they felt it. Perhaps -it was a sort of mental maturity, this Transformation. They kept their -counsel until they could discuss it together--and they seemed to know -that the other preferred it that way. - -They sought the eyes of the people in the room and asked, almost -simultaneously: "Can this be explained now?" - -Hotang Lu nodded agreeably. He explained the story in full, and -completely. As he concluded Hotang Lu smiled again. "Before--you had -not the ability to understand, nor had I the ability to express myself -in your terms. The Transformation has made it possible for all of us to -partly speak in the other's language, and partly convey thoughts." - -"That should be helpful." - -"You will find it so. No matter which race of whatever sun you visit in -the future, you will find that faculty helpful. You will even be able -to mingle with the Loard-vogh." - -"'Mangle' sounds better," gritted Lane. - -"That will come in time." - -"Well, let's hit it," said Lane. "What do we do first?" - -"First," said Hotang Lu, "is to beware. The Loard-vogh are warned. -Knowing their psychology, attack will be imminent." - -"Then we'd best prepare to repel boarders?" - -"Yes." - -"Hotang Lu has the right idea," said Lane. "If they're warned, they'll -clip us first." - -Kennebec objected. "Why?" he asked. "Why do you expect them to hit us? -After all, they're swarming through the galaxy in this direction. If -they are that powerful, why should they attack Terra?" - -"We constitute a threat," said Downing. "We are a powerful threat, or I -miss my guess." - -"Terra is a most powerful threat," said Hotang Lu. "Terra, well, it is -known to the Loard-vogh as the Planet of Terror." - -"Gratifying in a nice, lethal way," smiled Kennebec. "Mind telling us -why?" - -"Not at all. Terra is the center of the mutation area." - -"Meaning what?" - -"Sol is one of a vast trinary, astronomically speaking. Or was once. It -is now one of an extended binary. You have no reference to this?" - -"Not that I know of," said Lane. "And I've been a student of astronomy." - -"Well, it is so vast that you may probably not come to the astronomical -proof for thousands of years. Sol, however, is one of a binary -that used to be a trinary. The third sun was alien--contraterrene. -Thirty million years ago it was struck by a stellar wanderer--of -terrene matter. The explosion was mighty. It was vast. It scattered -particles of the third member far and wide. A great swarm of bits of -contraterrene matter range this sector of the Galaxy. They fall into -Sol, into Alpha, into Procyon, into Sirius, into the other stars within -thirty to forty light-years from Sol. Even Arcturus, forty light-years -away, has his small share, and so it goes. - -"The resulting radiation from this drift of contraterrene matter -falling into the star dispersion of this sector has bathed this entire -portion of the Galaxy in hard radiation. Mutation has been rapid, and -evolution has taken swift advances." - -"Meaning exactly what?" demanded Stellor Downing. - -"I can tell you that one," laughed Thompson. "We are tougher than hell." - -"Terra's evolution has been vicious and swift," said Hotang Lu. "The -natural enemies of life have also evolved rapidly. Clifford Lane -destroyed one of the minor animals of Sscantoo by merely holding it--so -did Stellor Downing. The things that Terrans live with in peace--or -even symbiosis--are feared by the rest of the Galaxy. Insect life--many -thousands of kinds of insects. Fungus--a myriad of types, all hardy. -I've heard of a mollusk that secretes strontium metal for a shell -rather than the usual calcium, and micro-animalcules that thrive in -a bath of chemically pure sulphuric acid. Terrans drink a most foul -poison--ethanol--for pleasure, and inhale the combustion-products--tar -and worse--of a dried weed as a fairly common habit. This habit, by the -way, seems to have absolutely no effect upon life or mentality. Terrans -go anywhere with immunity, and those who come here must prepare to die." - -"You're not dead," objected Lane. - -"No, but I expected death. I was prepared. I was innoculated and -sterilized and given all sorts of treatments. I irradiate myself daily -with the micro-organism killing radiations known to our doctors and -scientists. Otherwise I would--well, in your slang terms--grow green -hair in an hour. - -"In fact," continued Hotang Lu thoughtfully, "Toralen Ki and myself -were the last of several expeditions to contact Terra. We sent a -first to investigate and sample the upper stratosphere. They did--and -they died painfully. But they succeeded in preparing artificial -antimeasures against the bacteria and fungus-spores that roam that -altitude. The second expedition landed, but took only samples of the -surface-atmosphere. They died, learning the secrets of the mutant -microlife of Terra. They prepared antimeasures for the third expedition -who emerged from the ship, protected against air-borne death, and gave -their lives learning how to control the microlife that abounds and is -transmitted by contact. - -"The fourth expedition came to roam the planet at will, and they died -because there had been a mutation in one form of spore in the years -between the third expedition and the fourth. The fifth came and were -safe. - -"Toralen Ki and myself were the fifth expedition." - -"Um-m-m, what a nice bunch of little stinkers Terrans must be," smiled -Lane. - -"Terrans and Venusites," amended Downing. - -"Don't be bitter," laughed Lane. "You're tarred with this brush too, -you know." - -Kennebec smiled. "I'll be afraid of myself from now on." - - * * * * * - -Hotang Lu looked at Kennebec seriously. "That is your main concern," he -said. "You--and all Solarians--have but that to fear." - -"What?" - -"You need fear only yourselves. All your other enemies fall like the -wheat before the scythe. From the most minute to the most gigantic. -Micro-organisms that defy your best instruments can not defy your -evolution. Giants that defy your imagination can not defy your science. -The cold and forbidding planets themselves bow to Terran domination. -Lane, born on Venus; a world of violent insect life and rife with -micro-organisms is populated by Terrans. Downing was born of Mars. -Mars is cold and forbidding. Life cannot survive there. Life cannot, -gentlemen. Oh, life in the sense that regeneration and self-sustenance -is life, can. After all, Mars is bathed in the same radiation that -produces hardy mutations. But Terran life is intelligent. Martian life -can not be--" - -"See?" chortled Cliff Lane. - -Hotang Lu swung upon the Venusite. "Stellor Downing is Terran," he said -stoutly. "Venus can not support intelligent life either," he added in a -mollifying tone. - -"They do," objected Kennebec. - -"By support I mean spawn," said Hotang Lu. "To support does not mean to -'be converted to'." - -"Oh." - -"Terra controls. Terra takes over. Terra is the Planet of Terror. Her -minions rule the Galaxy, her mutants are the fear and the death of all. -Linzete of Sscantoo capitulated because of two things. One was Lane's -ability to carry, without self-destruction, microlife that destroyed -their minor animals in a matter of minutes. The other was Downing's -ability to read the radiation of their weapons and return in less than -a month with an improvement on them. And what is your favorite dish?" -he asked Kennebec. - -"Filet mignon with mushrooms." - -Hotang Lu shivered visibly. "Tender, of course?" - -"Tender and very, very rare." - -Hotang Lu shivered again. - -"Why?" - -"What makes a steak tender?" he asked with an air of innocence. - -"Brutally speaking, it is a matter of semiputrefication." - -"Precisely. You hang it in a warm, smoky, damp place until it 'grows -hair'. Then you partially cook it--not really enough to destroy the -enzymes--and smother it with one of the most pernicious forms of fungi. -It is served hot--a condition that enhances most chemical reactions. -And you fall to, eating this deadly mixture with appetite, relish, -appreciation, and, by the most holy, you complain bitterly if the -tenderness is not right. You object if the micro-organisms have not had -their chance to break down the toughness of the meat. About the only -disease that Terrans really need fear is the ulcer, which is a case of -the adaptable beginning to eat itself, or perhaps carcinoma, where -local mutation takes place." - -"That makes us feel very good," said Kennebec dryly. "But from what -you've told us, we are on the brink of invasion by a super-race that is -slowly engulfing the Galaxy." - -"The Loard-vogh must be defeated." - -"I should think so," remarked Kennebec. - -"Our work is through," said Hotang Lu. "Tlembo is surpassed. Sscantoo -was one hope of Tlembo, but the catmen are almost at the peak of their -evolution, and cannot be increased in mental stature more than twice -or thrice. Tlembo reached their mental ultimate ten thousand years -ago and were far surpassed by the Loard-vogh. Terra now surpasses -the Loard-vogh. But remember, Co-ordinator Kennebec, you have mental -_ability_ not real mentality. You have the capability to increase -a thousandfold above your present mental stature. But you have not -increased in fact." - -"I do not follow." - -"Your infants have the ability to become the mentally great. Until -that ability is exploited, they are mentally lower than the most -unintelligent of animals. They cannot even feed themselves without help. - -"Terra now has the ability," he continued. "If Terra is to rule the -Galaxy--and well she might for her adaptability--she must exploit the -latent mental capability." - - * * * * * - -"And the next plan?" suggested Kennebec. - -Thompson looked at Hotang Lu. "What's yours?" he asked. - -"You will be the co-ordinator. The Extremes will co-operate in -gathering information and you will direct them, and all of Sol, in this -effort." - -Kennebec frowned. "You must know what you're doing," he said. "But I -was under the impression that Lane and Downing--?" - -Hotang Lu nodded. "That was the original plan. But due to a rather -peculiar set of circumstances out near Sscantoo, Thompson now has the -superior mind of all Solarians. You see, he did not achieve twinship -with a Terran. He achieved a ... er ... _tripletship_ with Toralen Ki, -and the Loard-vogh known as Kregar, who was high in their councils. -Since he is aware of the Loard-vogh mind, his decisions can be expected -to take into account what they are likely to do." - -"One of the main jobs in fighting an alien culture is to try to -outguess them," added Thompson. "Having a bit of Loard-vogh psychology -for inspection will enable me to handle the outguessing process -somewhat better." - -"Reasonable," agreed Kennebec. "My job now will be to convince the -superior officers of these three that their ability warrants giving -orders instead of taking them." - -"It should be easy. Their ability will speak for itself. Besides, you -may issue statements to the effect that mental activity between these -three have placed them--" - -"Hotang Lu, a thousand years from now we might. But you told us that -all we now have is the mental _ability_ without the training necessary -to use it." - -"Yes?" - -"My small friend, all that means is that men will now be able to use -the whole of their minds to indulge in power-grabbing, connivery, and -politics." - -Hotang Lu smiled. "I know," he said. "The end-product of it all will -be that little change is visible. You see, the avaricious of your race -will be of greater mental power, true enough. But those of you who try -to see that things are run right will have the same increase in mental -stature. When I spoke of the human race as a slumbering giant, I meant -that all facets of human nature were equally smothered." - -"Hm-m-m. I see what you mean. But jealousy isn't good, and if I make -a statement to the effect that the minds of these three are superior, -every mother's son on all three planets and nine colonies a-stellar -will be sharpshooting for them. Ah-hah," he finished, shaking his head. - -"Their ability will take hold. Their individual characteristics will -show. Let it be known that Lane and Downing are each doubly capable -because of the mental twinship. That all Solarians know now. Let it -also be known that Toralen Ki and the Loard-vogh Kregar fought the same -type of mental battle for Thompson's mind--and that he has the triple -ability. Regardless of jealousy, they will come out on top." - - * * * * * - -"Well," said Thompson, "at this point I think we'd best be thinking -about our skins, Cliff, like to scout the catmen again?" - -"What for?" - -"Take a look at their stuff. That snatcher they had might be the stuff -for trouble in a large scale. Might see what they've got, and what you -can make of it." - -"Think there's any chance we might grab a hunk out of the middle of a -sun and hurl it at the enemy?" - -"Yes, but it is remote, and wasteful to boot." - -"Why? - -"Anything you might grab out of any sun would be more difficult than -grabbing the planet itself--the one you want to annihilate, I mean. -Better do it directly by just taking the planet, stopping it in its -orbit, and hurling it to its sun itself. The forces present in a sun -would be more difficult to handle. And besides, what would you anchor -it to?" - -"Space itself," suggested Downing. "With a driver beam." - -"You'd end up by warping space. Nope, I can think of easier ways of -beating out my brains. But Cliff, if you'll see what they have, we can -use it, perhaps. Stellor, any suggestions you'd like to make?" - -"Someone better start converting the manufacturers. Hotang Lu's picture -isn't at all good, you know. The Loard-vogh have conquered about a -quarter of the Galaxy now. Their numbers are legion and they are a -conquistadorial outfit at best. They'll fight to the last one, and they -outnumber us thousands to one." - -"Millions," corrected Hotang Lu. - -"Looks futile right there." - -"Let's not quit before we're licked," snapped Thompson. "Before they -collect Sol in their list, they're going to have to kill each and every -Terran." - -"Um-m-m--not a bright prospect." - -"Makes us as tough as they are," mused Kennebec. - -"Tough, but not as nasty," offered Billy. "They want conquest for the -sake of conquest. They'll die to the last man fighting for the sake of -fighting. We'll die to the last man fighting for peace." - -"Right." - -"So," offered Downing, "I'll take a scout of the Loard-vogh if you -want." - -"O.K.," said Thompson. "This is going to keep us all busy for a long -time. We'd best relax tonight--tomorrow we can all leave." - -"You'll take my crew?" asked Stellor Downing. - -"Since spying can't be done with twenty-five ships at your back, I -will," agreed Lane. - -"You can handle 'em," said Downing. "After all, you do have my ability -now." - -Lane smiled cheerfully. "O.K. I'll see you later." - -"Right," said Downing. - -"And keep this under your hat, fellows. Terra has one great secret -weapon that the Loard-vogh can never get nor use. It is a weapon that -must wait until the time is ripe. It must never be disclosed, until it -is in use. Then--it will be too late for the Loard-vogh to stop it." - -"What is it?" - -"If you don't know, I'll not tell you yet." - -"But why tell us at all?" - -"The idea of fighting a race that has conquered the Galaxy is -staggering. Especially a race that, until lately, has been Terra's -mental superior. The knowledge of a secret weapon of definite -capability tends to make our battle less foolish. We will win." - - - - - XII. - - -Patricia Kennebec peered out of the window at the screech of brakes on -the pavement. Then, to avert open hostility, she ran to the door and -out upon the sidewalk. - -She faced them, and was slightly baffled to hear them speak: - -"Well?" asked Lane. - -"You didn't beat me." - -"It was a dead heat," smiled Lane. - -"We're two minds with but a single thought, these days," Stellor told -Patricia. "Every time I find myself thinking of something, I discover -that he has been considering the same thing, too." - -"You'd better split your personality--and/or your body," suggested -Lane. "Or become twins. I can foresee difficulties with the theological -and civil authorities if this goes on." - -Patricia smiled. "I can't possibly marry you both. Not at the same -time, anyway." - -"Toss coin?" offered Lane. "We'll take turns--" - -"You will not!" stated Patricia. "I'm old-fashioned enough to go into -it wanting permanency. I don't really expect it, but I can and will -hope. I will not enter marriage with any split in mind. That's ... -that's--" - -"Sorry," said Cliff. "I was joking." - -"Love may be somewhat amusing," she said seriously. "But marriage is no -joke. So let's forget it. Oh--look! Here comes Billy!" - -Lane and Downing looked, and then whistled. - -Patricia squinted at the pair of them, and then took another look at -Thompson. "Did you two swap minds--or was he in on it?" she asked with -a laugh. - -"He wasn't--but why?" asked Lane. - -"Billy is pulling your favorite trick," she told Lane. "He's got a -glamor-puss on each elbow." - -"And he can pick 'em, too!" said Downing approvingly. - -Patricia looked at him in puzzlement. - -Lane caught the look. "That's my line," he told Stellor. - -"So it is. 'And your line shall be my line, and your ideas shall be -mine. For whitherso thou goest, there--' and so on, Cliff." - -"This is getting bad," smiled Patricia to Billy. "I've often thought -that it would be perfect if I could take these two and boil 'em -down into one man. Instead, I've got the boiling process done but -the outcome is two men both with all of the things I've liked about -each--or am I getting involved in my own words?" - -"I knew they'd not think of furnishing enough femininity to make a full -party," he laughed. "Patricia, smile and be nice to all of us. Kids, -Patricia Kennebec. Virginia Thompson, my sister, and Tania Lake, her -erstwhile college chum. Gals, the redheaded wildman is Stellor Downing -and the dark, sunkissed Adonis is Clifford Lane. Take it from there." - -Lane blinked at Virginia. "You're _his_ sister? By adoption, no doubt. -No blood relation of Billy could be--" Lane stopped at precisely the -right point, and looked just the right amount of confusion. His act -went over, and Virginia smiled back. "He talks, too," he said seriously. - -Patricia Kennebec looked at Billy. "This has the earmarks of -conspiracy," she told him. "What gives?" - -"Nothing in particular," he said with a slight smile. "Ginger and Tanny -were sitting around the house as usual when I got home this evening, -and both of them looked hungry. Seems to me they're always that way--at -least as far back as I can remember." - -"You mean you've been concealing assets like these?" demanded Downing. - -"I'll inspect this conspiracy a little better after I find out how -it's working," Patricia whispered to Billy. "You treat them both like -sisters." - -"Tania has lived next door to us for most of her life," said Billy -honestly. - -"Hm-m-m--girlhood sweet-heart?" - -"Nope. We didn't even scrap over the back fence." - -"There's one thing about Billy," said Downing, diverting his attention -briefly. "He doesn't ever scrap for anything." - -"He never seems to lose anything he wants," offered Tania. - -"He doesn't," affirmed Lane. "Trouble is with that kind of guy, he'll -never win the Solar Citation. Billy, why in the name of sin don't you -make something look hard, just for once." - -"I claimed that any man who could spend a couple of months as referee -between you two would have a job big enough to win the Solar Citation," -said Patricia. - -"He made a breeze of it," said Lane, and Downing nodded and added: -"Every time we got to the shooting-point, Billy was there with a crisis -to solve, a mission to perform, or a detail to handle. And when the -rivet-cutting really got going, he thought of the one short statement -that stopped us both--cold." - -"I still say getting in between you two is bravery above the -consideration of personal safety, or even the safety of any individual, -for the benefit of mankind. If that doesn't rate a Solar Cit, I don't -know what does." - -Billy grinned brazenly. "It all comes of one idea," he told them. "And -that's the little proposition of making the best of what you know. -I--know people. So I can make 'em tick. I'll admit it, I'm brilliant. -Now let's forget my obvious touch of genius and go somewhere and try -out our own individual superiority against a steak. We'll weigh the -remains and the largest leavings is a loser." - -From the front steps, Co-ordinator Kennebec called: "A good idea, -fellows. I was about to call out the Guard. I was beginning to think -that a mass meeting was going on right on the Presidential Grounds." - -They waved good-by, and drove off in Billy Thompson's car. - -And it was about four o'clock in the morning that Hotang Lu retired -after hours of discussion with Kennebec. The co-ordinator of the Solar -Combine nodded the Little One to his door, and then decided to raid the -presidential icebox. He stopped at the door. - - * * * * * - -Co-ordinator Kennebec had a large and healthy respect for Patricia's -judgment, though she was but a youngster according to his standards -and those of his contemporaries. Perhaps the combination of Irish -impulsiveness with the Canadian-Scotch horse sense had resulted in -something with a better grasp on human nature--or perhaps it was that -still-unknown intuition that women all claimed. Anyway, Kennebec had -been talking to Hotang Lu with four tenths of an ear cocked to the -doorway. He'd wanted to get Pat's side of the details. - -He'd missed her, apparently. - -For if any icebox were raided, especially the austere icebox of the -co-ordinator's presidential home, it would be done _en trio_. - -Kennebec grinned. He hoped they'd leave some for the nominal ruler of -the Solar Combine. - -The idea of ordering out an aide didn't occur to him; an aide could -produce anything at any time, but Kennebec wasn't the type to impose. -He'd do his own icebox raiding! - -But he was not beyond a bit of diplomatic eavesdropping. He'd thought -of Pat's problem, too. Twin minds between the men she preferred -impartially. That--and he didn't like to consider it--reduced her -selection to the sheer animal. He was not euphemistic, nor blind, -and he recognized that men and women will be men and women and that -physical attraction was a major factor. But he was of an intelligent -race, and he knew also that sheer physical attraction without a -simultaneous mating of mind usually resulted in trouble. - -He wondered--which of the pair of worthies had the greater physical -attraction for his daughter. - -So, with no feeling of shame about it, Co-ordinator Kennebec, nominal -ruling head of three planets; elected by popular vote; empowered to act -by the Solar Combine Congress; commander in chief of all armed forces -of three worlds--eavesdropped on his daughter. - -"Just a keyhole listener," he thought. "I wonder which--" - -"That was a neat piece of business," Pat laughed. - -"Was it?" answered her companion. - -"It was. And you know it. A neat bit of skullduggery." - -The laugh that followed was very masculine--and there was no mistaking -the originator. - -"May I ask what the idea was?" asked Pat. - -Billy Thompson's well-modulated voice answered: "Sure, I'll tell you. -Do you want it right off the shoulder or will you take it by degrees?" - -"I can take it," said Patricia. Her tone was light, but under-tones of -softness were there. "Can you dish it out?" - -Kennebec swallowed. Billy Thompson! Whatever he had done, he'd done it -well. Kennebec smiled wistfully. Any man who could cut Patricia out of -the tight-pack between Lane and Downing was either overly wise or-- - -"I'm dishing," said Billy. "I've been wondering how it would be to have -you all to myself." - -"Have you found out yet?" asked Patricia lightly. - -"Not yet--it might take a long time." - -"It's four o'clock," she told him. - -"So what?" he said hotly. "If I get a card to this game, it's going to -be a hard-held one." - -"You mean that now I'm confronted with the idea of deciding between -three of you?" - -"Patricia, this is big-league stuff. Sit around and get as egotistical -as you want. I don't think you are. I think a lot of your confounded -superciliousness is just an act--and I intend to find out!" - -"An act, Billy?" - -"Pat, I hope it is. How long has your dad been co-ordinator?" - -"About seven years." - -"And you're twenty-four." - -"Been reading my mail?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. - -"I can--and often do--read newsprint." - -"Oh, you read, too?" - -"Shut up," he snapped, "and stop sounding like a character out of a -bum play. You know what I'm trying to tell you. You've been the high -priestess of this chateau ever since you were seventeen. D'ye know any -seventeen-year-old that has any sense?" - -"Ah--" - -"I know," he grinned cheerfully. "Patricia Kennebec at seventeen." - -"I've not been here--" - -"No, you've been to college, and stuff like that where people have been -kowtowing to you. Well, either you have that glazed-personality for -self-protection _or I wouldn't have you on a bet_!" - -"Huh?" asked the girl. And her father swallowed, took a deep but silent -breath and wondered what next? - -"Wonderful woman," he laughed. "Three of the top men in the Solar Guard -chasing after you. Gives you quite a feeling of superiority, doesn't -it?" - -"I--" - -"Don't answer, Pat, you're about as responsible for the antics of that -pair of concentric idiots as anything else." - -"Look, Billy, Cliff and Stellor at least were honest with me. I knew -them before I ever met you. Years and years ago. They fought over me -for the junior prom in high school. They ganged up and took me, _en -trio_, to the graduation party from grammar school. And both of those -were before dad was mentioned as co-ordinator-possible. That, Billy, -was before I became a possible key to the co-ordinator's office. All -right. I sound jaded. I'm a stinking little headstrong, egocentric brat -that sits around dangling men from a nylon ribbon, playing hearts. -Billy--_how can YOU prove that YOU don't want -something?_" - -"Huh?" - -"How is a nonomniscent human being in my position to know a -protestation of affection from a pure and perfect act--the purpose of -which to gain something?" - - * * * * * - -Kennebec, standing in the silver closet, bit his lip. He'd see this -thing out, for he wanted to ask Patricia a question. For once in his -life, he was not certain of the _rightness_ of his ambition. Patricia -would know. Was all ambition foolish? Is this what they meant when they -said: Of what use to gain the world if only to lose a soul? Had he in -his ambition to give his motherless daughter the best of everything, -deprived her of that one thing that no one could do without? To have -friends, even lovers, whose protestations of affection were honest; -whose need of her was as personal as her need of them? How had she -learned, at a tender twenty-four, that there were those who would -present false face for position--and take, perhaps, that which--? - -Kennebec smiled shyly, in the darkness. She had learned. Apparently it -had been hard, but not too hard, that learning. - -"Patricia," said Billy. "Patricia, listen to me. I've not known you -long, compared to the--wildmen." He laughed shortly, but it was forced -and she knew it. So did the man behind the door. - -"I've not known you long, Patricia. I did a bit of trickery tonight. I -dropped two red herrings across the trail--" - -"Make it good," whispered Patricia, "or I'll tell the girls what you -called them." - -"Basically, I'm honest," said Thompson in a cheerful voice. "I bribed -them well. Their known and accepted jobs were to sidetrack the -un-heavenly twins. Both Ginger and Tanny swore that nothing short of -open seduction would prevent them from leaving the aisle clear for my -frontal attack." - -"Hm-m-m--so Pat Kennebec was Target for Tonight?" - -"Do you dislike me for being honest?" - -"Is that honesty a cover for deeper dis--" - -"Pat, please. Don't say it." - -"Then what shall I say?" - -"Tell me--did you like it?" - -Patricia looked up at Billy Thompson. "Now _I'm_ asking. Can you take -it?" - -"I can take it," said Billy. "Tell me to go and jump in the lake, if -you want. I did what I did because--" - -"Billy, it was rather nice." - -"It--?" - -"I liked it." - -"Ah ... er--" - -"Billy?" - -"Yes?" - -"Best you can do?" - -The silence was significant. Kennebec, eavesdropping, swallowed deeply, -and left quietly. - - * * * * * - -"Billy?" - -"Patricia?" - -"You always call me by my full name?" - -"I like to hear it." - -"Billy, what do we do now?" - -"We do nothing. As far as I'm concerned, Patricia, we've just met. From -here on, we do all we can to know one another better." - -"I--" - -The beer and sandwiches were growing warm. - -"--won't be able to know--" - -And it was getting later. - -"--if you keep my eyes closed all the time." - -Billy took a deep breath. "The better to keep you from finding out all -about me, my dear." - -She held his face back between her hands. "Do you realize?" she asked. -The head between her hands shook. "You have really known me for less -than ... than six hours. And you're making protestations--" - -"You forget," he reminded her carefully, "that I'd been contemplating -Patricia Kennebec for a long time. There are some things that are -worth waiting for; things that require planning. I didn't know what -the score would be at the end of this evening, Patricia, but I wanted -so to find out. I've known you for a long time, Patricia. And, -remember, little lady, that one need not fight bitterly for what he -wants--sometimes it comes better if one bides his time and lets the -fighters run themselves out of wind. From here, Patricia, let no man -get in my way, lest he get his legs clipped out from under him." - -"Supposing that I like him?" said Patricia. - -"I'll only be fluffed off once," warned Billy. "There's one thing that -I have that few other people have, Patricia. I can't really read minds, -but I've discovered, ever since that little battle out there near -Sscantoo, that I _feel_, and deeply, the truth of any man's feelings. -But enough of that. We'll have time to quarrel later. Right now, -Patricia--" - -That night, the old adage died. The head that wore the crown of the -Solar Combine slept like a kitten. And the only thing that bothered -Co-ordinator Kennebec was that usual irrelevant wonder that crops -up in the most trying of circumstances, though this was not trying, -as circumstances go. Yet, Kennebec thought, it was like an hysteria -almost; the unfunny joke that sends chief mourners off into gales of -laughter. Incongruous and irrelevant, immaterial and inconsequential. - -But why in the name of Sol didn't they go into the living room, and do -their necking on the love seat where it belonged instead of sitting on -the cook's tall stool in the kitchen? - - - - - XIII. - - -The scene at the proving grounds was a bustle of activity. In the -center of the area stood a huge machine with a paraboloid reflector, -pointing skyward on gimbals. Supporting the projector was a girdered -and trussed platform, with tractor beams on each corner, pointing down -to the center of Terra. Vast was the machine; no telescope in the Solar -Combine was half as solid as the trunnions and bars that rigidized the -setting of the relatively small, ten-foot bowl of the projector. - -A line of portable telephone poles, strung with portable wiring, led -from the housing below the projector. Off across the proving ground -they went to a master-control office almost lost in the horizon and the -haze. - -But the projector would not be studied from the remote position. That -was just a clearing house--a veritable telephone exchange--that fed -terrestrial data from all of the research laboratories of Terra to the -monster on the proving ground. - -Inside the housing was Cliff Lane, directing the technical staff. -There, too, was Linzete, the catman, brought back to Terra by Lane's -doubly convincing mind. Linzete did not like primates; he avoided them -and went out of his way to keep a two-foot clear space between himself -and the primates as he moved around in the crowded housing. - -The Terrans, warned beforehand, did their best to honor his dislike of -them. They respected his preference in contact, though they, at this -point, tended to use his mind and his experience as something presented -to them. For they--and he--knew that their mental ability exceeded his -and he was there only because his experience had been greater than -theirs. - -Out on the trestles and the catwalks of the machine stood Stellor -Downing, directing the final touches of the monstrous mechanical system. - -The operator called to Lane: "The sounding-boat is over the Mindanao -Deep, sir. Ready and waiting." - -"How's the terrestrial laboratory at Washington?" - -"Ready for an hour. And Cal Tech has been chewing their fingernails for -two hours." - -"Call Downing and ask him how long?" - -"Calling Stellor Downing--" - -"On the roger," answered Downing, grabbing a phone from its rack on a -catwalk. - -"How much more greasing are you going to give that mecanno set?" asked -Cliff. - -"Oh, any time you're ready, we are." - -"I know but--" - -"Until the bell rings, we'll sort of pick curls of dust out of the -bearings, put a drop of oil here and there, and see that the stuff is -shiny--and as slippery as the devil." - -The operator plugged into a ringing line. "Lane," he called after -listening, "the crew just dropped the drone." - -"Get the detector gang and tell 'em." - -The operator unplugged and shoved the plug into another jack. He spoke, -and listened for several minutes. - -"Detector gang has picked up the drone," he announced to Lane. - -"Ring the warning bell!" - -The clangor of the warning bell shattered the air. Over the _tactac_ of -machinery and the rumble of heavy generators, it fell on waiting ears, -and from all parts of the great projector there was a general rush to -hit solid ground. A huge ring of men formed a hundred yards from the -machine, and Downing entered the housing. - -"Can we see better in here or out there?" he asked. - -"In here," said Cliff. "The drone won't be within a ten light-sec range -when we hit it. The celestial globe, here, has been juggled up to show -both drone and projector. It's rough, but the lack of definition won't -bother us. We can understand what's happening--and if it happens as we -expect, we'll see it go blooey and be able to reconstruct the event. -Stick around." - -Linzete came and stood beside them. "I think the sawtooth is not of -the proper shape," he suggested. - -"Perhaps not," agreed Lane. "But to put any sharper break on it -will require another high-power driver stage. I'm hoping it will be -adequate." - -"The recovery time may seem slow," added Downing. "But remember how -much distance it controls." - -Linzete nodded dubiously. He was not the type to argue. If these -gadget-mad Terrans were going to ruin a second-rate ship on the first -try, well, they'd find out soon enough. He hoped they had a stock of -radio-controlled drones. They'd need them. - -They had--and they probably would need them. - -"On target!" came the cry. - - * * * * * - -Above, the platform swung around. The projector bobbled over in its -gimbals and centered on something invisible in the blue sky. The -tractor beams took hold invisibly and there was a grunting of the -bearings as the whole mechanism anchored itself to the core of the -planet. - -Then the projector jumped perceptibly. It seemed to gather itself -together and pounce. Then the system relaxed, apparently, for the -tractor beams died and the bearings resumed their freedom. - -Down in the housing, the celestial globe showed a small, outdated -cruiser. Speed was apparently zero, for the globe and its detecting -and scanning circuits was following it, mile for mile and second by -second. A range and velocity computed below the globe gave the data: -Nine light-sec range, velocity sixty-six MPS. - -The cruiser faltered in flight and the scanners almost passed ahead -of it. It faltered momentarily--that was during the time that the -projector seemed to gather its energy. As the pounce came, something -inside of the cruiser exploded very slowly. It expanded the cruiser -slightly here and there; a plate blew off; five or six of the -greenhouses shattered in puffs of mild fire; and then the cruiser -staggered and continued on at a lower velocity. - -"Send out the word," called Lane. "General coverage. That was the first -shock." - -Laboratories marked the time all over Terra. It would take hours -for the shock--if any--to reach the antipodes. What Lane was more -interested in was the report from Cal Tech, only a few hundred miles -away. - -"Linzete, you were right," said Lane. "It'll take time, and we'll need -it. But--Hey! Fellows! Get the high-power stage rigged and see what can -be done about increasing the sharpness of the sawtooth generator." - -The period of waiting was filled with activity. The reports started to -come in: - -"Cal Tech reports very mild shock." - -"Washington indicated almost zero--just a trace." - -"O.K., we can stand it," said Lane. "How's the target?" - -"Circling Terra. Radius seven light-sec. Velocity fifty-three MPS." - -The projector was ready when the drone returned. Again the projector -gathered itself together, and the pounce was quite visible. Beneath -them, the ground shook violently, and the projector and its mighty -platforms rattled in the bearings, held as they were by tractors to the -core of Terra. - -In the celestial sphere, the cruiser faltered again, and then exploded -in a wild blast of sheer flame, white and violent. The radiating gases -expanded, passed out of the scope of the scanner, and then the scanner -fell away from the scene and roamed aimlessly across the sky, showing a -mad whirling pattern of uninteresting stars. - -"What happened?" asked Linzete. - -"Main target blew up completely. Nothing massive to focus on, so the -finders and scanners just roam at will. That's it, Stellor." - -"Wait until we get the seismographic reports," cautioned the Martian. -"Maybe we can blast a ship to bits at two million miles, but so what if -California slides into the San Jacinto fault?" - -"Well, there'll be no more attempts until the returns are all in from -the labs," said Lane. "I'm taking no more chances." He turned to -Linzete. "You'll want the plans, of course?" - -The Sscantovian nodded. "I will not require the main circuits, of -course. The snatcher portion is just an oversized version of our own -invention. What I shall need is the details of the compressing sphere. -We were content to tear a section out of the ship. You made a precision -slicing operation out of it which pleased us greatly. But this problem -of taking the spherical cut and actually compressing the matter -inside--then releasing it instantly to create an atomic explosion is -far beyond me. We can copy it, but no Sscantovian would ever hope to -develop it from the facts here unless he had detailed plans. We--could -not understand its operation." - -"You did understand the main principle, though. You were the one who -predicted that the release-time was not fast enough and suggested -sharpening the sawtooth generator." - -"One may make suggestions without understanding the whole process," -purred Linzete. "Your weapon seems to be a success." - -"We'll know that when the seismographic reports are all in. Hurling a -beam of this kind, doing what we do, may well shake the planet's crust. -We hope to extend our range to ten million miles, and we'll know if we -can in a few months. If you have any deities, Linzete, you might burn a -prayer to 'em." - - * * * * * - -It was thirty-six hours before the returns were all in. All along the -fault-lines of Terra came reports of very mild temblors. Nowhere was -there any severe slippage of Terra's crust: the seismographs could -find no epicenters, the uncounted tons of rock, under unknown tons of -pressure, had slid uniformly, creating a general, little shock. - -And Lane grinned. "With little slippages," he said, "we may do away -with all severe earthquakes. Releasing the crust-pressures before they -build up to a disaster-quantity should help, not hinder. We might -continue hitting small targets like this until the distribution of -fault-pressures is even all over. Then we can swing the Big Beam." - -"What I'm interested in at this point," said Downing, "is the -countermeasures group. What if the Loard-vogh get this thing?" - -"Billy says that they can't miss getting it eventually. And Billy also -says that the countermeasures gang is working on another development. -Has something to do with a similar gadget, only the sphere of force can -be made to pierce the snatcher--or any other field of force--and remove -smaller items inside. Sort of grab the stuff out from the contracting -sphere and toss it outside. It might save a lot of the crew, especially -since the atomic sphere is necessarily small." - -Linzete purred and asked: "Couldn't you compress a whole section of the -ship?" - -Lane turned. "Billy says we could, but why? Takes that much more power, -and the ultimate explosion would do little harm. This way we can grab a -hunk the size of a baseball and make quite an atomic blowup out of it. -Takes much less power, and the explosion is great." - -"I think you'll find," offered Downing, "that it takes just as much -power to wreck a ship by crushing it physically as it does to compress -a small sphere and then let it explode." - -"The atomic explosion takes more," said Lane. - -"Then why?" - -"Projector-size. We're getting away with swinging a ten-foot bowl -around. If we wanted to inclose a whole ship, we'd require a paraboloid -about forty times the longest diameter of the ship, just as the -ten-foot bowl is forty times the diameter of the compressible sphere. -And cutting a section out--well, that's the weapon we had before and -decided against because it left a chance for a well-designed ship to -lose a section and still carry on, or be repaired. Complete destruction -is the only answer." - -"In other words, the power input is greater, but the operational -power--?" - -"The overall power requirements of the atomic sphere projector are -about even this way to just crumpling a ship." - -"That's what I said," objected Downing. - -"I thought you meant just the crushing factor. The difference is made -up in the projector elements. Well, that's those. Billy says we can -turn this over to the secondary crew, now." - -"Then what?" - -"I'm going to get six of these made up for each planet. We'll also -mount some on the outer planets; and the colonials of Alpha, Procyon, -and the rest." - - * * * * * - -Hotang Lu pounded the table with his little fist. "That weapon might -have stopped them!" he snapped. "Why did you stop production?" - -"Are you questioning my motives?" asked Thompson quietly. - -"Yes!" - -"Have you any doubts as to my loyalty?" - -"I ... ah ... no." - -"And you do not understand my intent?" - -"No." - -"He's not alone, Billy," put in Kennebec. "What do you intend to do?" - -"The use of Terra's secret weapon is critical. It must be employed -at exactly the opportune moment, and not one minute before and not -one minute after. There must be, for psychological reasons you all -know, a certain amount of normal, mine-run fighting before we employ -our secret. But I do not want them to be defeated by our might and -our weapons. That would be disastrous, for they would return in a few -years, and they would return and return, until finally they succeeded -in conquering us. We must fight this as I have planned, and when the -time is exactly ripe, we shall employ our secret weapon and from that -time on, there will be no more carnage, and the Loard-vogh will be -conquered." - -"When you're dealing with the Loard-vogh, there's no better way -to skin a cat than to grab the skin at the neck and pull," scowled -Downing. "Choking them to death with cream will not work. I spent three -weeks there, remember, and I tell you, Billy, you can not temporize -with them!" - -Kennebec shook his head at Billy, "I wonder if your practice of getting -what you want without fighting for it mightn't be carried too far." - -"We are a million million in population," said Billy. "That's counting -the Solar Combine plus the colonial outposts. This fight we're -facing can not be won in another way. They outnumber us a million -to one--think of that! To win, every Solarian must kill one million -Loard-vogh! And that," he concluded bitterly, "makes us all come out -even!" - -"There isn't a man in this sector that wouldn't prefer to die -protecting his own than to knuckle under Loard-vogh rule." - -"I know--" - -"Billy, I can not permit this order to continue," said Kennebec. "We -must not permit them to take Terra!" - -"Then you're overriding my order?" - -"I am--and I pray that the procrastination isn't fatal." - -Downing frowned. "Look, Billy, remember this: The Loard-vogh fear us as -we are! Otherwise they would not be mobilizing against us. Despite the -million-to-one ratio, they fear us and our heredity. We can and will -win!" - -"We'll win, never fear," said Billy. "But we'll win only if we play it -properly." - -"And properly means to fight with every weapon that we have." - -"Spore bombs?" - -"That's but one thing." - -"They'll help--only to make the other trillion Loard-vogh mad. Douse a -few planets and thousands of others will muster." - -Billy Thompson thought for a moment and then answered: "Really, it -makes little difference how we fight. We'll win anyway. Go ahead and -build your gadgets." - -He left, and Hotang Lu nodded. "I pray there is time left. Time to -build smaller ones, too, that will fit the ships of the Solar Guard. -Time to manufacture the necessary fighting equipment. Time to ... ah, -always we are fighting time. I curse the lack of time." - -And then the Tlemban added: "I am mystified. In my cosmos, if a secret -weapon is worthy of use, it is worthy of use from the time it is -discovered. I am puzzled--but then, I do not understand your secret -weapon. It sounds foolish to me." - -Kennebec spent the next three hours trying to make the Tlemban -understand, and finally gave up. - - - - - XIV. - - -Lindoo strode into the presence of Vorgan, Lord of All, and handed an -aide a scroll for the record. The Lord of All nodded and said nothing. -Nor was there anything to say that had not been said previously. Any -further discussion would be merely re-contemplation of ideas. The proof -was four months off. - -It would take four long months between this day--when Lindoo handed -Vorgan's aide the scroll, giving the official date and time of -I-second, when the invasion spearhead of the Loard-vogh blasted upward -from the locus and headed for Sol--to the time when the first of the -advance flight reached the Solar Sector. - -Four months of just sheer waiting. Four months which the gadget-mad -Terrans would use in preparation after the grand fleet of the -Loard-vogh was a-space, and growing flight-weary. - -Four months, full of intership bickerings and man-to-man fights because -the quarters were too confined. - -For the Loard-vogh were a quarrelsome race, and their fighting men -trained to viciousness. It is not strange that with four months, cooped -up in shells of steel, they should take to fighting among themselves. -It was strictly against the regulations, of course, because the Lord -of All wanted his fighting men to kill the enemy. Yet a fighting man -will fight if he has nothing else to do, and for four long months there -would be absolutely nothing to do. The Loard-vogh fighting man knew -little else but battle. Trained from youth to be hard, vicious, and -ruthless, he knew nothing of the art of killing time. Confinement made -him more vicious when released, and the officers overlooked a given -percentage of fights among the men. It was better that the ultimate -viciousness be great than to have their men soft with other arts. - -A goodly supply of other arts among the Loard-vogh would cause less -casualties. Had they been mentally and physically trained to carve -ivory, play chess, tie knots, or build spacecraft in bottles, their -lives would have been less violent, including the madness with which -they drove forward their attack. - -Forward went the grand fleet. In the lead were the fleet fighter ships, -and following them were the second wave craft. Third came the heavy -supercraft, the backbone of the grand fleet of the Loard-vogh. A day -behind came the mop-up transports, crammed to the space cocks with -fighting men, their nerves already on edge after a short day or two of -flight. - -And bringing up the rear were the myriad upon myriad of supply ships, -replacement carriers, machine-shop craft, and even space-going -foundries. Heavy ships laden with munitions and generating equipment; -craft that could anchor to the sunward side of an inner planet and -hurl megawatt after megawatt of power to the fighting ships for their -power-coffers. Huge--frameworks--with the equipment exposed to space. -Planet docks for the repair of ships damaged in fight. - -Forward drove this horde; forward into the Solar Sector. An -all-conquering mass. - -Silently and invisibly they sped in a long, cylindrical space pattern. - -Object, Terra. - - * * * * * - -Not unmindful of danger, Sol was working furiously. Factories, their -dies rusting the yard, were turning out parts for the atomic sphere. -Dymodines fairly rattled off of production lines and were installed -in the minor ships. Modines, the personal side-arm miniature of the -dymodine, came with a rush down the production-line conveyors and slid -into wrapping machines; were wrapped against all destructive, natural -forces and then were packed in boxes for shipment. - -Planet-mounted snatchers came to location by skytrain in parts and were -assembled on the spot by skilled technicians. - -The vast machines that generated the atomic sphere were being assembled -and shipped to the several places. Here they went together, fitted bit -by bit by machinists and technical men who worked furiously against -time to complete the job before the Loard-vogh came. - -They were many years building the original Palomar telescope, but this -was war, and the techniques of fabrication had advanced since then. -Perhaps the experience gained in that monstrous job--and in other -mighty projects, some war-driven, some peace-measures--gave Sol the -technical skill she needed. There would be no matter of years, this -time. It was a matter of four very short months. - -One hundred and twenty days. Just one small third of a year. And there -is a saturation point in the manpower curve; just because one man can -dig a well in sixty days, it is no sign that sixty men can dig the well -in one day. They could, mathematically, but you can't get sixty men -with shovels in a three-foot circle either mathematically or physically. - -So time bore on relentlessly. Time that for the Loard-vogh seemed -endlessly droning by was racing like fury for the laboring Terrans. - -For at the same instant that Vorgan was groaning about the four-month -wait, Thompson was complaining about the utter impossibility of getting -anything done in four months. - -What hurt Vorgan's sleep most of all was the fact that he feared that -Terra knew of the imminent invasion. - -Terra knew, and that spoiled their sleep, too. - -But they did not tell Vorgan that they knew. If the Lord of All had -known for certain, he would have slept better, for the uncertainty -would have been removed. - -For four long months, Vorgan's vicious crew of Loard-vogh warriors -drove through space, and then they deployed in battle array. Their -nerves tautened, and the personal fighting ceased, for the chances of -battle with a legal enemy stayed their hands against their fellows. - -They knew that they were approaching enemy territory. Their first -glimpse of trouble would be a mushrooming blast in the sky--or even -several simultaneous explosions. - -The first that went up would be a deadly signal that near by, or dead -ahead, their hated enemy was making his advance stand. That was the -gamble. They each pinned their hopes on being the watcher. Let another -ship go up in fire and flame. In this game, where no man could help -another, none even considered the idea of wanting death in preference -to another. For one man's life was exactly as good as any other man's -at this point--for until the initial shock wave hit, neither was doing -a thing. - -They were on the offensive, the Loard-vogh. They were breaching a -system that their leaders feared enough to break the Master Plan and -send forth a full grand fleet to take this sector that lay more than a -thousand light-years from the frontier of Loard-vogh conquest. - -As the Loard-vogh was on the offensive, the first move had been -taken--by them. The next move was up to Sol. And that retaliation would -take place soon was not doubted by any man. - - * * * * * - -Fifty light-years from Sol they slowed and alerted. They wondered, -those leaders of that invasion, when the blow would fall. Was it wiser -to wait until the enemy was alert? To wait until the enemy was waiting -for the first detector alarm seemed brash. The Loard-vogh method was to -strike like a hidden snake, and beat the enemy to the ground before he -knew what was waiting for him. - -It made them nervous. - -And a psychologist who had studied both the Loard-vogh and the Terran -minds from a dispassionate standpoint made the observation that the -Loard-vogh might have been better equipped to cope with a slashing -surprise attack, but were completely baffled by the obvious foolishness -of waiting. - -Three days Terran went by, and the secondary waves of Loard-vogh came -up, adding to the general confusion. Orders rang through space and the -following waves of the grand fleet slowed so that utter confusion would -not hamper their action. - -Then, eight days after the first arrivals, and still with no attack, -the Loard-vogh decided to move in another ten light-years. A star -twinkled there. It had been this stellar outpost that the Loard-vogh -feared. Their methods of defense would have been to arm every planet of -this star with energy enough to reach three light-years into space and -crush any oncomer. They were wise. They gave a three-times plus safety -factor just because their Lord of All was afraid of Terra. - -And they admitted that they, too, feared Terra. - -With slow care, the spearhead moved forward. The grand fleet moved in -waves once again. Slow, overcautious waves, and they worried all the -way. They knew. They knew that it would come any minute now. - -But nothing came at five light-years from the star. And at three -light-years there was not a sign in their detector systems. A single -light-year gave them the same indication, and they swarmed about the -star--now a blazing sun, and searched the heavens about them for the -sign of enemy activity. They gave the seven planets a wide berth, and -would stay away until they were very certain-- - -So this was the feared and hated Solar Sector? Not even an outpost. Not -a scout. Not a sign of activity! - -The Loard-vogh took a deep breath and sighed in relief. And while they -were letting their breath out, Sol struck--and hard! - - - - - XV. - - -In the long-range scanner, the Loard-vogh fleet were but shapeless -blobs. In the past hours, they had become detectable, and now were -spreading out as the terrific velocity of the Terran fleet dropped down -upon them. - -"Now?" asked Downing. - -"Better wait another minute," suggested Cliff. - -"O.K. The judgment of when is best is tough, sometimes." - -"Better we should blitz eight or nine of them for sure than to try and -get fifteen but miss all but six. And don't forget that we're in the -lead. The boys in back will have more time to spread out and get the -outlying ships." - -"I'd like to stay running free as long as I can," said Stellor. - -"It makes us just that harder to detect when we are not radiating," -agreed Lane. "Too bad we can't run right on through this way." - -"Yeah, but we've got to use echo-ranging for the ordnance directors. We -can't just use their radiation as a means. And if we use echo-ranging, -that means squirting out the prime signal. That means detection anyway, -and we might as well use power, too." - -"What's our speed?" - -"Point seven nine light." - -"Fast enough," grunted Downing. "O.K., let 'em have it!" - -At seventy-nine percent of the speed of light, the free-running ships -came to life. The drivers went to work at the same time that the first -pulse from the ordnance directors went out. The turrets, already -trained by hand, moved only seconds of arc to correct for speed, when -the pulse-echo returned with the data. And with the return of the -second echo, reducing the error, the projectors belched energy. - -In the Loard-vogh, detectors screamed and flared. Turrets, directed at -random or stowed for travel, whipped around, the projectors rising in -elevation. Defensive equipment went to work--but not soon enough. - -For a dymodine crossing a dymodine will stop both, but they must be -operating simultaneously. The Terran ships fired first, and they hit. - -The sky had been serene. There was the star, blazing as a sun should -blaze, the only thing in view against a stellar curtain. The ships of -both fleets were black, and minutely invisible against the sky. The -planets of this star were as much a part of the stellar backdrop as any -planets are, even on Earth, and the appearance was just that of a very -distant disk, half-dollar size, blinding white, poised against a vast, -never ending wall of twinkling points. - -Thirty seconds later, man had passed through--and left his mark. - -Dymodines flashed incandescent spots that erupted in flaming gases. -Snatchers sliced backbone from the ships of the Loard-vogh and they -crumpled; some exploding. Three atomic sphere projectors found their -mark and three of the Loard-vogh blasted themselves to bits, leaving -only expanding masses and hard radiation--against the sky were moving -flecks of death; the Universe was spreckled with novae that spread as -they were watched. - -Death, silent and unspectacular from a distance, struck. - -And the Terran ships were through the Loard-vogh fleet and gone. - -But not unscathed. Trailing lines of whispy, incandescent vapor from -their intrinsic velocity, nine Terran ships traced their lives across -the sky. - - * * * * * - -"Made it! Call base and tell 'em," said Downing. - -The connection was already established. "Thompson? We got twenty-two. -Thirteen definites and nine more-than-probables. Seven with light -damage. Lost nine." - -"Good, Stellor. Now don't try it again. They're wise and they'll clean -you out." - -"I'd like to take my chance on one more run." - -"Don't do it. You'll be cleaned." - -"But they'll make a base here." - -"They'll make it anyway. How's their numbers?" - -"Terrific. They've got everything." - -Thompson grunted. "I'm not surprised. After all, they have a quarter -of the Galaxy full of them, and even though slave labor isn't the best, -a planet full of slaves is better than half a planet of free men if you -accept that a slave is fifty percent efficient." - -"I'm beginning to see futility ahead," said Lane. - -"Well, don't. Terra has a secret weapon that will win for us, you know." - -"I know, but you can't swing it yet. It's the waiting and the -back-breaking fight that must come first." - -"Too bad we can't just let 'em roar in close enough to use it all at -once." - -"Wouldn't work. We've got to wait until the psychological moment. -Then--we'll swing it." - -"O.K., now what?" - -"Don't toss away any more ships. Not right now. Let the Loard-vogh -establish their base," explained Billy. "We can't stop 'em anyway. Let -them come on in. I want them close enough so we can get at them without -having to go all the way out to get them." He thought a moment. "Tell -your boys not to use the atomic sphere any more than necessary. You -know why." - -"We got a few with it." - -"All right," answered Thompson. "At that time it was expedient. We had -to dent them to make them cautious." - -Lane said: "I don't see why we just don't let 'em roar on in close and -then use Plan One on them." - -"Wouldn't work that way. They are too numerous. Before Plan One is -efficient, we must give them a tough fight. Otherwise they will not -understand that we mean business. We'll win only after we convince the -Loard-vogh that we are worthy opponents in their own type of fighting. -Otherwise they will wipe us out by sheer weight of numbers despite Plan -One." - -"I know," grumbled Lane. "We've been through all that." - -"Well, then you know that Plan One will work only after a certain -number of them have reason to fear our arms." - -"O.K., Billy, we're coming in." - -"No--not yet. Head in for Procyon IV and wait for them there. Give them -as good a fight as you can." - - * * * * * - -Inward swept the grand fleet of the Loard-vogh. The other six planets -of Procyon were push-overs; the Loard-vogh hit the planetary defenses, -knocked them down by outnumbering them, and landed. The colonial -population headed for the hills and hid out. And as the mop-up squads -beat the bush, many of them did not come back. Yet it was futility, for -Vorgan's vicious minions held the planets eventually. - -But on Procyon IV, they had trouble. - -The fleet came down in a multiple line and encircled IV. Terran forces -fought back. - -Up-shooting beams crossed with the Loard-vogh weapons and made the air -a seething hell. Snatchers ripped the bellies out of ships, and from -the ships there came answering snatchers that gouged spheroidal chunks -out of the planet along with the projector crews and hurled them aside. - -Nuisance weapons--air torpedoes and space mines--floated freely and -exploded, filling the air with flying slabs of metal. - -And then forty of the finest made a landing. They forced their way to -the defended surface, scoured the ground beneath them with a solid -curtain of energy, and scarred the countryside until nothing was left -to stop them. They landed, set up a vast circle, and into the center of -the circle there poured a constant stream of Loard-vogh transports. - -"All right!" barked Lane. "Get the heavies over!" - -"Heavies on the way!" - -"And bring up the atomic spheres." - -Twenty of the atomic sphere projectors came zooming over, suspended on -tractors. They dropped on the circle and the tractors anchored them to -the solid core of IV. - -The paraboloids swung over and gouged pieces out of the center of the -Loard-vogh camp and let them blast loose with their atomic fire. The -Loard-vogh died like flies under the terrible energy--and like flies -they came on, replacing those gone. - -The air above the camp was seething. The ground below bubbled molten -in spots. The periphery was a raving, solid mass of sheer energy. The -bubble between the Loard-vogh forces and the Terrans was shimmering -energy that pulsated in and out like the beating of an irregular heart. - -And in spite of the utter madness of trying to enter that holocaust, -the Loard-vogh poured in. One man made the safety of the inner shields -to every hundred that came, and that one in a hundred multiplied, added -to those already there, until the shell of murderous energy swelled of -its own incompressible contents of Loard-vogh material and men. - -The shell expanded, moved outward against the fire. The atomic spheres -moved backwards, and as they moved they were silent. The Loard-vogh -took advantage of the silence to shove farther. A salient fingered out-- - -"Cut it!" snapped Downing. - -"With what?" asked Hayes, the commander. - -"Drive in there--they're cutting off projector seven." - -The salient swept out, forcing Terran arms back. It curved around, -swept back, and had Number Seven within the loop. The pocket closed and -the bitterly contested area was a wide bulge on the edge of a circle. - -Another landing took place. - -And another, not more than a mile away. - -And then across the plains of Planet IV, of Procyon, there rolled -endless, countless mile after mile of ground equipment. The heavy -portables started to hurl their might as soon as they came in sight, -and the Terrans were pinched. - -Pinched between an embattled circle and a closing circle. The inner -circle expanded, the outer circle contracted. - -Downing's ship roared into the concentric fire, its turrets whipping -back and forth and spitting sheer energy. Behind him there sped the -twenty-four ships of his command. Into the holocaust they drove, -piercing the Loard-vogh line momentarily. The hole widened briefly, -and then closed down behind them. Englobed, the flight pressed close -together and fought outward. - -It was stalemate--and yet nine of them dropped as inert, flaming masses. - -"Enough!" called Stellor. "Back!" - -And his flight formed, was forced apart, and reformed. They drove for -the inside again and ran up against a solid wall of ships. - -Downing's flight dwindled. Pressing close, the Loard-vogh fired their -torrents of energy into Downing's ships at projector-burst range. One -by one the ships flamed and went down in a smoke-trailing comet. - -"Help?" snapped Lane over the sub-communicator. - -"Stay out--" started Downing. He was cut off as his command burst into -flaming, violent death. - - * * * * * - -Thompson's voice came over the interstellar band. "Better retreat now," -he said. - -Lane answered. Here in the scanning-ship, the torrent of energy and -deafening sound was gone, and only peaceful quiet reigned. Save for -the constantly swirling fire in the battle plotter globes and the -everlasting flicker of pilot lights, there was no evidence of the -swift, concentrated hell that went on in the space between spheres that -approached one another. - -"Downing tried it," he said. - -"Get many?" - -"Swapped his entire twenty-five for forty-one of the Loard-vogh before -they got him." - -"Not at all bad," answered Thompson. - -"I'd like to try it--?" - -"Nope. Better collect Downing and the rest and haul tail for Terra. -We're about due for the big show." - -"Downing is--" - -"Back," answered Stellor, opening the door. "I'm sorry to be late, -fellas. They asked me about the fight out there in the hall and I -stopped to chat. I didn't know you were on the line, Billy." - -"Well, how was the fight?" - -"Fierce. I'd hate to get into one like that, for real. Billy, will the -personnel snatcher save enough of our men to lick them?" - -"Saving every man aboard a doomed ship at the moment of destruction -with the individual snatcher globes is a good way of not losing a man," -explained Billy. "But it doesn't save materiel. They've got both, in -plenty. We'll have to fall back on the secret." - -"But when?" asked Lane. - -"When the time is ripe. And not one moment before." - -Thompson rang off. And then with a concentrated effort, the Solarian -forces drove upward in a piercing needle of ships. They broke through, -not without loss, and made their escape into the sky. When they landed -on Terra, every ship was crammed to discomfort with men from stricken -ships--literally snatched from the jaws of death with the personnel -snatcher. - - * * * * * - -In numbers enough to take a whole planet, the Loard-vogh landed on -Umbriel and overran it in an hour. Inward they swept to Titan and the -Saturnian colonies. Inward they came to overrun Callisto and Ganymede. - -Downward they dropped to Phobos and Deimos, where they set up vast -projectors and hurled the attack upon Mars. Simultaneously they fell -upon Venus--a monstrous horde of ships. Systematically they went -through the Evening Star taking area after area, and they held Mars in -their grip at the same time that Venus fell to their hordes. - -"God--their numbers," groaned Cliff Lane. "I'd hoped that they might -find it tough to hold everything and still hurl fresh equipment into -Sol." - -"They are numberless," said Hotang Lu. - -The Loard-vogh swept into Terra. - -Terra, the home of man. Terra, the mighty. Terra, defended as few -planets were defended against the legions of Vorgan, Lord of All. - -Despite the humans on Venus and Mars, they were still colonies compared -to the home planet. Knowing that massed energy might hold out, all -Solar defenses had been moved to Terra. Let Terra hold out and -eventually mankind would recover, expand, and then drive the enemy back. - -And when the Loard-vogh came to Terra, they found it defended against -them. - -Nowhere on Terra was there a place to land in safety. They took dead -Luna easily and hurried to set up a long-range beam. Atomic spheres -of unheard-of size reached upward from Terra and Luna sparkled with -mighty atomic storms. Whole detachments of the Loard-vogh flamed into -incandescence as the super-atomics bit fifty-foot spheres out of the -face of Luna, compressed the matter itself, and let it explode. - -They made a landing in Siberia and the encampment burst with a roar -that shook the earth. - -Overhead they roared, raining down energy that never reached through -the upthrust beams. The cities were fortresses that hurled power into -the sky, and though the shattered wrecks of the Loard-vogh dropped -like rain, none of them reached Earth in large enough pieces to do any -damage. The air took on a metallic smell, and ozone fixed out as the -stratosphere shimmered in the grip of a torrent of energy beams that -crossed and nullified one another. - - * * * * * - -Across the face of Terra, the high-power transmission beams hurled -energy back and forth. Energy to feed the projectors that fenced with -the ships of the Loard-vogh. Beams that ran on sublevel energy and -could not be cut. - -In the master room, there was a huge globe, wired with multicolored -lights. And as the battle swept back and forth over the face of -Terra, the lights changed from dark red to violet, depending upon the -power drain of that district. Master technicians, making lightning -calculations in a mathematical medium adapted for power work, viewed -the globe and pressed buttons that hurled relay-impulses across Terra -to switch and divert power for the needy locations. Their hope was -to maintain a medium red all over instead of bright violet here and -almost-black red there. - -The Mongolian sector flamed violet after the Siberian attempt was made. -Power was switched from Africa, raising the dark continent higher into -the red and lowering the dangerous violet of the Mongolian sector. A -sortie hit Africa, and the area pulsed briefly into the yellow and died -before the technician could hit his button. - -North America caught it next, and power came from Antarctica to drive -the invaders away. The Mongolian effort stopped and the map died into -black. The extra power went into North America and it became a less -dangerous color. - -And then the Panamanian district flared up. Into the violet it went, -and the switches flew to drive power into the isthmus. Spreckled all -over the globe were minor flarings, and they all increased as the -Panama Zone took more and more power and still crept upward and upward. - -It was all very much like a game of chess here in Terra's Master Power -Distribution Center. But on Panama, another scene was taking place. - -Four thousand of the Loard-vogh dropped to ground, driven by sheer -power and as they landed, they anchored themselves to the crust of -Terra. - -A super-atomic reached over and its sphere of energy clutched--another -atomic sphere. - -Their inflexible beams strained against one another. Wrestling in -subelectronic space, pulling and straining against one another. The -crust of Terra groaned and the fault-lines rubbed and heaved. The -inflexible beams pulled, trying to up-root the other--and both were -anchored to the crust of the planet. - -Luckily, the beams broke before the very surface of Terra gave. The -backlash shook Terra to the core and the tidal waves lashed out against -the shorelines. The ground shook, and the resulting quakes did what the -Loard-vogh had not been able to do. The quakes shook earthly damage -into the cities of Terra. - -The energy continued to pour into the Loard-vogh planethead. -The air shimmered and burst away from the hemisphere of terror, -and the resulting convections drew fresh air in to be heated to -almost-incandescence and driven upward. - - * * * * * - -Hotang Lu faced Billy Thompson bitterly. "This secret weapon of yours," -he demanded, "it was to win for us?" - -"It is," said Billy. - -"IS? Is it not time that it be used? The Loard-vogh are upon the planet -itself. Death looks us in the face." - -"It is not yet time." - -"Once before you were under their control," said Hotang Lu sharply. -"Your actions now--and for the past weeks of terror--lead me to believe -you are again." - -"I am not." - -"And who can prove it?" argued Hotang Lu. - -Kennebec shook his head. "He is the one who might prove it--if you -cannot trust him, who can be trusted?" - -"For this, Toralen Ki died," said Hotang Lu bitterly. "My friend--dead! -He died in the hope that this very thing would not happen. He met death -quickly, even argued with you for the chance. A friend walked into the -valley of the shadow for Terra, and Terra sits by and spits on his life -by doing nothing. I would--" - -"Stop it," snarled Billy Thompson. "You and your ideas. You simple -fools. To think that you believed that one small system could come up -ten thousand years of evolution in a year and beat a quarter of the -Galaxy! I'm fighting your battle, and yet I curse you all! Have you -ever stopped to think that if it were not for you and Toralen Ki, _we -would not be in this killing battle_? To die for an ideal is all right. -Toralen Ki died happy, at least! He believed that he had done his part, -and no more could he do. Fine! The Loard-vogh would have ignored us for -another three thousand years if you had not come here and stirred us -up. Now we reap the seed of your foolishness. - -"Terra writhes under the energies poured out by more ships than we have -men! Gone and lost are our hopes, and our peaceful future. Our secret -weapon? Our secret weapon will be successful--and from then on Terra -must ever be alert and on guard. Think you the Loard-vogh will bow to -us? Our secret weapon must be used from now on, every day, every minute -of every day from the time we unleash it to the end of eternity. - -"And if you hadn't stirred us to it, peace would reign on Terra for -another three thousand years." - -Hotang Lu stepped back a pace, but faced the angry Terran firmly. "And -your children's children, three thousand years removed would have this -fight to make." - -"So what? Does that bother me? Can I grow anxious over the certain -knowledge that the Universe may end ten to fifty years from now? -Who can predict? Perhaps three thousand years more of evolution and -science would bring forth a weapon far superior to their best. And if -we remained in mental ignorance, well--is the worm unhappy? Does the -beetle miss the trappings of civilization? Does the ant know of Earth -moving machinery? Does the bee employ electricity? - -"So we fight another race's lost battle for them, brought about by -them, hurled upon our shoulders by them, and you, their representative, -question my motives. The secret weapon will be unleashed in time." - -"Be careful lest you cut the line too fine," warned Hotang Lu. "You are -my mental superior in capability, but not in training." - -"Showing the fallacy of your actions," snapped Thompson. "Had you been -wiser, you would have known that the untrained ability to be a genius -is less important than a normal man working at high intensity. Question -your own judgment, Hotang Lu. And worry--in retrospect!" - - - - - XVI. - - -The Loard-vogh expanded their sphere. And like the attack upon Procyon -IV, another globe of Loard-vogh dropped upon the planet. The power -distribution center fought against itself and sapped power dangerously -to drive off this new invasion. - -A third invasion turned the trick. Power distribution failed; fell -apart despite attempts to hold the network together. - -"Your secret!" screamed Hotang Lu to Thompson. - -Billy shook his head. "It is not yet time." - -The Tlemban appealed to Kennebec. - -The Co-ordinator of the Solar Combine agreed with Billy. "You still do -not understand," he told Hotang Lu. - -He faced Lane and Downing. "They will conquer us!" - -Lane spoke for the pair of them. "You needn't appeal to us. I had -partial foresight before--you said so. He had the ability to make -lightning plans." He turned to Downing. "Or was it the other way -around?" - -"No matter," answered Stellor Downing. "Foresight is no good when -planning is a part of the psyche. Instinctive and impetuous action -do not match well with a planning nature. Since the transformation, -we have both been slower--and quite bewildered, most of the time. -No, Hotang Lu, all you can get from us is resentment over losing our -ability to lead. Now, we no longer decide anything for ourselves. We -cannot make up our minds." - -Hotang Lu went to Patricia. "And you?" - -"I am not a ruling voice." - -"Prevail upon them." - -"It is not my place. Besides, you do not understand." - -"I understand this!" exploded Hotang Lu. "You are invaded. You will be -conquered. You will join the slaves of the Loard-vogh. They will strip -you from your homes and make you work for them. You will be driven and -killed, for they have no compassion. They have no need of frugality in -slaves. Terra will die." - -"It is not yet time." - -"Your judgment is faulty!" shouted Hotang Lu. - -He hurled himself from the house and into his tiny spacecraft. He -paused for only an instant to view the grave of Toralen Ki on the broad -green lawn, and then he drove upward in superdrive. His size and his -speed got him through, and Hotang Lu headed for Tlembo--alone and a -beaten man. - - * * * * * - -Lindoo picked up the communicator and spoke to the operator. The -connection beamed across the light-years and found Vorgan. - -"Lord of All, it is going well." - -"Give me the details. I was afraid of their secret weapon." - -"Lord of All, the phrase 'secret weapon' is an old Solarian trick. It -is meaningless." - -"Go on." - -"We landed on the isthmus that connects the two areas of land on the -Second Hemisphere of Terra. The going was very hard, Vorgan. They drew -power out of their sun like a torrent and we caught it all. It was -terrible, and it was glorious. Our brave men died like flies--and not -even the rock itself could stand against the energy turned loose. But -we outnumbered them. We invaded again and again, and divided their -power. Now we are screening the sun to run down their power intake. The -globe expands, and we are holding most of the southern Land Area. From -the northern pole, an invasion circle is spreading to meet the one on -the isthmus." - -"The other planets?" - -"All taken." - -"Terra is about through," breathed Vorgan. - -"They are." - -"I was deeply afraid," admitted Vorgan. "They are a vicious threat." - -"Once conquered, though, they will be most useful." - -"Yes, indeed. A race with the will to live is far superior to a race -with a will like a bunch of cattle. They will rise high." - -"Vorgan, you may have my throat for this, but I feel that it is a shame -that we could not have them as equals." - -"That would never work." - -"I know it wouldn't. But it is a shame. I feared the landing here, -Vorgan. The place is rife with spores, fungi, and bacterial death. But -their weapons scoured the area." - -"The fools." - -"I know--but we are safe now. Terra is conquered." - -"Then as soon as possible, bring me the ones I want." - -"Lord of All, you will have them." - - * * * * * - -The air above Terra grew less turbulent, the energy died. Loard-vogh -ships found less opposition as they landed at will on the former Planet -of Terror. By hundreds and by thousands they landed--and by thousands -they died as they tried to flip back their helmets and breathe the -air of Terra. They turned black, they fell down, and the growths of -ravaging microscopic life raced and built into horrid green mold and -whispy hair as the growths of fungus found absolutely no opposition. - -But with better direction, the Loard-vogh roamed the planet without -death, though fungus-spores drifted freely. Their suits grew cultures, -and the lubricants teemed with growing life--and if the inhabitant -stayed too long in the suit, he died as fungi grew in the lubricant -and was carried inside of the suit by mere action. - -Air-tight to seventy pounds they were, those spacesuits. Seventy pounds -inside or outside--and yet the insidious growths slipped inside and -killed them. - -But their numbers! As they died, so they were replaced. And the -roadways thundered to the treads of their portables; the sky roared -with the passing of their planes; and the cities echoed and re-echoed -to the tramp of their feet. The sky was dark with their light spacers, -landing, and the air was roiled mechanically with the landing craft -that dropped from the spacecraft in never-ending streams. - -Lindoo, arrayed as a conquering hero of the Loard-vogh should, awaited -in the grand spacecraft of the Loard-vogh at Panama. The area had been -scourged by fire and by sheer energy. Yet the tropical climate seemed -to spawn trouble for the Loard-vogh. - -Behind a triple sheet of reflectionless glass, Lindoo sat, outwardly -triumphant, but inwardly afraid. He hoped that the powerful, color-less -antiseptic mixtures between the sheets of glass would keep him safe. - -Hurled in to the other side of the room were Kennebec and his daughter. -Thompson followed, and Lane and Downing were hurled in lastly. They -stood up defiantly. - -Kennebec faced Lindoo. "You are the emissary of the Loard-vogh?" - -"You know me--and my language?" - -"Why not?" asked Kennebec. "Your speech is not difficult." - -"No matter. You have this ability with all alien tongues?" - -Downing smiled. "I spent one month among your planets, mingling with -your people. They did not suspect." - -"All alien tongues?" insisted Lindoo. - -"Any, and all, can be learned by us in a matter of hours." - -"Your race will be useful. Do you now accept defeat?" - -"It was forced upon us?" - -"Accept it!" exploded Lindoo, "or die!" - -"A dead slave is useless," reminded Kennebec. - -"And a dead malcontent is no trouble," snapped Lindoo. "Do you accept -defeat?" - -"As I said, defeat was forced upon us. Yes, we must accept defeat." - -"Then broadcast the order to cease firing. Order Terra to drop its arms -and submit." - -"Will the integrity of our people be preserved?" - -"Unconditional surrender does not permit terms." - -"I will surrender unconditionally--but I demand the right to be treated -as a worthy opponent." - -"Your defeat at our hands was inevitable." - -"We know that." - -"Then why did you fight?" - -"Only to gain your respect as an enemy." - -Lindoo bowed his head briefly. "You have our respect. You have had our -respect enough to cause a major change in the Master Plan. You will not -be treated with contempt. There will be no looting, no pillage. Not if -you will submit without further fight." - -"Your terms I accept." - -And Kennebec picked up the communicator and snapped the switch to -General Broadcast. - - * * * * * - -And on Procyon IV, four survivors clustered around a crude, haywired -receiver picked up the message. When it was through, they left their -hidden cave full of Loard-vogh souvenirs. Openly they walked to the -nearest encampment and knocked on the stockade. - -And across the Galaxy to Vorgan, Lord of All, went the final word: - -"The Solarian Sector is complete. All Solarians are being tested -for adaptability, and upon completion will be trans-shipped to the -proper situations in the Loard-vogh empire. Terra, Sol, and the entire -Mutation Area will be left devoid of life." - -Within hours, Lindoo was working on the problem of displacement. -He--and all of the Loard-vogh--worked madly to complete this project. -For all of them wanted to leave, forever, the former Planet of Terror. - -Terra--conquered, completely! - - - - - XVII. - - -Lindoo's return from the Solar Sector was that of a conqueror. There -were speeches and parades, and public demonstrations; and the hours -wore by interminably. Lindoo knew just how important his victory had -been, and yet how obvious had been his chances of winning. Even the -Head of Strategy of a proud and tyrannical race could feel within -him the seeds of discontent. He suffered the publicity because such -propaganda was necessary, and as soon as he could, he sought private -audience with Vorgan. - -"Hail the conquering hero," greeted Vorgan, as Lindoo entered. The tone -was slightly sarcastic. - -Lindoo was not hurt. "How many know?" he asked the Lord of All. - -"Very few--thanks to a pleased fate." - -"But we know," said Lindoo bitterly. "What a victory. A bulldozer -crushing an ant hill; a pile driver smashing eggs; an elephant warding -off mosquitoes." - -"And yet," Vorgan told him, "unlimited freedom would build the ant hill -beyond the ability of the bulldozer, and the mosquitoes could smother -the elephant if their numbers filled the atmosphere. It was necessary." - -Lindoo nodded. "We lost seventeen million of our first-line fighting -men. They were bitter opponents." - -"Think of what might have happened if they'd expanded for another two -thousand years." - -"That would be double their scientific history, I think," agreed -Lindoo. "They've been expanding on a high order exponential curve. -Another two thousand years would have put a barrier across the -Galaxy with the Solar Sector at the center, and the Loard-vogh might -never complete their plan. We acted rightly, Vorgan. But in spite of -seventeen million men lost, and in spite of the danger to our plans, -I feel that there is something strictly awry. They are an intelligent -race. They must have known their inability to win--yet they fought like -demons. We could well afford to lose seventeen million expendables. -They could not, yet--?" - -"Did they?" - -"They must have. Our forces may have been overeager. An attacking force -usually loses more than the defending force. Our fighter psychology -is more battle-minded than theirs, for our soldiers are trained to -think only in terms of battle. But even so, Vorgan, the tacticians and -statisticians estimate that we could have lost no more than two to one. -And granting that, it means a loss of eight and one half million men -lost from the Solar Sector." - - * * * * * - -Vorgan thought that over. "They could ill afford to lose that many of -their prime citizens." - -"And knowing that, and knowing that they are of a high order of -intelligence, I ask again: Why did they fight?" - -"Could it have been sheer desperation?" - -"There was calculated strategy in their battle plan. There was a -purpose, I tell you. It is obscure to me, but there was a definite -plan, and no plan is executed without a purpose." - -"Could they have hoped to hold us off?" - -"Never. They knew our strength. They knew our plan. They understood our -purpose, and they recognized our determination. Does the weakling, -knowing all factors, fight against his superior?" - -"It might have been the determination--knowing they must lose--to take -as many enemies with them as possible." - -"The cornered rat technique?" - -"It has been done before," observed Vorgan. - -Lindoo agreed. "You were not there," he told the Lord of All. "Their -plan bore the stamp of a superior strategist who had some purpose in -mind. A purpose that required him to fight a losing battle for other -reasons than the cornered rat technique. You see, Vorgan, the cornered -rat technique presents a rather peculiar psychological problem. It -is a suicide-fighter's psychology. And suicide fighters operate in -a vastly different manner than a man who is fighting for something -beyond the abstract concepts of a victory for his contemporaries and -his descendants. Even the most vicious and well-trained of suicide -fighters is inferior to a reasonably well trained man wrested from his -home and impressed for service. The psychology of the suicide fighter -evolves into a seeking-for-death technique, which lessens his survival -factor over a man fighting to preserve his integrity--and fighting to -get the battle over with so that he can go home and resume his daily -life. We know that. That is why the Loard-vogh fighter is supreme. -He is no suicide fighter. He is vicious because he has been wrested -from his home and family, and his tenure of service depends upon his -ability. Since a victorious soldier is mustered out of arms and sent -home sooner than a lax one, it urges all men to perform great deeds, -act in a superior manner, and to be victorious in the shortest time so -that he may return to his daily life. The Terrans are far from suicide -fighters, Lord of All. Their theories of warfare are similar to ours. -In fact," smiled Lindoo thoughtfully, "every race that offers us a -stiff resistance seems to have come to that conclusion." - -"Then what was their purpose? Seems to me that they must have been -fighting for something." - -"I don't know. They will fight if outnumbered, of course. The entire -Solar Sector is composed of forms of life with a bitterly high value of -survival factor. That, coupled with high intelligence, should indicate -that surrender offers the greater number of survivals." - -"Perhaps you do not understand their psychology." - -Lindoo admitted this. "I have with me their mental leader--the former -susceptible Billy Thompson. Perhaps we may get some idea by questioning -him." - -"Have him brought in," agreed Vorgan. - -He pressed a button. - -A crack opened in the ceiling, and down from above there dropped a -reflection-free sheet of perfect glass. It slid in fitted slides, and -sealed off the room into two sections. - -The section occupied by Lindoo and his emperor was large and roomy, -but the other section was small, a sort of cove, off of the main room. -A man-at-arms moved an ornate chair that stopped the descent of the -glass, and when the sheet of glass reached the floor, men-at-arms -went around the edges and sealed it with a gluey mixture that came -from portable pressure-guns. This was done on both sides, and as -those on the small side left the room through the tiny square door, -one of them snapped a button on the wall. The invisible and soundless -atomizer-vents in the ceiling filled the air with a gentle spray of the -best bactericide known to the Loard-vogh. - -The tiny door opened again, and Billy Thompson entered, leaving his -glass case attached to the door frame on the other side. - -His nose wrinkled at the smell of the bactericide, but he grinned at -the precautions. He, the vanquished, still held sway over their fears. - -Thompson advanced and saluted. Then he waited. - -"Arrogant, to boot," snapped Vorgan to Lindoo. His voice came to Billy -out of the speaker in the ceiling, and Thompson stifled the natural -impulse to face the position from which came the voice. He faced Vorgan. - -"Not arrogant," he said quietly. "I merely request the respect shown to -a vanquished, but adequate adversary." - -"Our adversaries are always vanquished," snapped Lindoo. "And they -become our slaves." - -"A slave you may consider me," nodded Billy. "That I can not change. -But the self-respect I have for having been vanquished only after a -bitter fight requires me to consider myself more than a voiceless -slave. You can not change that." - -Vorgan looked at Lindoo. "Was that your reason for fighting?" asked the -Lord of All. - -"The basic reason for all strife," said Billy, "is to impose your will -upon your adversaries." - -Vorgan and Lindoo nodded impatiently. - -"We fought to impose our will upon you. Our will is that we of the -Solar Sector gain your respect, slaves though we must be." - -"And you were willing to lose eight and one half million men to gain -that respect?" - -"Your estimate is wrong. We lost but seven thousand souls--five -thousand of which were civilians caught in the backwash and splash-over -from our fighting." - -"Seven thous--" exploded Vorgan, visibly shaken. - -"Seventeen million--" cried Lindoo hoarsely. - -"Your losses?" asked Billy of Lindoo. - -The Head of Strategy nodded. - -"It is deplorable. I am sorry--" - -"How dare you!" thundered Vorgan. "How dare you, a slave, to feel sorry -for your masters?" - -Thompson smiled wanly. "Would I get better treatment if I claimed to be -glad of your losses?" - -"I'll have your throat--" - -"Careful, Lord of All, you are not being fair. I am damned for being -sorry and equally damned if I feel glad. Do you prefer my sympathy or -my hatred?" - -"You brazen, arrogant--" - -"Vorgan, I and all of the Solar Sector are at your mercy. We fought -you to prove our ability, and to gain your respect. Had we surrendered -without a fight, we would have gained your contempt. Also," smiled -Thompson, "it is foreign to our psychology to give up easily. But the -main reason for fighting was to extract from you a modicum of respect. -That we have done." - -"You assume--" - -"I know. You are puzzled by my temerity, amused by my position, and -completely baffled by my purpose. Were it not so, I would be dead -instead of here, behind this protecting glass. For otherwise you -wouldn't bother with a race so dangerous to your very lives. Am I -correct?" - -"Assume so. And proceed." - - * * * * * - -"The thing that makes us dangerous to you is the same thing that will -make us useful to you." - -"A moment. At this point I can wait no longer," said Lindoo. "Before -this bold Terran leads us too far from the subject, I must know: How -did you preserve your forces in that bitter fighting where your ships -fell like hail?" - -"We ran out of ships, not men," smiled Thompson. "We adapted a phase -of the snatcher beam to personnel-protection. Each man carried a -focal attractor in his clothing. Ship-destruction triggered a fast -time-constant multi-driver circuit that inclosed each man in the -incompressible spheres of the atomic crusher principle. They were -withdrawn from the stricken ship while it was still exploding and -brought back safely to a redistributing station where they re-entered -the battle in a new ship." - -"We'll make a note of that," rumbled Vorgan. Lindoo looked a bit -ashamed of himself for not having thought of it before. - -"Now, Terran," said Lindoo, "there was talk of a secret weapon. What -was it and why was it not used?" - -"As a means of destruction," explained Thompson, "nothing of that -nature exists. Terra's secret weapon in this case lies within your -own minds. We were fighting for survival, and the retention of our -integrity. Our secret weapon is the respect we extracted from you in -fighting valiantly and losing necessarily. Our secret weapon is our -minds and our ability to employ logic and data to a problem and come -up with an answer. The personnel snatcher is but one phase of this -weapon we possess. You admire it. It is, of course, yours by right of -conquest. Other developments will be yours, also. But they would be -lost if we had been merely trampled over and our interesting facets -ignored by the high councils of the Loard-vogh. You have a horde of -problems, Lord of All. A myriad of problems that we of Terra may solve. -I offer you the Solar Sector as a research area!" - -"You offer?" asked Vorgan, puzzled. "You infer that we have not taken?" - -"Permit us our integrity. Sol is our home. Sol is unfit for you, and -Terrans are not well liked in your empire because of the living death -we carry. Permit us to remain in the Solar Sector and we will be your -research area." - -"And free to breed discontent?" asked Lindoo. - -"Are we fools? Our battle was to impress you with our ability to -be recognized as worthy. Another fight would prove our lack of -intellectual grasp of the truth. Permit us to live as we were, and you -will have all of the benefits of our rather harsh environment to aid -you in your plan. Were you of another psychology, I'd offer alliance, -but being what you are I can but offer allegiance." - -"Offers!" scorned Vorgan impatiently. "We demand." - -"You cannot force mental activity," reminded Thompson. "You can drive a -slave to fetch and carry, to become agricultural, to be menial. But you -can never drive a man into mental activity. The subconscious mind will -block. The subconscious mind will divert, and will work against those -who drive, and the result will be complete loss of Sol's children and -the benefits of a violent heredity. Permit us to remain as we are. Put -overseers there, communications offices. We will solve your problems." - - * * * * * - -Lindoo whispered to Vorgan for a moment. The Lord of All snapped off -the communicator, and he and the Head of Strategy spoke for an hour -while Billy waited in silence, wondering what they had in mind. Finally -Vorgan turned the communicator on again and said: - -"Terran, if what you say is true, you are correct in your assumption -that Sol will be of value as she is. I offer you a chance to prove -it. Sscantoo is against all forms of alliance. Sscantoo will ally -herself with any other race temporarily to fight us. The entire Galaxy -may spring against us if Sscantoo can not be subdued. We must attack -Sscantoo in the due course of time. - -"There is one difficulty, however. The Sscantovians are not a -gregarious race. Eventually we shall have the same trouble with -Sscantoo as we have had with Tlembo. The catmen will seek a worthy -adversary, and cause us to attack some sector long before our plan -calls for it. Your premature battle was but one in several caused by -Tlembo, all of which bring the Loard-vogh out of line and off balance -like a runner careening downhill. Numberless though we may seem, we -cannot overrun the Galaxy until our numbers permit it. It must be taken -slowly and with definite pattern. - -"Now, Terran, we can wait one year before we hit Sscantoo. I'll give -you that one year, Terran. In that year, you must devise a means of -gathering Sscantoo into the Loard-vogh empire. It must be done without -battle. It must be done without losing a man--no, that is expecting -too much," smiled the Lord of All nastily, "it must be done without -losing more than one hundred men! That does not include Sscantovians, -of course." - -"Within one year," said Billy Thompson, "we will hand you Sscantoo -as a willing part of the Loard-vogh empire. It will be done without -battle, without losing more than one hundred men in the process. What -will happen to the Sscantovians I will not presume to care, but I shall -destroy as few as possible. During that year, of course, we will be -free to work?" - -"I will countermand the order displacing all Solar Persons save a small -percentage willing to act as data clerks and research co-ordinators," -said Vorgan. "That is my will." - -"You will be more than amply repaid," said Thompson. "And one research -we will make to provide the Galaxy with adequate protection against -visiting Terrans, and protection for those visiting the Solar Sector. -That, too, is a promise." - -Within an hour, Thompson was on his way back to Terra. A year, he had. -And four months would be gone ere he landed on Terra, and another long -period of time would pass before he could get to Sscantoo. All in all, -Billy felt that he had too little time. - -Yet he smiled. For even in defeat, Terra would not lose her integrity. -And how bad is slavery when the master prefixes his request with -"Please"? - - - - - XVIII. - - -Billy Thompson fretted for four long months in the confines of the -returning spacecraft. He was not idle. Daily he spent his time in the -communications room, talking and conferring with his laboratory staff -on Terra. - -The order freeing the Solar Sector of its displacement of peoples took -about ten days to clear, and another ten days to settle. It was swift; -no Loard-vogh wanted to remain in that section of the Galaxy anyway. -And though most of the worlds were cleaning up the shambles of the -bitter struggle, the laboratory staff and research organizations went -to work with a will. Let the others clean up the mess; it was their -job to make the cleaning worth while by coming up with the answer to -Billy's problem. - -For only the right answer would leave Terrans around to inhabit a -cleaned-up Terra. - -So Billy fretted because he had to confer by voice alone. It did not -matter that the secondary radiation from his subtransmitter, exciting -bands in the electromagnetic spectrum near forty megacycles, would -not reach Sol for hundreds of years, and that relative to his ship, -the beams were hurled out backwards instead of coming forward toward -Sol. But the four months were not entirely wasted. By the time that -Billy landed, conferred with Kennebec on the future, discussed the -major problem with a few Terran scientists, and then took off and -finally arrived at the stellar laboratory on VanMaanen's Star's only, -God-forsaken planet, they knew several hundred things that would not -work. - -Hendricks, the chief of staff, smiled wearily as Billy entered the -safety dome and flipped back his space helmet. - -"Hi, Billy. I hope you have a few new ideas." - -"Nope. Not right now. I've been busier than the devil for the past -seventy hours." - -"So've we, on the last seventeen suggestions. We ran out of ideas when -you ran into Terra. Now what?" - -Billy grinned. "I'd like to see the quake area." - -Hendricks blinked, blanched briefly, and then smiled wanly. "I thought -so. Nothing to see, though. We do have a slow-action movie of the -debacle. Reminds me of something out of a superthriller, shot in -miniature. We had the sphere beam set up in duplex, one taking power -out of the star, supplying the other beam which was clutching about -five thousand miles of the star's core. The projectors were anchored to -the crust of Brimstone, here, and we started pulling. We pulled like -a dentist working on an impacted wisdom tooth. Unlike the dentist, -the tooth stayed. We broke several beams, each one doing a bit of -crust-cracking when the pressure let up. Then we took a big bite and -heaved for all we were worth. A slab of crust about seven miles square -heaved up, tilted like a poorly-trimmed raft in a heavy sea, and slid -sidewise into the semi-plastic inner core of Brimstone." - -"I'll bet it was bad, huh?" - - * * * * * - -"We all got away. The planet heaved and gurgled for a week before it -settled down. But Brimstone is less strained than Terra and aside from -a few scattered quakes now and then, she's quiet. Made a mess of that -district, though. Horrible roaring, clouds of boiling steam, and all -the trimmings out of a 'Birth of Terra' animated moving picture." - -"Try it with an anchor set in the planet's core?" - -"Yeah, but that's too much like anchoring a towline in a cup of -custard. Too plastic. We might do it if stars weren't so confounded far -apart. Beams get awfully thin on that projection even if we could make -it, which I doubt." - -"And if we could," said Billy, "we'd have to wait a few years while the -beams got to our stars. They propagate at the speed of light, you know." - -"Wonder if we could drop a beam from close by, go into superdrive and -race for the other star, stretching--" - -"What causes the traction?" - -"The ... ah ... I see what you mean. It's the fact that the beam -itself is ponderable and unyielding. Superdrive or no, the beam would -propagate at speed of light and the superdriven ship would either -be held back or the beam would break because of the space between -excitation pulses. O.K., Billy, how do we jerk a hunk out of a star -core?" - -"We can't do the Samson Trick," said Billy, "but--" - -"Samson Trick?" - -"Samson was supposed to have brought the temple down about his ears by -taking two of the main pillars and pulling one against the other. Well, -we can't pull one star core against another, but why can't we set up a -tripod, anchored in the stellar core, and then use that as a base for -hauling with another beam? And feed power for the gadget from other -stellar intake beams right from the star itself." - -"In other words a sort of reflex Samson Trick? You make the star pull -itself apart, with the aid of mankind and a few thousand years of -technical development. I'll have the boys get to work." - -"Did you get any compression?" - -Hendricks shook his head. - -"That was a vain hope. The stellar core is under hard compression -already. O.K., Jim. Oh, Hello, Cliff." - -"Hi, Billy. So you sold them a bill of goods?" - -"Unless we get results, Lane, it'll be a bill of goods. If we come -through, we're not bad off. Where's your sidekick?" - -"Stellor? He'll be along directly. But look, Billy, what do you intend -to do with this dingcrank when you get it working? Tear the guts out of -the Sscantovian System?" - -"Nope. Just insurance." - -"We'll need it," grinned Lane. "You cut out a large hunk of selling -when you ask Linzete and his gang of rugged, predatory individualists -to form an alliance with the Loard-vogh." - -"Trouble is that 'alliance' isn't the right word. I'm offering the -grand and glorious opportunity of becoming willing subjects to the -Loard-vogh." - -"Huh. Never was a cat that took to being ordered around. Gosh, they're -worse than we are. We'll take orders if it will do us any good. But -Sscantovians? _Phoooo._" - -"Well," said Billy, "when a lion tamer enters a cage full of cats he -gets results. But most of them are well equipped with a revolver, a -whip, and a four-legged stool. I'll walk in easily, tell the catmen to -be nice, and wave my whip. But the whip has got to be loaded. Linzete -wouldn't fall for a bluff. Cats don't. You've got to show 'em the -stuff, and then you get your answer. Well, we've a couple of other -things to try." - - * * * * * - -"We aren't licked yet," nodded Lane cheerfully. "But look, Billy, I'm -still befuddled by Downing's stinking slow, methodical way of doing -things. As I get it, Toralen Ki and Hotang Lu told us that we'd all be -increased in mental stature after the Transformation." - -"Sure. We are." - -"I don't notice anything." - -Thompson grinned. "You won't. You never will. No Terran ever will. -We'll all go on just the same as we were, apparently. It is a Terran -characteristic that a personal change always seems to be an opposite -change in the rest. We'll all go on as we are and the rest of the -Galaxy will appear to get stupider. The change is and has been--and -will continue--to be gradual enough so that you will believe that -you've always been possessed of a near-perfect memory. But play chess -with your pals, and you find that you are still even because the other -guy can lay just as complicated traps as you can with your increased -ability to reason. But you see, it is like that old analogy. If the -entire Galaxy and everything in it were increased by one hundred -times, you would not be able to detect the change. That's because your -yardstick changes, too." - -"Relativity, speaking," grinned Lane. - -"Classification: Pune. Definition: Pun that needs an oxygen tent. Or -better, the perpetrator a half-hour immersion in liquid helium." He -looked around and saw Stellor Downing, leaning against the door with a -half-amused expression on his face. "Hello, Stellor." - -"Howdedo. A nice job of selling you did on Vorgan." - -"Yeah, and a nice pinch he put me in." - -"Maybe you shouldn't have niggled him so far." - -"I was a little rough on him," agreed Billy. "But I pushed him right to -the limit of my safety. I applied all the traffic will bear. I had to, -to show my boldness and to intrigue his fancy, since I knew that in all -their victorious twenty thousand years of conquest they had never hit a -race that stood up and told him off, face to face." - -"You knew what you were doing, as usual," admitted Downing. "But I came -to tell you that Hendricks has the tripod beam and the associated junk -is set up and ready for the job of jerking the guts out of VanMaanen's -Star." - - * * * * * - -It was not too impressive on the surface. Brimstone was cold and -forbidding and airless, the only planet to the runaway star known as -VanMaanen's Star. A useless system save for experiments of this nature, -but excellently adapted for such. - -The solar intake beams were operating efficiently. The torrents -of power they would drag out of the star and use to develop the -unthinkable pressures necessary to move the core of the star would -come into the acceptor tubes. Foot-thick superconductors connected the -intake beams to those to be used for the tearing process. And these -superconductors were maintained at the temperature of liquid helium by -a liquid-cooling system. Liquid helium needed no circulation, since its -heat-conducting properties were such that no local heating in a bath of -liquid helium is possible. Normal evaporation from the open bath at one -side kept the system cold, all the way through to the superconductors. - -"Good thing they don't have to use switches or breakers, otherwise -I don't know how they'd handle the energy," said Lane. "A sort of -grid-controlled intake--swell stuff. Well, fellers, let's get in the -control room and see what gives." - -Hendricks handed Billy a small chromium-plated case the size of a -cigarette pack. - -"We're putting personnel snatchers on all of us. If this blows--in fact -if the whole planet blows, we all end up a couple of thousand miles in -space, all canned up in incompressible spheres. Safety first, I say." - -"That's how you saved the gang in the earthquake experiment, isn't it?" - -"Uh-huh," admitted Hendricks. - -"Well, let's take off. We've got everything nailed down tight." - -Hendricks advanced the power. The meters read up, and the anchoring -tractors moved slightly in their gimbals and became immobile. The -projectors forming the tripod of inflexible beams took up all the -remaining slack in the beam system. Not one piece of unprotected -matter was left to form a weak link. Beams of sheer energy, efficient -to within a fraction of a percent of the ideal one hundred percent, -linked the beams invisibly. A system of inflexible energy, driven and -maintained by the energy output of a star--driven to rip the core out -of the star itself. - -The beams thickened as the automatic control advanced in timed -steps. Evaporation from the lake of liquid helium increased as the -superconductors warmed slightly from the terrible load. - -A wrenching--_feeling_--came to them. - -A meter indicated that one of the beams--the sphere beam clutching a -five thousand mile sphere of stellar center--indicated a movement of -point one seven four inches. - - * * * * * - -The automatic controller went up another stepless interval, and the -wrenched--_feeling_--increased. - -Through the viewport, the small flaming disk of VanMaanen's Star blazed -at them. It looked as though it were quite ignorant of the cosmic -forces that were tearing at its vitals. There was an air of saucy -disregard in its placid, immobile brightness. - -The pressure increased. - -"At this point we jerked up a slab of Brimstone's hard crust," remarked -Hendricks. - -But Brimstone was not in the link. Brimstone was not even present. The -inflexible tripod of energy would scorn to move with the planet. The -control room and the main development housing connected to the high -base of the projector network were depending upon the invisible tripod -of energy, deep in space. Brimstone was a large moon, a gibbous last -quarter, out through one side window. - -The automatic control went higher. And as the pressure increased -between the limbs of the tripod, even so increased the power intake -from the star itself. - -Did a star have within it enough energy to cause its own destruction? - -They did not find out. - -The _feeling_ of a wrenching increased, and then leaped into full -being. Nausea, sheer instantaneous torture, a pulsed wave of pain, a -shattering sensation of intolerable noise, a blinding light that came -though the eyes were closed. - -But these things were merely the physical and mental effects caused by-- - -By what? - -There had been no grinding crash. There had been no failure of the -beams. - -Yet the meters read zero. Both intake and output. Test power and -operation perfect registered on the string of indicators. - -Nothing wrong-- - ---but the flaming disk of VanMaanen's Star was gone. - -Something had failed, but it hadn't been the equipment. - -Something had failed, but it hadn't been the star. - -And the station and the control room was drifting aimlessly in space. -Inspection showed that no star was close enough to be VanMaanen's Star. -There were no stars within a couple of light-years from them. Above -their heads, the projectors were idling in their slack gimbals, the -tie-beams were off. The solar intake beams were taking in no power. The -lake of helium, a twenty-foot open bath on the roof of the housing, was -lying quiescent. - -The entire assembly and assemblage was as it had been before the -initial surge of power, excepting that Brimstone and his bright primary -were nowhere to be seen. - - - - - XIX. - - -"Well, what happened?" asked Lane. - -"You tell me," Downing said. - -"Obviously something gave--but quick," remarked Billy. "The question -is: What could give?" - -"The star didn't. We weren't on the planet. Whatever gave--we are a -long way from where we started, at any rate." Hendricks scratched -his head in puzzlement. "You don't suppose we have gone and warped -ourselves right out of space, do you?" - -"That sounds like a comic book plot. I'm not taking any odds-on bets, -though. Have you got an air condenser and a resistance-capacity bridge? -Not the kind that compares a standard condenser against the unknown -in terms of the resistance ratio arms, but one of the cheap varieties -that merely compares the resistance ratio arms against the ratio of -resistance versus capacitive reactance." - -"Uh-huh." - -"Is it calibrated to within an inch of its eyebrows?" - -"Yup." - -"Well, the dielectric constant of space is calculable. Measure up your -air condenser and see if it comes out even. Get the boys to measure -the radiation resistance of this space. It should be three hundred and -seventy-seven ohms. That is--if we are still in our original space. -Also you might get the standing wave ratio on some of the microwave -transmission lines. They depend upon the characteristic impedances of -space, the permeability and dielectric constant." - -"O.K.," smiled Hendricks. - -"Why the smile, Jim?" - -"I was merely recalling a story like this. The hero proved it by -determining that Planck's Constant was not the same as back at home. I -was wondering how we'd measure it." - -"How did they do it?" - -"They didn't say." - -"Good thing. Well, I like my method better. By measuring the capacity -of an air dielectric condenser, the dielectric constant of space -will be evident--but only if it is measured on the resistance type -of bridge. Comparing it to a standard condenser would result in both -of them shifting at the same time. Whereas the resistance of a metal -wouldn't change. That does not depend upon the vector analysis factors -of space, whereas capacitive reactance does." - -"We might measure the speed of light, too." - -"Not until we get this barge to a planet so we can get a decent base -line." - -"We're not ill-equipped as all that," objected Hendricks. "This barge, -as you call it, is fully equipped with drivers." - -"Why didn't the snatchers work when we took out after the devil?" asked -Lane. - -"Nothing blew, in the first place," said Thompson. "And in the second -place, if we've warped ourselves out of our original space, the -snatchers might have had a tough time focusing on something heading out -of space through a warp in the continuum." - -"Spectral lines do not mean anything in particular," said Downing, who -had been peering through a solar spectrometer at some of the nearer -stars. "More proof." - - * * * * * - -"Well, sure. Among items like having a different set of elements and -physical laws, the impedance of space is all tied up in the speed of -light, wave length, is a function of that, and so forth. Show me one -item lying in the field pertaining to the angular vector-pattern of -this space that agrees with that back home and the rest will probably -match too, and we'll be back home but displaced by God-knows-what." - -"Ralph Welles claims that the radiation resistance of space is about -two hundred and seventeen ohms," reported Hendricks. "And Al Forbes -reports that the dielectric constant of space here is about twenty -micromicrofarads per meter less than back home. And the boys in -the microwave group claim that the quarterwave stubs in their pet -transmission line demand a new fundamental frequency of operation. -O.K., fellows. We started to bust up a sun and busted ourselves right -out of space and into another. Well, let's find a nice solid planet -somewhere and get there so we have solar power. Then we can start -thinking of ways to get back." - -"So we couldn't pull the insides out of a sun, even using the sun's own -stellar atom factory for power," smiled Thompson, "but we did manage to -pull ourselves right out of space. Sort of a case of the sun pulling -first, I guess." - -"Yeah," agreed Lane plaintively. "But how many different spaces are -there in the cosmos?" - -"Probably an infinite number infinitesimally separated," answered -Downing. - -"In which case," returned Lane, "how many spaces did we skip between -back home and right here?" - -"I doubt that the separation between different space continuums is -infinitesimally small," objected Hendricks. "More like a matter of a -sort of quanta-separation. If the separation were not reasonably large, -the energy necessary to break through would not be so great. I predict -that we are in the space next door to our own." - -"And if we take hold of another sun and pull--do we go one more space -away or back again?" - -"I dunno. There isn't a space-theorist among us. I'll tell you one -thing, though. By the time we pull ourselves back and forth a few -times, we'll know which valve to hold down in order to drive up instead -of down." - -Billy nodded. "If, as, and when we get back, let's see if we can devise -a method of tilting a hunk of stellar center into this space from -there. Better, probably, than just jerking it loose." - -"Far better," observed Hendricks dryly. "If we can tilt ourselves into -a new space whilst pulling on a stellar core, obviously it is easier to -warp something into a new space than it is to rip the innards out of a -star." - -"Is this the point to suggest that we have a brand new galaxy to work -on?" suggested Downing. - -"Nope. We'll tell the Loard-vogh about it, though, and they may decide -to do something about it." - - * * * * * - -Perhaps never before has a stranger object traversed interstellar -space. Not by a stretch of the imagination could any race have -designed a spacecraft resembling the squat housing adorned above with -the battery of projectors. In the first place, it was all wrong for -spacecraft design, being built to sit flat on a planet where the normal -gravitic urge was down--or rather normal to the flat bottom. Spacecraft -are tall, ovoid shells that travel vertically, parallel to their long -axis, and the decking extends from side to side, at right angles to the -ship's course. And the projectors should not be all on one side. That -would leave the strange craft at the mercy of an attacking enemy from -below. Spacecraft armaments consist of one turret in the top, or nose, -one similar turret below, and several at discrete intervals about the -center of the ship for side protection. - -Of infinitely more trouble than the problem of traversing space in -superdrive with an engineering project instead of a spacecraft was the -decision of which way to go. - -Being lost in the depths of interstellar space without a star map and -with no idea of their position, and no one to call for a "fix," there -was no way of determining which of the stars were the closer. They all -stood there, twinkling against their background of stellar curtain, and -one looked as close as the next. Brightness was no criterion. Deneb, -four hundred light-years from Terra is brighter than Alpha Centaurus, -four light-years away. - -Yet, with superdrive, they could cross quite a bit of space in a short -time. Hitting it off in any direction might bring them to within -deciding distance of a star in a short time or it might be that the -course went between stars for many hundred light-years. - -It was Hendricks who solved the problem. "Get a hemisphere picture--and -we'll superdrive for one hour and take another. Superimposing them one -a-top the other should give us a reasonable parallax on the nearer -stars. One that we could see with the naked eye." - -With the fates obviously laughing up their sleeves, the second plate -was never exposed. At fifty-one minutes of superdrive, the stellar -detector indicated stellar radiation within one quarter light-year. - -Planet-locating plates were exposed as the project swept through the -star's neighborhood. There was quite an argument as to which of the -seven planets to choose, and for no other reason than sentimental -reasons--and the fact that the physical constants were right for -them--the group finally fixed their desire on the third planet. - -The engineering project started to head for Planet III. - -"Better name it, Billy," smiled Hendricks. "You found it." - -"I found it? O.K.," grinned Thompson, "we'll call it Eureka." - -"Eureka III?" - -"Too cumbersome. Since we'll possibly not chart the system let's just -call the planet Eureka and forget about the stellar classification." - -"Well, Eureka it is." - -Jack Rhodes opened the door. "Better call it Money," he suggested. - -"Why?" - -"Because you fellows are going to find out that it is the hardest thing -you've ever tried to hold." - -"Huh?" asked Hendricks. - -"We're right close and there isn't the faintest shred of gravitic -field." - -"Oh, no. Newton's Law--" - -"Is valid right up to the last decimal place. 'Every object in the -universe attracts--' and we just ain't a part of this universe." - -"Doesn't seem right." - -"May be of exceptionally low density." - -"Must be zero then," grinned - -Rhodes. "And if so, how does it hold itself together?" - -"You answer that--it's your question." - -"How long before landing?" asked Hendricks. - -"Half hour. Look, chief, d'ye suppose we might find it to be -contraterrene matter?" - -"Um. What do you think, Billy?" - -"If the matter here is the same as the matter back home, we'd have -a fifty-fifty chance of it being contraterrene. It might even be -something that was neither terrene or contraterrene for all we know." - -"Interesting possibility. You mean something that is neutrally charged -so far as we're concerned, but which in this universe consists of -oppositely charged items?" - -Billy nodded. "We'll find out." - -"It has atmosphere, and the test shell didn't result in a -contraterrene indication," called the pilot of the project. - -"An atmosphere of what?" - -Rhodes grinned. "God-knows-what," he said. "If Stellor can't make head -nor tail out of the spectrograph, the chances are that the atomic stuff -here might not jibe with ours at all." - -"There is really no reason for our planeting at all," said Billy. "But -I'm just curious, that's all." - -"We'll be there soon." - - * * * * * - -The project approached the planet, and was forced to drive all the way. -By the time that they had matched the angular velocity of the planet's -rotation, the project was inverted with respect to the surface--though -to the men it seemed as if they were driving _up_ to a ground-surface. -It gave them an eerie feeling. - -"I can see myself visiting a psychiatrist by the time we get back," -grunted Hendricks. "We're landing--_upward_--and I'm getting the -screaming terrors already from that feeling of falling upward into the -sky." - -"What you're suffering from is the shattering of your basic faith in -the solidity of solid ground," remarked Billy. "Well, the project will -land upside down, and we'll take hold tight with the anchor-projectors. -Long enough, at least, to scrape a sample off of Eureka, here, to take -back and analyze." - -"If this whole space is made of the same stuff, I can see a minor -industry springing up, gathering metal and stuff for gravity-proof -gadgets." - -"Wonder--probably good for something. Well, we're as close as we can -go, all of us standing with our heads pointing at the planet and held -to the floor of our project by centrifugal force caused by the planet's -rotation. We won't stay long. None of us can stand the mental strain of -looking out of the window and seeing solid ground a few feet above our -heads and a million million miles of sky to fall down into if we step -out of the door. _Brrrrr._" - -"Close the sun proof shutters and don't look," suggested Billy. "I'm -taking a nice large bromide to chill off a few screaming nerves and -then I am going out and take me a shovelful of that dirt and rock up -there. Gosh, it's going to feel funny digging _down_ something that -wants to rise. Let's make it quick." - -Billy emerged from the lock completely clad in spacesuit. He took air -samples, and then, with the catch-knob between his shoulder blades -firmly in the focal sphere of a tractor-pressor beam, Billy was shoved -up to the surface of the planet. Reaching up over his head, Billy -pulled down a few stones and dropped them upward into the bucket he -held inverted. They fell upward to the surface of the planet, and the -bucket was held by their weight. - -They never did know whether there were any Eurekans, but if there -were, and the Terrans were watched, it was a strange sight they saw. -A sixty-foot rectangular building of steel, one story high, resting -upside down with the planet-side to the sky. Projectors dug into the -ground, pulled by the anchoring tractors that pulled the upside-down -building even tighter to their planet. - -From a spacedoor, a pale green beam was fastened to the knob on the -creature's back. He was head down, suspended on the beam, and carrying -a bucket that must have been filled with antigravity material for the -bail was free and the bucket actually hung upward! - -The creature was lowered, still head down, to the surface of Eureka. He -reached down below his head and lifted a few stones, dropping them into -the bucket, which he held right-side up. Naturally the bucket dropped -properly enough to the ground. - -Working by digging down, Billy filled the bucket and was returned down -to the door. - -"Cut 'em!" he said hoarsely. - -They cut the anchors and the project was thrown from the surface of -Eureka by centrifugal force. And as they left Eureka, and headed for -the Sun, they held a council and decided that another attempt--blind -though it would be--to warp space would be in order. - - - - - XX. - - -"Get every recording gadget we've got on the thing," said Billy. "Maybe -we can find out something that will give us a directional trend. And -anybody who thinks he won't be struck by lightning if he makes a -prayer, go to it. We could use a bit of Divine Assistance." - -The detectors were set up and the recorders started. The tripod of -anchors set themselves in the star's core. The solar intake beams -worked well and the torrents of power increased as the automatic -control slid up the scale. - -"The stuff may be different," observed Hendricks, "but we can still get -power from their stars." - -"Darned good thing, too," said Thompson. "I don't know how else we'd -swing it." - -Again came that feeling of wrenching. And it increased as before. - -"Does it feel left-handed or right-handed?" asked Lane nervously. - -"I don't know and if I did I wouldn't remember which way it was the -last time," grumbled Downing. - -And then the warp formed, and there was the impression, just before it -snapped-quick, that the stars in that universe were flowing like spots -on a watery surface. - -And they emerged into a space completely devoid of anything. Not a -star, not a speckle in the complete sphere of utter blackness. - -"Obviously went the other way again," grunted Lane. - -Jack Rhodes looked up from his calculations. "We had a fifty-fifty -chance, according to the Law of Probabilities. But tossing one head -does not make the next toss any better than fifty-fifty chance for -tails. In fact," mused Rhodes, "tossing a hundred coins may bring you -forty heads and sixty tails--plus or minus ten percent of the true -chance. Tossing a thousand coins may give you four hundred seventy -against five hundred thirty--a three percent error. But though the -latter is more to the true division, the numerical deviation from zero -is only ten in the first case but thirty in the second." - -"I hate mathematicians," grunted Downing. "They're all pessimists. So -the longer we try the more distant we get, huh?" - -"Unless we can get something to upset the Law of Probability." - -"And," added Hendricks sourly, "something to pull against. This -universe is completely devoid of anything material." - -"Let's put that as a matter of our being able to detect it at present. -It might be teeming with suns indigenous to this universe and -completely invisible to us." - -"We're wasting time," said Thompson. "What's with the detectors and -recorders?" - -"About the only thing I can determine from here is a definite -lengthening of the wave length that the puller-sphere propagates on." - -"Huh?" asked Billy. - -"Definitely." - -"When did it lengthen?" - -"Its wave length increased on an exponential curve to the time of -warp--" - -"Well, now we know--I think--how to get back." - -"How?" - -"Instead of pulling, we'll push." - - * * * * * - -Hendricks shook his head. "I think I get you, but I'm not too certain. -Has to do with the wave length-propagation factor, hasn't it?" - -"Sure," grinned Billy. "For a given frequency, and a given velocity -of propagation, there will be only one possible wave length to suit -the conditions. That, essentially means that a given distance will -have a definite number of wave lengths so long as the frequency and -speed of propagation is maintained. The puller-sphere we were using is -propagated on a tractor beam. The characteristics of a tractor beam are -that once established, the number of wave lengths between projector and -object remain the same. Then the projector presents a leading signal -phase, and the phase of the tractor beam moves toward the projector to -bring the two waves into zero phase difference. The projector maintains -the leading phase all the time, and thus draws the object. It is just -like turning a nut on a threaded rod, sort of. The wave length is -analogous to the distance between the threads, and the frequency is -the number of threads that pass a point when the rod is moved at the -velocity of propagation. - -"Now, suppose we consider the threaded rod as being fixed at the -far end, and pulling at the projector end with sufficient power to -stretch the rod. The frequency happens to be definitely fixed by the -primary standard in the control rack. The distance between remains -the same by the constants set up in the tripod and puller beams. The -wave length-factor, striving to satisfy the demands of the tractor -beam, and maintain the correct number of wave lengths as the beam -pulls, will cause the wave length to lengthen. But that tends to -change the frequency-velocity factors. Result, if I'm getting obscure -again, return to the thread analogy. A standard ten thirty-two screw -has thirty-two threads per inch. Stretch it evenly, and disregard -the distortion, and you have, say twenty-four threads per inch. -Our pulling against the sun resulted in a distortion of the wave -length-frequency-velocity factor, and we pull ourselves into the next -notch in space that fits the increased wave length-frequency-velocity -argument. - -"So," concluded Billy, "by pushing instead of pulling, we can cram the -wave length down again, and warp space in the other direction. Think?" - -"I'll buy it--if you can find something to push against," said -Hendricks. - -"Shucks," grinned Billy. "Shove out your tripod a short distance, but -focus them all together. Then shove against that field of focus." - -"Said is as good as done," said Hendricks. "Better work, too. Right now -it is raining gold coins and we're wearing a pair of boxing gloves." - -"And while we're on the way back--I hope--we might consider this: -Suppose we take two tractors and face them at one another, hold 'em -apart with a trio of pressors, and let the thing go to work. That's -providing that we find any use for this subspace stuff. It might--" - -The wrenching took place at that point. It was much as before; as -far as physical evidence went there was no means of telling whether -this again was "up" or "down." There was apparently no drift between -universes, for their subspace star was not far away. - -"This might not be too good," said Billy nervously. "What happens if we -land in the middle of a star?" - -"We have a far better chance of landing in the royal middle of -intergalactic space," observed Hendricks. "We may have been in that -position in the sub-subspace. Well, Billy, it is obvious that you hit -the right answer. Shall we take hold of Eureka's sun there and shove?" - -"Why bother. Let's be independent." - -Rhodes nodded. "The thing is still set up." - -"Well, give it the works." - -The space warp started again, and again the project was wrenched -through the barrier. - - * * * * * - -"VanMaanen's Star must be that one back there," observed Hendricks. -"Hard to say, but we hit it up about that far to get to Eureka." - -Rhodes looked up from the sub-radio. "That's them," he said. "And they -want to know how in the name of the seven devils we got out here so far -in such a short time." - -"Short time? Nonsense. They flew in subspace for an hour, it took us a -half hour to land on Eureka, and Billy spent another half hour digging -pay-dirt. After which we raced off for, say a half hour or maybe an -hour before we went into space two. Our stay in space two was about -fifteen minutes, and the passage through space one was made in less -than a minute. Call it a total of three hours." - -Rhodes checked his chronometer. "We've been gone about three hours," he -said into the set. The answer came back immediately, for all to hear. -"Like the devil. You've been fifteen minutes since you fastened on to -the star and were jerked off of VMS I." - -"What's your nav-chronometer say?" asked Billy. - -"Seventeen-forty-three." - -"And we left the scene about seventeen twenty-eight?" - -"Approximately." - -"Well, chew this over. Our nav-chron says twenty fifty-one." - -"Snap on the differential timer," suggested Hendricks. - -Microsecond pulse signals crossed space, both ways. The timer started -counting. Three hours and twenty-three minutes and eleven seconds went -by before the timers stopped. There Hendricks and Thompson went into -another conference. - -"We have the following observations regarding subspace: One is that -the matter is unlike Terrene matter. The other is that there is a -differential in time passage. The latter may be quite useful. We'll -have the gang check everything possible, of course, and probably even -set up a laboratory in the lower spaces. This lack of gravity--has me -stopped cold," said Hendricks. - -"Excepting for the observation that Newton's Law mentioned every -particle in the universe--" - -"I don't think Newton was trying to be snobbily semantic," laughed -Hendricks. "Besides, his Law is a translation from the Latin, and at -that time they weren't even sure of space, let alone subspace and space -two, et cetera." - -"I've always wondered about the conservation of energy and the -problem of how gravitic attraction couples into that. It could be, -of course, that the universal attraction comes from the fact that -all the universe was once a single body that exploded because of its -own mass-warp. Energy driving the mass apart during the formation of -the universe--which is still expanding--and because it took work to -separate one body from another, the conservation of energy dictates -that they undo that work to get them back together. Since our project -was not a part of subspace, no expanding work had been done on it, and -therefore no potential energy had been stored which would be released -by gravity taking place." - -Hendricks smiled. "It's as good a theory as the next," he said. "But is -it solving the Sscantovian problem?" - -"No, but I have an idea that may. We can set up our warping beam and -transfer the resultant forces in the same manner as we transmit other -energy. We can't jerk the insides out of a star, nor can we compress -the matter there. But there is nothing that says that we cannot change -the physical constants prevailing in a certain sphere of influence, and -thus warp anything within that sphere into subspace." - -"Sounds good. So instead of pulling the middle out of a star we'll just -rotate the middle into subspace. Well we have our work cut out for us," -smiled Hendricks. "I'll get a corps of techs on subspace, and a gang -working on the space two. We'll run up a couple of spaces, too, just -in case. I'll have a crew go to work on the subspace matter, and we'll -eventually have a crew working on admixtures of extra spatial matter -with spatial matter. We have enough work for ten lifetimes. Y'know, -Billy, I'm going to set a slew of brand new college kids to tinkering -with the subspace problem under the direction of a hand-picked crew of -elders. They've got a field that isn't over-crowded, anyway." - -Billy scratched his head. "Look, Jim, I have an idea. Superdrive -is fine stuff for batting around the Solar Sector. A run of fifty -light-years, though, is a reasonable jaunt, and Sscantoo is off about a -hundred and fifty light-years. Now if this time-difference in subspace -is workable, we might be able to get to Sscantoo in jig time." - -"I suppose so. But remember that this jig time you speak of is real -time to you. To someone in space, you'll make the hop in record time, -but to someone on the ship with you, the same time of a spatial trip -will ensue." - -"It's no great advantage as goes time or power," agreed Billy, "but -when you're fighting a time limit, as we are, time in this space is -what counts and if we have to go into subspace and study until we are -a hundred years old before we find the answer, to come back with only -a year gone, that's it. So see what you can do about tacking a warper -into a spaceship, will you? And take another swing at the core of -VanMaanen's Star. As soon as you have something, drop everything and -bring it to Terra. I've got to get back, but quick." - - * * * * * - -Hotang Lu's return to Tlembo was hailed with silence. It was the -silence of defeat, the sympathetic attitude for one who has tried, -succeeded in his attempt, and found that his attempt lacked a vital -factor. Hotang Lu had done his part. It was Terra that failed. Tlembo -had guessed wrong. Yet Tlembo must try again and again until they -became successful. The Little People were tenacious. They wanted their -liberty, not slavery to the Loard-vogh. - -And they would fight to the last Tlemban for it. - -Not for Hotang Lu were parades and hordes of people to cheer him on -his march up the broad avenue of his home city. He was whisked to the -temple of government almost invisibly, yet the mental rapport of all -Tlembans told them that Hotang Lu had returned--unsuccessfully. - -Indan Ko, their ruler, gave Hotang Lu immediate audience. - -"I've mentioned none of our plans," said the ruler, "because I fear -interception." - -"Plans?" asked Hotang Lu bitterly. "With success in our grasp, they -throw it away. What more can we ask?" - -"Your tone is that of defeat. We must not admit it, even to ourselves." - -"Self-delusion," spat Hotang Lu. - -"Not at all. We know a set-back when we see one. But we must not dwell -upon it, lest we become single-minded and believe that our cause is -doomed." - -"Is there a better bet in the Galaxy than Terra?" - -"There must be. Terra seemed a best bet. Yet perhaps their survival -factor was so great that they prefer slavery to extermination. Is that -rational?" - -Hotang Lu nodded dumbly. - -"We have Sscantoo." - -"But they are almost at the pinnacle of their culture," objected the -emissary. "We cannot energize their minds." - -"Agreed. But they are an ungregarious race. They cling together -only because civilization demands tribe-protection. They are fierce -fighters. They hate every alien being. They dislike even contact -between themselves, yet prefer that to traffic with an alien culture. -Go to Sscantoo, Hotang Lu, and convince Linzete that his race is in -danger of slavery at the hands of the Loard-vogh. Tell him, if he does -not know already, that the Loard-vogh have conquered Terra. Perhaps -Linzete knows what Terra's secret weapon is. Was it ever disclosed?" - -"The end came too soon. It was never used. Nor--and I cannot -understand--did I see anything of its manufacture." - -"Linzete has most of Terra's secrets by mutual agreement. Perhaps he -has also that secret." - -"Again I fight time," growled Hotang Lu. "Time--and I feel, the -inevitable." - -"I'd suggest a consultation with Norvan Ge, the psychiatrist. He will -enable you to conquer that defeatist attitude of yours." - -"I shall see him," said Hotang Lu. "I admit that the shock of being -plunged all the way from almost-certain victory to utter defeat in a -few short minutes has shaken my faith in even myself. I shall see him. -Then I shall go to Sscantoo." - -"Tell me," said Indan Ko, "what was the Terran attitude?" - -"They accepted defeat as the inevitable. Their statement was that they -fought to gain the respect of the Loard-vogh only; they did not hope -to win. This I cannot understand. If you know that you cannot win, why -fight?" - -Indan Ko shook his head. - -"It is my belief that they are rationalizing. No one accepts defeat. -They have forced themselves into the belief that since victory is -impossible for them, they must bow to the Loard-vogh or die." - -"They may have some deep-seated purpose." - -"Name it." - -"Visit your psychiatrist," smiled Indan Ko. "Then consider. You were -once their mental superior. It is hard to admit inferiority to one -that was one time inferior to you. Accept their mental superiority and -consider that they may have some plan." - -"Plan?" asked Hotang Lu bitterly. "How can they plan? How can they -execute any plan? Planning and building is for a free race, without -the shackles of an overseer on their people or the restrictions placed -upon a servile race. Could they build a modine without the Loard-vogh -knowing? Could they hope to instigate a ten thousand year plan of -expansion to eventually crowd the Loard-vogh out of the Galaxy?" - -"I admit your point. I was hoping against hope. Clutching at straws. -Perhaps we should both go to Norvan Ge. Tlembo will stop counting on -Terra and fix our hopes on Sscantoo." - -"I will be in Sscantoo within seven months. It will take that long -in constant flight--and with your permission I shall take Norvan Ge -with me. In seven months, the psychiatrist can aid me, and give me the -self-confidence necessary to convince Linzete of his danger." - -"Seven months," muttered Indan Ko. "And I will wager that Vorgan has -his fleet poised for a blow at Sscantoo right now." - -"So long as any Tlemban lives," said Hotang Lu, with a momentary return -of his determination, "we will never stop hoping and fighting to -preserve ourselves and all the Galaxy from the conquering hordes of -the Loard-vogh. I curse them, their name, and what they represent." - -"I'll join you in that curse." - -They lifted the slender tubes, inhaled deeply, and sipped the fluid. -Indan Ko waved Hotang Lu farewell. "Go in haste and good fortune," -said the ruler of Tlembo--the fourteenth Tlembo since the start of the -Loard-vogh conquest. - - - - - XXI. - - -Vorgan scowled at Lindoo. "Dead, you say?" - -"Starvation." - -"Come now," said Vorgan derisively. "Sezare would hardly die of -starvation. Assassination, yes. Overindulgence, without a doubt. Even -sheer boredom I will admit. But starvation? Never." - -"Deny your own medical corps, then." - -"I admit it," snapped Vorgan. "But I am perplexed." - -"There were no drugs." - -"That I know. But look, Lindoo, Sezare was a fool, a stinking -voluptuary if ever a Loard-vogh was. As sector overseer his palace -rivaled mine. He carried on with a high hand. I recall my last visit. -Frankly, I was slightly abashed. If Sezare had not been profitable, -I'd have dropped him. He produced, therefore the lush palace and life -he led were none of my business. I am not chicken-hearted, Lindoo, but -to select the favorites of the home race as personal servitors to his -own idea of sensuality seemed too self-indulgent. Select his choice, -certainly. I can understand that." Vorgan's hard eyes softened at the -memory. "But the concept that any that served him were then exalted, -and must not be touched by a member of the slave race again--that was -feudal." - -"How did he enforce that?" - -"There was seldom a need. Sezare was a voluptuary, almost a sadist. No -servitor he ever had lived in health after the year he demanded. Broken -in mind and in spirit and in body, they were disposed of as merciful -terminations. His final act of vanity was to peacefully end the -victim's life, giving the first rest in a year. Starvation, you say?" - -"Yes." - -"Sezare's palace ran red with wine, and the pillars groaned with the -richest food that the sector bore. Overindulgence I will understand. -Gout, autointoxication, acute alcoholism, drugs, or anything that comes -of living in the lush manner. But starvation--how?" - -"He was in complete starvation. He had dropped from three hundred and -seven pounds to a scant sixty-three. He had locked himself in his suite -and was constantly under the influence of a machine devised by ... by--" - -"Oho!" exploded Vorgan. "A machine! Devised by--?" - -"A Terran." - -"A Terran! Is he here?" - -"Yes--he and his machine. Partially destroyed." - -"Why?" - -"Terror." - -"Bring in the Terran. I'll see him. And if he cannot explain to -perfection, I'll see him burn!" - - * * * * * - -The prisoner entered. No glass separated them, for the Terran was -sterile. He was forced to his knees, but if terror wracked the man, it -was not evident. - -"Your name?" thundered Vorgan. - -"Edward Lincoln." - -"Your trade?" - -"Technician. Research co-ordinator for His Exalted Highness, Sezare." - -"Sezare died of starvation." - -"I know--it was deplorable. I fear that I was his unwitting murderer." - -"You admit it?" - -"I must. It is true. Had I but known--" - -"Explain. Your life depends upon it." - -"Sezare the Exalted directed me to devise for him a means of gaining -greater sensual stimuli. Apparently the law of diminishing returns--you -permit my personal opinions and observations?" - -"Proceed. As you will." - -Lindoo nodded and whispered: "His observations are a measure of his -attitude. It is his attitude that will save or kill him, not his words." - -The technician continued. "Sezare had indulged himself in every sensual -manner. He was constantly on the search for something new, something -more searing, something more thrilling. He directed me to devise some -means of satisfying his demand for greater pleasure. That was most -difficult, Lord of All, for Sezare had the entire resources of a -galactic sector to provide his voluptuous demands. - -"I succeeded in devising a machine that would give him dreams as he -slept. Then, you see, when asleep he could indulge in his sensuous -pleasures. That removed the necessity of stopping his round of -pleasure to gain needed sleep; his round of lush living could go on -continuously. I requisitioned the finest of artists, writers, and -weavers of song to record the pleasures of life from the most fertile -imaginations of the sector. Sezare, Lord of All, was imaginative, but -not originally so. Soft living had made him lazy in thought, as well, -and he preferred that any pleasurable thoughts be provided for him. -So in having the most imaginative writers weave his dreams for him, I -gave him a sensual pleasure far greater than the flesh was capable of -enjoying. The power of the mind is greater than the flesh, Lord of All, -and in my ambition to please Sezare, I overdid it." - -"Overdid it? How?" - -"I overlooked the fact that Sezare might find more pleasure in sleeping -and dreaming than he would in waking and doing. He closeted himself -with the machine. I ... was nearly destroyed because I breached his -chamber and tried to turn the machine off." - -"True?" asked Vorgan. - -"True," nodded Lindoo. - -"He spent all of his time under the influence of the dream machine," -said Lincoln plaintively. "He scorned the best efforts of his cooking -staff, and he scourged the collectors of his--women. None of them could -provide for his pleasure like the machine. He retired to it, and in his -strange acceptance of its pleasures, came to feel that sleep, under -the machine, was real, whereas life, with its disappointments, must be -sleep with bad dreams. Since the dream machine could provide only dream -food, Sezare starved--his body starved, but his mind was content." - -"Continue." - -"Continue? There is no more. I had been trying to turn off the machine -for weeks. I was denied, even threatened. Finally imprisoned so that I -could not appeal for help. Sezare died, and I was sent here. In terror -that some other of the Loard-vogh might fall victim, I have ruined the -machine, and I shall die before I rebuild it. It ... is worse ... than -the most entangling of drugs." - -"Dismissed," said Vorgan dryly. The technician was led away, not guilty. - - * * * * * - -"Lindoo, what of Sezare's sector?" - -"In charge of Sezare's underling, Narolla. Narolla has full control and -he is competent. Narolla is not a voluptuary; he has seen too much of -the dissolution of Sezare. And, Vorgan, it may be interesting to note -that Narolla's productive output has increased." - -"Already?" - -"Sezare has been on the trail of starvation for weeks. Narolla took -charge as of Sezare's withdrawal into dream-seclusion. Regardless of -the Terran's act, or motive, the Loard-vogh benefits by the change." - -"I agree. That is why I freed him." - -"I am beginning to feel that Terrans can be trusted," said Lindoo. - -"It all depends. It will not do to trust them too far in spite of their -apparent willingness to help. Until we can be sure, we must be wary. -Thompson's success in selling an antisocial culture on the proposition -of complete co-operation will go a long way--if he succeeds." - -"We could, perhaps, harden his job," observed Lindoo. "Suppose we let -Sscantoo know that the integrity of Terra depends upon Sscantoo's -acceptance of defeat without resistance?" - -Vorgan laughed cheerfully. "Terra would not be liked in Sscantoo. No -man can do anything but hate another man who is willing to sacrifice a -former ally for his own skin. Under the face of that, if Terra can sell -her bill of goods, she would certainly be working for her integrity." - -"Well?" - -"Relax," laughed Vorgan. "I happen to have one tiny bit of information -that you have not. Hotang Lu went to Sscantoo as a last resort. He -hopes to stir up trouble for us." - -"I think you should erect that statue to the dishonor of Mangare. He -should have destroyed Tlembo." - -"He should have--and I shall have to. It seems to me that the proper -plan of action is to find the present Tlembo and get the little men in -line before we take on anything else." - - * * * * * - -Indan Ko, the ruler of the fourteenth Tlembo since the Loard-vogh -conquest blinked in amazement as the aide announced the formal visitor. -"Thompson, the Terran?" he asked in surprise. "He who spat upon our -future? What can he want with me?" - -Billy Thompson entered the reception room uncomfortably. Indan Ko's -presidential residence was built on a slightly more heroic mold than -the normal housing plan of Tlembo, but still it left much to be -desired. Tlembans stood an average of thirty-four inches high, and -their lives and edifices were built upon that proportion. A Tlemban -ceiling proportional to a comfortable ten-foot six Terran ceiling gave -five feet three inches of clearance. That missed Billy Thompson's -altitude by exactly ten inches. The formal residence of the ruler of -Tlembo was of palatial build, with full seven-foot ceilings. It cleared -the top of Billy's head by eleven inches. - -An excellent building in which to contract claustrophobia. - -And so Billy waited in the reception room uncomfortably. A large room -to Tlemban thinking, its dimensions were proportionally small, and the -thirty by forty feet--Tlemban--shrunk to fifteen by twenty, Terran. - -The formal "court" was of more ample proportions. The proscenium -arched forty feet high and the entire room was a full hundred feet in -diameter. A vast room to Tlemban standards, but not much larger than a -very tiny theater to the hulking Terran that had tripped over a table -in one of the minute corridors. - -Billy had been equally hard on the ceiling fixtures, and the doors -had been somewhat of a pinch, too. But he was now in where he could -take a full breath without fracturing the plaster on both sides of the -room, and he took one, in relief. He felt very much like making a few -pleasantries about his difficulties, but he realized that the little -man on the dais before him would not appreciate any inference to size. - -So Billy merely saluted formally and waited for the tiny monarch to -speak first. - -"You are Billy Thompson of Terra." - -"I am." - -"You are the man who directed the Battle for Sol?" - -"I am." - -"And the man responsible for the destruction of all hope for -civilization." - -"That I deny." - -"You refused to use your secret weapon." - -"It is that factor that I am here about," said Billy. "But first I wish -to reach an agreement with you." - -"An agreement? What agreement can we possibly reach? Tlembo has devoted -her life to the job of stopping the Loard-vogh. Terra, when she had -victory within her power, threw it away." - -"I have come to tell you that Tlembo has failed in her mission in life. -That Tlembo will always fail. That Tlembo will be better off if she -recognizes that fact and accepts the inevitable." - -"Get out!" snapped Indan Ko. "You dare to force yourself into my -presence and insult me!" - -"Before you make any rash motions," said Billy calmly, "such as having -me shot on sight--yes, I perceive the modine-ports in the walls--I wish -to warn you and all of Tlembo that primates are gregarious and resent -the destruction of one of their band. Kill me and Terra will descend in -all of her power. We, who you claim could have been victorious over the -Loard-vogh will find little difficulty in wiping Tlembo right out of -the universe itself!" - -"Providing that you have the support of your fellows--those whom your -defeatist practice must have betrayed. Will those you failed now come -to your rescue?" - -"Hotang Lu is quite familiar with the Terran action," said Billy. "Did -he report one single cry--from any Terran--for me to order retaliation?" - -"You claim that the entire Solar Sector was in agreement with your -surrender-policy?" - -"I do." - -"Then I understand our defeat. Terra has not the honor nor the -willingness to fight for the freedom that is her right." - -"Terra retains her integrity." - -"At the will of a conquering race." - -"We are leaving the subject," said Billy. "I made a statement to the -fact that Tlembo has failed and will never be able to do otherwise. You -are the one that can not face facts, Indan Ko." - -"We shall fight to the last." - -"To the last gullible alien," snapped Thompson. "Indan Ko, how can you -possibly delude yourself into the belief that you will some day be -victorious?" - -"Because it is our belief that slavery and conquest are evil. -And I define 'evil' as any factor working against the advance of -civilization." - -"Can you view both sides of a personal question dispassionately? - -"I have that belief." - -"Then view the Loard-vogh dispassionately. Civilization throughout the -Galaxy will be nothing unless the worlds are united. Stellar empires, -discreet and belligerent, will result in chaos. Sectors such as -Terra controlled would be embattled against sectors such as Sscantoo -controls, and there would be a never-ending flurry of pacts and -agreements and aggressions between one sector and others, against still -others. That is chaos, Indan Ko." - -"Perhaps you are right. But is the right to rule because of might a -proper answer?" - -"No. It is not. But I want you to understand that the Loard-vogh -mental strategy is entirely selfish. The only thing that kept the -Loard-vogh from sweeping through the Galaxy five thousand years ago, or -next year, is the fact that they cannot conquer and hold any system -until there are enough of them to control it. They expand through the -Galaxy in direct proportion to their birth rate. Since they enslave -those systems conquered, and become high lords of creation in their -conquered territory, there is nothing for them to do except procreate. -The factors that inhibit racial expansion on any democratic world are -numerous, but most of them stem from financial insecurity. Since the -Loard-vogh have no financial insecurity, and a family with a horde of -children are as well educated, well fed, and well clothed as a family -with none, why not? Especially when there are slaves to tend and care, -feed and provide. The system has its advantages, Indan Ko, which I am -pointing out to you. Its disadvantages are also there, too. Those we -know. They include lack of personal responsibility and a complete and -utter disregard of the rights of another race to live as it wishes to -live." - -"Granted. But where is this leading us?" - -"Merely to the acceptance of the statement that the Galaxy must be -united. The Loard-vogh are uniting the Galaxy, and as such are doing -the right thing. They are going about it in a rough-shod manner, but it -is far swifter than the treaty-join-and-wrangle method. The Galaxy must -be united!" - -"Go on. I accept that but reject the Loard-vogh as racial saviors." - -"My visit with you, Indan Ko, is to impress upon your mind that you -are doing harm to the Galaxy." - -"A matter of opinion," snapped the little man. - -"Perhaps. You've heard my statements to Hotang Lu. Were it not for -Tlembo, we would have lived in cheerful ignorance for another three -thousand years. Now, because of you, we are awakened, with terrific -responsibility, and must forever work like slaves to maintain that -which we did not need before. You will continue, you swear. That means -that Tlembo will go back and forth through the Galaxy, always hiding, -always keeping ahead of the Loard-vogh conquested areas, and always -seeking a race of ability, power, and freedom. Again and again you -will find them. And again and again you will set them to fighting the -Loard-vogh. And yet, to the Loard-vogh, you are nothing more than a -gnat, whipping madly about the ears of a mastodon. Annoying but far -from dangerous. How do you hope to win with such a plan?" - -"We will find a race with sufficient power--" - -"And when that race has the sufficient intelligence, that same race -will understand the true worth of conquest. Terra was no real menace." - -"The Loard-vogh thought so." - -"The Loard-vogh were ignorant of our intellect. And," smiled the Terran -cheerfully, "they were forced to collect us. Terra, in a long-time -fight, could have beaten them." - - - - - XXII. - - -Indan Ko scowled and thought for a moment. This huge Terran that -crowded his palace like a giant in a doll's house was not making sense. - -"I do not understand." - -"Terra is known as the Planet of Terror," said Billy, "because of the -evolutionary system caused by the hard radiation in that district. -You have seen the viciousness of our fungus, our micro-organisms, of -our life itself. Could the Loard-vogh stand up against a bombardment, -planet by planet, of fungus-spores so tenacious that they grow on -synthetic resins? Stellor Downing held a Sscantovian guinea pig in one -hand for a moment and it died a most horrible death within minutes -because of fungi that were innocuous to him. In my ship there is a -slab of rare cheese. Delicious stuff, and what Terrans call 'quite -high' because it is growing a full beard of mold. Could you--or the -Loard-vogh--spread it on a slice of bread and eat it with impunity?" - -"Definitely not." - -"Seventeen million of the Loard-vogh died in the Battle of Sol, and -more than half of them perished because Terran spores crept into chinks -in their space armor. Chinks so small that they do not permit loss of -air in space. - -"You see, Indan Ko, the fear of Terra that drove the Loard-vogh frantic -was because they thought that Terra would send out myriad after myriad -of tiny spacecraft, loaded to the bomb bay doors with minute spore -bombs. That we could have done. But we did not." - -"That was your secret weapon?" - -Billy shook his head. "Terra's secret weapon is her ability to grasp -opportunity. Which brings me to the point of this interview. The -Loard-vogh have a twenty-thousand year plan of conquest. No race can -hope to stop them alone. No race in the course of a year, a hundred -years, or even a thousand years could hope to defeat them alone." - -"Terra could." - -"That is not defeat. That is extermination." - -"The Loard-vogh should be exterminated!" thundered Indan Ko. The little -man's thunder was slightly high-pitched to the Terran and not at all -awe-inspiring. Billy merely smiled. - -"It is not for any race to render sterile of life one quarter of the -Galaxy. Extermination is not victory. War by proper definition is a -measure used to impose your will upon a non-co-operative government. -Even the Loard-vogh understand that a dead slave is no good. -Extermination may be _your_ will, Tlemban, but you will fail in your -conquest. Therefore I ask that you use intelligence. Stop lashing out -like a hurt child. Stop shooting at the cliffs of living rock. The way -to win is to husband your strength. Roll with the punches. Take them -easy. Wait until you are set, and see the proper opening, and then -drive forward. Collect allies in your stride, and play the double-game. -Use your diplomatic ability." - -"You plan a long-time retaliation?" - -"Our plans are nebulous at present. Terra fought for one thing alone, -and that was to gain the respect of a race that has only contempt for -those that bow their heads willingly. Had we invited them in instead of -fighting, they would have suspected foul play. We fought hard enough to -convince them that we meant business. After all, our planetary heritage -is such that we would be out of character if we gave in without a -fight. Ergo we fought. - -"Tlembo," went on Billy quietly, "has been frantic so long that she -has lost perspective. That I claim, and it is deplorable, but not so -damaging as to lose hope of repairing. Tlembo has been nicked again -and again in her effort to find a savior. Her continued defeats have -made her bitter, and ever more determined to win via the crushing -defeat route. Consider this, Indan Ko, and then tell me if you think -you are right in continuing to bring minor factors to bear against the -Loard-vogh." - -"And what would you suggest that we do?" - - * * * * * - -"Go to Vorgan. Ask immunity and audience. Vorgan is not without honor. -He will respect your request for immunity. Then tell Vorgan that you -fear the strength of his fighting forces, and that you will cease your -constant effort to undermine the Loard-vogh. Tell him that Tlembo has -certain factors that will enhance the Loard-vogh culture--you and he -know what they are, as I do--and offer him those factors in exchange -for Tlemban integrity." - -"I dislike it." - -"Naturally. But look, Indan Ko. You will be taxed terribly. You will be -forced into handing over a certain percentage of your wealth. You will -work for them, and for little remuneration. Yet your hardships will -actually be less than the cost of fighting them. Now you must maintain -a fleet, arm your cities against invasion, and always prepare for -war. If you submit to the Loard-vogh banner you will be protected by -the Loard-vogh, and may Heaven help any race that attacks Tlembo? The -income you spend in being a nominal slave will be less than the amount -spent in being an armed free-world." - -"And eventual conquest?" - -"Console yourselves with the certain knowledge that your hardships will -all be avenged sometime. Not in your life, perhaps, but in the time -of your descendants. Submit to their hard, exacting rules in outward -abjection, but keep your mind forever on the future, when it will -no longer prevail. And as you go, and as you find other races that -are suitable, send their representatives to Terra. Terra will be the -master-control of the anti-Loard-vogh combine." - -"I shall think it over and discuss it with the Tlemban council. But -what of Sscantoo?" - -"Linzete must understand, also." - -"But Hotang Lu is there now." - -"What! Filling Linzete full of the theory of bombing the Loard-vogh -with Solar spores?" - -Indan Ko nodded. - -"Then I must go--and quickly!" - -"Your trip will take months," objected Indan Ko. "Meanwhile, Linzete -may set his machinery in operation." - -"Contact him," said Billy. "And have him smooth it down a bit. My trip -will not take months. I'll be there in days." - -"Days!" - -"Yes. We have a new mode of space travel. It will be yours as soon as -you decide to join the Loard-vogh--" - -"Terran, it sounds as though you were helping them." - -"Naturally it does. Until we are ready to strike, we must aid them -completely--and always remember that what we find and give them we will -have ourselves. No single weapon won a war, Indan Ko. But if we can -match them man for man, we will win because our wits are sharper. Now I -must waste no time in getting to Sscantoo." - - * * * * * - -Billy's exodus from the Tlemban capitol building was more arduous than -his entry. This time he was in a hurry, and moving swiftly through -corridors too small for him, brushing doll-sized furniture with his -mass, and crushing not a few of the smaller and more fragile pieces in -his haste--to say nothing of squeezing two doors from their hinges in -his passage--they all hampered him. Tlembo was going to pay well for -this visit. - -Outside, Billy towered above the Tlembans as he strode up the middle -of the street, his head not more than a few inches below the trolley -wire that fed the street car system. Traffic policemen gave him -passage, for he could be seen for blocks. He turned into the spaceport -and entered his ship. - -He was met by Cliff Lane. - -"How'd it go?" - -"I think we got him. There'll be no more trouble from that sector." - -"Good. Now what?" - -"We whip this horse into action and head for Sscantoo. On the triple. -Hotang Lu is there, telling Linzete of his danger and urging him to get -set for conquest." - -"Linzete is going to be a tougher nut to crack," observed Lane. "Well, -let's get going. I've a few items to tell about Hendrick's researches -in subspace matter." - -Thompson's ship rose sharply, plunged into space, and then the -distorting beam in the control room started to function. - -"Think you can hit Sscantoo?" asked Billy. - -"Breeze," smiled the pilot. - -"But look, Tony, that's a long way off." - -"So's Terra," answered Tony laconically. "We hit Tlembo all right, -didn't we?" - -"O.K., you're the pilot. Drop me on Sscantoo, and I'll invite you to a -drink." - -"A deal," grinned Tony. A moment later the pressure was built up, and -the ship was wrenched into subspace. Then began the long, long journey -to Sscantoo which would take less than a few days in the universe from -which they came. - -"Now," said Thompson to Lane, "what's with Hendricks and his -researches?" - -"So far, subspace matter is enigmatic. It does not combine atomically -or chemically with normal matter. It shows other physical properties, -however. They separated the sample by the ancient method of using the -various melting points and specific masses. The stuff has no gravitic -attraction, but it has mass, you know, and they used a centrifuge on -it. They got two kinds of matter. One we'll call metal for the simple -reason that it conducts electricity. The others are nonmetals because -they do not conduct electricity. There was a small quantity of a light -blue gas that was occluded in the dirt, it boiled off early and they -caught it. Well, if nothing else, it will come in handy for surgeon's -tools, chemical hardware, and the like, since you can put anything into -it and it will not dissolve or go into chemical combinations. I betcha -we got something to hold the Universal Solvent." - -"Yeah," grinned Billy. "Takes something strictly out of this world to -do it, though." - -"Since there's no weight to it, the stuff still heads for the roof. -The gas, they say, boiled off down, since the vapor pressure and -atmospheric brownian movement drove it that way. Good stuff for -antibends atmospheres, I'd say. Mix it with twenty percent oxygen -and breathe it. It will not dissolve, at least no detectable loss is -noticed with the instruments that Hendricks has." - -"There's a brand new system of chemistry, nuclear physics, and -garden-variety physics out there," said Billy. "We've opened up a new -field, or maybe two. Well, we've got several months here. Let's get to -work." - - * * * * * - -Vorgan, Lord of All, smiled in a puzzled manner. "You have my word," he -said. "Your immunity is granted. Complete and absolute immunity, with -the right to speak as you wish without fear of reprisals. What is the -nature of this visit?" - -Indan Ko shifted nervously. He felt a great uncomfortable fear of this -vast room, that seemed to stretch endlessly. The dais upon which Vorgan -sat was like a mountain to the little man, and each step was knee-high -to Indan Ko. - -"Tlembo is weary," said Indan Ko. "Yet we are bitterly afraid." - -"Of what?" - -"Slavery." - -Vorgan shrugged. "It will come sooner or later." - -"Lord of All, may I offer you a bargain?" - -"Bargain?" grunted Vorgan. - -"Tlembo has been a source of discomfort to you. We have forced you -off-balance several times, have caused you to go forth and fight in -sectors where you were not ready to enter. We have been instrumental in -causing you to change your master plan." - -"Right." - -"We have never been a real menace to you," went on the little man, "but -we have been annoying. Now if I offer you our promise not to stir up -any more trouble, will you offer us less than utter and abject slavery?" - -Vorgan blinked. The bluntness of the offer was startling to him, and -the offer itself was a new facet to the Loard-vogh conquest. He snarled -inwardly at Mangare again, cursing the long-dead Lord of All that had -permitted the initial escape of the Tlembans. But snarling at a dead -man's mistake was not solving this problem, and Vorgan dropped it to -consider Indan Ko's startling offer. - -Until recently, nothing like this could have come up. Save for three or -four times in the past--before Vorgan's time--when Tlembo had created -minor riots, the Loard-vogh conquest had been lightning fast and -completely unheralded. A sector would be overrun, a star cluster at a -time, and no word would go out ahead of their plans. Races fell before -their might, and then lived in slavery. A slave has no position, and no -right nor ability to offer terms. Therefore terms were a consideration -never before handled. - -Terms, by themselves, offered a conflict in Vorgan's mind. Bartering -and buying among the Loard-vogh was normal, of course, but the concept -of terms from an alien race struck a snag, somehow. - -Yet Vorgan could see the point. A chance for the Loard-vogh to -complete their master plan without the interference of this race of -trouble-makers. True, the Loard-vogh must relinquish the right to hold -them as absolute slaves. Perhaps a single representative in the Lower -Council would suffice. At any rate, giving a little right now might -mean less loss for the future. Vorgan groaned at the thought of all -the races of the Galaxy asking terms, and getting certain conditions -of servitude. Better to give a little to this one race than to go on -trying to keep a galaxy full of races satisfied. - -No, he thought, not one race. That makes two! Terra had certain -advantages asked and offered. But Terra had been defeated, and only her -very brilliant ability had won her the right to a certain freedom. And, -of course, Terrans were helping the Loard-vogh on a myriad of planets, -doing things that the Loard-vogh found difficult, mentally. - -But to keep Tlembo from stirring up trouble might well be worth the -effort. Tlembans were not the intelligent race that the Terrans were, -but-- - -Vorgan laughed. Let the Terrans have another job. They could possibly -use the Tlembans in some way. Let Terra keep Tlembo satisfied and -quiet and useful! Terrans were of exceedingly high intelligence, and -the results of their researches often required either that the Terrans -follow it, or that the Terrans direct a number of Loard-vogh. The -latter was not right, politically, and it had been a bother to them all. - -To have a large group of Terrans all running down important details -seemed better, though Vorgan admitted that it was a waste of good -brainpower to have highly trained technicians performing routine -research. Tlembans were of a high order of intelligence, though not -as high as the Loard-vogh. They might be able to handle the routine -experiments and act in tertiary capacities under Terran direction. - -An excellent idea. - -"Indan Ko, I offer you a brief period of armistice. Permit me to -consult the Grand Council. I--" - -Lindoo entered, hurriedly. "Lord of All, Borgara's machine is here!" - -"Indan Ko, I must see this immediately. Consider the armistice while I -am gone, and rest assured that I am about convinced that we can come to -terms. I shall return directly." - - * * * * * - -Vorgan followed Lindoo into the large anteroom that opened on the nave -of the reception room. There were six of the Loard-vogh Grand Council -there, grouped around a machine of amazing complexity. It was more -amazing because it did not appear to make good sense. Vorgan thought -that perhaps it would make sense after it started to run. - -And the thing that made Vorgan catch his breath was the Terran sitting -in the corner with folded arms. - -"Well," said Vorgan shortly, "what does it do?" - -Lindoo stepped forward and snapped the switch on the base. The Terran -leaped to his feet and snapped it off. - -"Don't!" he warned. - -"That was a rash thing to do," snapped Vorgan. - -"I may be rash," admitted the Terran. "But lese-majesty is permissible -when a life is in danger." - -"Lindoo, give me the details." - -"Borgara went crazy." - -"Crazy? How?" - -"I don't know. But it was tied up in this machine, somehow." - -Vorgan turned to the Terran. "Every time we have something out of line -going on here, we find Terra mixed in it. What is your name, Terran?" - -"Edward Atkins." - -"Position, Atkins?" - -"Technician." - -"And what is this machine?" - -"A device I made at Borgara's direction." - -"Borgara went crazy. Why?" - -"Because he used this machine. I insist that it remain dormant. -Otherwise the rest of you will be caught in the same unfortunate trap -that befell Borgara the Powerful." - -"No doubt deplorable," observed Vorgan dryly. - -"Quite. I did his bidding, and he became enmeshed in it." - -"I'm not too surprised," snapped Vorgan. "So give me your side of the -details. About one more like this and I am going to wipe Terra out." - -"Forgive me if I seem to slur a member of your race," said Atkins -earnestly, "but Borgara was a bitter tyrant. He held his rule by sheer -force and violence. He maintained his productive output by torture. -He cared little for pleasure or ease, and he drove the people in his -sector unmercifully. On one planet, Borgara set up a rule that any man -who did not produce a given amount would find one member of his family -entering the Grand Torture Chamber. Torture threats against a person -are far less demanding than threats against a member of the immediate -family. And, Lord of All, he set the minimum limit slightly above the -average output, and kept it rising. - -"Borgara found his pleasure in watching people in torture. The trouble -was that the more satisfying kind of torture didn't leave a victim -alive too long. So Borgara directed me to devise a means of torture -that would be most terrible and yet would not kill too soon. I did--and -it is this machine." - -"Yet it drove Borgara insane." - -"Correct. Permit me to remove a few important parts?" - -"To demonstrate without danger?" - -"Yes." - -Atkins stepped forward and removed two tiny wheels and a glistening -sphere. "Now start it," he said. "The danger is gone." - - * * * * * - -Lindoo snapped the switch again. The myriad of levers began to -reciprocate. Tiny flashing wheels started to turn, and pencils of -light flickered through the facets of the rotating spheres. It was a -fascinating machine, utterly fascinating. It increased in speed, and -the flickering, flashing, interwoven motion flowed with a noiseless -violence. In and out, through and through in a mad pattern went the -parts. And as they watched it, the machine lost its mechanical shape, -apparently, and became an almost living thing that breathed and -was--shapeless. The individual motions became one master writhing. - -And the Loard-vogh stared at the machine with horror on their faces. -There was sheer and utter horror there, but they could not move away, -nor could they speak. They began to writhe a bit, as something in their -mental attitude caused the onset of physical pain, and the writhing -grew more violent. - -Atkins stepped forward and turned the machine off. - -Vorgan stormed. - -"I thought there was no danger!" he shouted, rubbing a muscle that had -cramped. - -"No danger," said the Terran with a faint smile. "You see, when I -removed these parts I protected myself so that I could turn the machine -off before it became really dangerous to you. I wanted you to see and -feel for yourselves just what Borgara thought excellent." - -"But we were going insane and were aware of it!" - -"As a means of torture, can you think of any better?" asked Atkins. "To -sit there, watching the machine, knowing that it is driving you insane, -and that the machine is causing you physical pain, and that there is -nothing that you can do about either--that, Lord of All, is the supreme -torture." - -"And Borgara got caught, is that it?" - -"Unfortunately for Borgara, he used it once too often. He got tired of -watching the victim, and watched the machine. Since he was alone in the -torture chamber, it--got him. I beg of you, destroy it. I'd not care to -be responsible for more trouble." - -Lindoo opened a drawer in the chest, took out a high-power modine, and -blasted the machine to ribbons. "Atkins, too?" - -Vorgan shook his head. "He was only doing what he was told. Borgara's -Sector is in good hands, they tell me, and the new overseer has -released forty million fighting men that Borgara needed to control -his sector. No, I think ... dismissed, Atkins ... that once again the -Terrans have done us a favor." - - * * * * * - -Vorgan returned to Indan Ko. "Tlemban, tell me something. Was Terra -behind your decision?" - -"Yes," admitted Indan Ko. "Terra pointed out that the Galaxy must be -united and that the Loard-vogh were doing just that. Terra does not -grant that the means you are using are correct to their ideals, but -they admit that you are doing it quickly and efficiently. And they -point out that we can never hope to win, ergo we should make the best -of defeat. So--" - -Vorgan groaned. "Terra--what next?" - -And then he straightened his face again, and said: "Your terms are -granted. Your instructions are to report to Terra as assistant -operators. Your immunity becomes eternal, Indan Ko, and your integrity -is maintained as well as it can be when you are taking orders from -Terra. And," he smiled, "perhaps it will keep Terra out of my hair." - - - - - XXIII. - - -Billy Thompson faced the catman in spite of Linzete's hiss of -disapproval. - -"I know of our danger," snapped the ruler of Sscantoo. "Few know -it better than I. I was on Terra just before trouble struck, and I -know and appreciate the mass against me. And you tell me to submit -willingly." - -"Might as well," said Billy. "It's inevitable." - -"Sscantoo has one chance," said Linzete. "And that is to use Terra's -secret weapon." - -"You haven't got it," said Billy flatly. "And if you mean -spore-bombing, don't be an idiot." - -"Idiot?" snarled Linzete. "Better an idiot than a turncoat that is now -fighting his conquerors' battles for them. You commanded a certain -amount of respect, Thompson. But that debt was canceled on the day that -you started to curry favor. Go back and fawn upon the Loard-vogh; do -you think that I don't know what's in your mind? You'll willingly sell -Sscantoo into slavery in order to gain a little more voice in your -plaintive wailing cry to Vorgan." - -"I--" - -"As you sold Tlembo to the Loard-vogh." - -"I've sold no--" - -"Where have you been?" snarled Linzete. - -"Coming from Tlembo," admitted Billy with a laugh. "And there has been -no communication because we have been traveling in subspace. It took us -four days to cross space from Tlembo to here. We've been out of touch -with the Universe for months, as far as we're concerned. Now if Tlembo -is being sold, I don't know about it." - -"Hotang Lu left three days ago because he was withdrawn. His statement -was that Indan Ko was taking the trip to Vorgan's capitol in order to -offer terms of surrender. Explain that!" - -"Indan Ko was intelligent enough to understand the implications behind -fighting. Look, Linzete, I sold Tlembo a theory of operations. You -cannot hope to win alone." - -"We can exterminate them." - -"And in doing so, render unfit for life a quarter of the Galaxy? That -I will not permit. And, Linzete, any extermination you perform will be -strictly post-mortem. Granted that you have the ships and the men and -the spores all grown or collected and packed into bombs. From a single -bombing of a Loard-vogh planet to extermination of life on that planet -will be a matter of six months to a year. Meanwhile, the Loard-vogh -will have attacked and conquered you. Think Terra didn't think of it? -We did and we considered it well. But Linzete, we like to remain alive. -We destroyed seventeen million of the first-line fighting men. That was -war, and the men were expendable. A nice nasty term. Terra lost seven -thousand because Terra does not consider any man really expendable. The -situation is about even. But consider their utter hatred and violence -to find a single planet bombed into lifelessness ever afterwards by -filling it with sheer death-rot." - -"I see the point, but if we're to lose, let's lose honorably, die -fighting, and take as many with us as we can." - -"A poor attitude. You must fight to win and to live, Linzete. War is -a means of forcing your will upon an enemy, Linzete. That means there -are a number of different kinds of war. War per se is usually the last -resort. There are social wars and economic wars, and people do not -consider them too violent. But a shooting war gets everybody all worked -up. - -"There has been a lot of talk about Terra's secret weapon, Linzete. -It has been explained again and again. Terra's secret weapon is the -intelligence to recognize fact, even though obscured. If you had your -choice, Linzete, which would you rather be, the nominal ruler of a -sector or the man whose advice is taken on every decision--who, in -fact, tells the ruler what to do?" - -"Lacking the right to be both acknowledged ruler and factual ruler, I-- -That is a problem that has never occurred to me." - - * * * * * - -Billy said, very patiently, "Terra knows. Terra will win this war. -Our will--to be imposed upon the Loard-vogh--is that they take their -decisions from our advice. As such, we have the rule of the Galaxy. -I tell you this because Sscantoo has too much to gain by absolute -co-operation with Terra. Eventually the Loard-vogh will be seeking our -advice. I have sent them Indan Ko, the ruler of a race that has caused -them no end of trouble. Indan Ko will not arrive there for months, yet -I can predict that Vorgan and Lindoo will place the Tlembans directly -under Terran supervision for divers reasons, not the least of which is -the fact that Vorgan will prefer to place under Terra any intelligent -race who are more than conquered slaves. Allies, in a sense. That's -because the Loard-vogh have never yet experienced any allying. Their -past is devoid of practice. So it will be with Sscantoo. You will come -under our jurisdiction." - -Linzete shrugged. "Win, lose, or draw, Sscantoo seems doomed." - -"Nonsense! Sscantoo will reap the benefits of a Galaxy-wide culture. -Sscantoo will reap the benefits created by Terra, and without the -battle scars that Terra will bear forever. Fight them, and you will -die. There is little sense in being dead, Linzete. Never again will the -Loard-vogh conquer and enslave. From now on in, they will find their -selected victims prepared and allying with them, offering them facts -and facets of culture, and sponsored by Terra. Terrans are already high -in the councils of the Loard-vogh as technical advisors. They calculate -and they advise, and they will advise terms for this system and for -that system, and the end-product will be to weld the entire Galaxy into -one solid culture. - -"Fight them?" laughed Billy. "Why fight them when we can outmaneuver -them before the logisticians can cover their first page of trial -equations." - -"Trouble is," said Linzete, "that Sscantovians are a rather belligerent -race, and entirely individualistic. And the Loard-vogh are extreme -militarists." - -"Sscantoo's job is clear. Sscantovians like isolation and lone-wolfing. -That's why I am here pleading with you." Billy pointed out of the -overhead dome into the bright sky. "Out there, somewhere, there must be -another culture that really needs extermination. More than half of the -Galaxy lies out there. Linzete, take your lifetime and your planet's -resources and go out and find for me a whipping post to keep the -Loard-vogh in fighting trim. It's precious little warfare they'll get -at home from now on in." - -Linzete purred. "You seem to have solved our problem and theirs all in -one plan. Terran, it is a deal." - -"Sscantoo will not be sorry," promised Billy. - -Linzete nodded, and poured a drink from the carafe at his elbow. "To -a united Galaxy," he said. They drank. "Tell me, Billy, what happens -when you meet a race that will not listen to reason, having planetary -defenses too powerful to attack?" - -"We have a means of rotating a five thousand mile sphere of their -sun's core into subspace. It makes a violent variable out of it, and -forces the race to migrate within a year. During migration, of course, -they are helpless and they can be handled with ease." - -"Um," swallowed Linzete. "I see." - -The color of his face showed that he did see. - - * * * * * - -Once more the months rolled past. The trip was made to Terra in -subspace, to save time, but when Billy arrived, his greeting to -Patricia Kennebec was hungry and demanding. - -"You'd think it were months," she objected mildly. - -"For me it has been," he confessed. - -Another month rolled by, and it went with a peculiar time-sense, for -it was both violently swift at times, and at other times it dragged -like eternity. Both of them would have preferred a quick wedding, but -position interfered with the process. But the month ended eventually, -and after a solid round of formal affairs punctuated by less formal -details, they got the right and the opportunity to take to their -spaceship together. - -And the four months that followed drove past as swiftly as the -light-years logged up on the recorder. Theirs was an ambling passage -through prime space; they stopped at four or five intervening systems -on their way. - -Their arrival at Vorgan's capitol followed the visits from Indan Ko and -Linzete. Billy knew, and smiled inwardly. He'd planned it that way. - -"Stick around," he told her with a grin. "Females are strictly nom de -something-or-other in there at present. I'll be out directly." - -He entered and saluted Vorgan. Lindoo was less affable than the Lord of -All, who smiled. - -"A nice piece of work, Terran," said Vorgan. - -"Thank you." - -Vorgan turned to Lindoo. "You once told me that you would step down -when your master at diplomacy came along," he twitted. - -Billy smiled at Lindoo. "I gather that I executed your wishes to -perfection," he said. - -Lindoo blinked. - -Vorgan turned back to the Terran. "His wishes?" - -"Certainly. I admit that I took liberties with my orders, but I -couldn't know whether settling the Sscantovian affair without losing -a man included Tlembo as well, because by the time I took stock, they -were allied, and we of Terra always consider that a confederate rates -the same treatment as the prime contractor." - -"But I do not understand. Did Vorgan issue any orders?" - -"I am responsible to him. I am among his advisory staff. He selected -me. It was his ability to select me that puts him in the position of -ordering me." - -"Proceed," said Vorgan. - -"Lord of All, a responsible assistant certainly does not require -a written order for every act. Not among Terrans, anyway. A good -supervisor selects assistants who can anticipate and act upon his -wishes. A good assistant can act as his superior would act, and knows -his superior's wishes. Therefore I was but anticipating Lindoo's plan, -and acting in accordance with my knowledge of his desire." - -Lindoo blinked, and the storm cloud of his face cleared. Vorgan smiled -slightly. "Keep him," he said. "He will do a lot for you." - -Lindoo would require a bit more soothing, Billy knew, but that could -come easily and soon enough. - -He was dismissed and as he left, Billy smiled inwardly. Let them rule. -He and his cohorts would rule the rulers. He had a fairly complete -picture right now. They had rid themselves of Sezare the dissolute -voluptuary, and Borgara, the tyrant, and there was a sector not too far -away where one Terran had convinced the overseer that an experiment -in offering the slaves better living quarters and a better future -might pay off. It would, for the downtrodden sector against which the -model project was stacked knew of the "race" in production and were -taking it easy. The model project's output might even be double. And -several sectors were combing close to locate intelligent assistants -and specialists to aid the Terrans--the research sector. And Terrans -in large groups were roaming the galactic front, using their ability -to speak and communicate with any race. They could enter any system -that used a reasonable facsimile of Terran air for an atmosphere, and -disease and death did not touch them. Their arguments were brilliant, -and they achieved without fighting that which the Loard-vogh could not -do. If the Loard-vogh felt that things were moving too fast, they had -but to inspect their birth records. With less fighting, there was less -absence of the fighting men-- - -It would be a long, hard-driven road to travel, but it would lead to a -united Galaxy. Meanwhile, Billy would be happy without fretting about -his position. He was satisfied to advise Lindoo. - -Vorgan, Emperor of the Loard-vogh, Lord of All, and his race fought -for the unity of the Galaxy. 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Smith</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Pattern for Conquest</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: George O. Smith</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: July 14, 2022 [eBook #68523]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net.</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PATTERN FOR CONQUEST ***</div> - -<div class="figcenter x-ebookmaker-drop"> - <img src="images/illusc1.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>Pattern For Conquest</h1> - -<h2>By GEORGE O. SMITH</h2> - -<p>Illustrated by Kildale</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Astounding Science-Fiction March, April, May 1946.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">I.</p> - -<p>The signal officer leaped from his position and made a vicious grab -at the thin paper tape that was snaking from his typer to the master -transmitter. It tore just at the entrance slot. The tape-end slid in; -disappeared.</p> - -<p>The master transmitter growled as the tape-end passed the scanner. -Meters slapped up against the overload stop and two of the big -rectifier tubes flashed over. Circuit breakers came open with a crash -down in the power room, and up in the master modulator room the bell -alarms rang, telling of the destruction of one of the tuning guides -from overload peak.</p> - -<p>The signal officer paid no attention to the damage his action had -caused. He grabbed for the telephone and dialed a number.</p> - -<p>"I want confirmation of messages forty-eight and forty-nine," he -snapped. "What fool let 'em get this far?"</p> - -<p>"What happened?" asked the superior officer mildly.</p> - -<p>"I got forty-eight on the tape before I came to forty-nine," explained -the signal officer. "I grabbed the tape just as it was hitting the -master transmitter. The tape-end raised hell, I think. Default alarms -are ringing all over the building. But who—?"</p> - -<p>"It was my fault—I'll confirm in writing—that forty-eight was not -preceded by an official sanction. You were quite correct in stopping -them at any cost. As soon as the outfit is on the air again, send 'em -both."</p> - -<p>"Yeah, but look—"</p> - -<p>"Orders, Manley."</p> - -<p>"I'll follow 'em," said Signal Officer Manley, "but may I ask why?"</p> - -<p>"You may, according to the Book of Regs, but I'm not certain of the -reason myself. Frankly, I don't know. I questioned them myself, and got -the same blunt answer."</p> - -<p>"The whole terran sector has been slaving for years to keep this -proposition from happening," grumbled Manley. "For years we have been -most careful to stop any possible slipup. Now I find that the first -time it ever gets down as far as my position and I leap into the breach -like a hero, I'm off the beam and the stuff is on the roger."</p> - -<p>"I'll give you a Solar Citation for your efforts," offered the superior -ruminatively. "I know what you mean. We've been trying to keep it from -happening by mere chance. And all of a sudden comes official orders, -not happenstance, but ordering it. Let's both give up."</p> - -<p>"The gear is on the air again," said Manley. "I'll carry on, like -Pagliacci, roaring madly to our own doom. But first I'm going to have -to restring the master. Shoot me a confirm, will you? I don't expect to -use it, but it'll look nice in some time capsule as the forerunner of -history."</p> - -<p>Within a minute messages forty-eight and forty-nine were through the -machine, up through the master modulator room and out in space, on -their way to Mars and Venus, respectively.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The Little Man looked up at Co-ordinator Kennebec. The head of the -Solar Combine looked down with a worried frown. This had been going -on for some time. The Little Man had been, in turn, pleading, elated, -demanding, mollified, excited, and unhappy because the ruler of the -Solar Combine could not understand him fully. He was also unhappy -because he could not understand the head man's meaning, either.</p> - -<p>The Little Man had three cards in his hand. He was objecting violently, -now. He was not angry, just positive of his desire. He put two of -the cards on the desk before Kennebec, and agreed, most thoroughly, -that these were what he wanted. The third card he tossed derisively, -indicating negation. This one was of no use.</p> - -<p>Kennebec shrugged. He picked them up and inserted the unwanted card -between the other two. He did it with significance, and indicated that -there was a reason.</p> - -<p>The Little Man shrugged and with significance to his actions, accepted -the three. If he could not have the two without the third, he'd take -all three.</p> - -<p>He saluted in the manner that Kennebec understood to be a -characteristic of the Little People's culture. Then he turned and left -the office, taking with him the three cards.</p> - -<p>As he opened the door, he was almost trampled by Kennebec's daughter, -who was entering on a dead run with a bundle of transmitter tape -trailing from one hand. Patricia looked down, made a motion of apology -to the Little Man, whose head came just even with her hip, and then -turned to her father as the Little Man left the scene.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus2.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Dad," she said, "here are press flashes from Mars and Venus. Singly, -either one of them pleases me greatly. Simultaneously I can't take it."</p> - -<p>"Sorry, Pat. But this isn't a personal proposition."</p> - -<p>"But it means trouble."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps."</p> - -<p>Patricia snorted. "It does mean trouble and you know it. How are you -going to avoid it?"</p> - -<p>"I'm going to assign Flight Commander Thompson to the task of keeping -or combing them out of one another's hair."</p> - -<p>"And if and when he's successful," smiled Pat derisively. "I assume -that Thompson will be awarded the Solar Citation for bravery and -accomplishment far above and beyond the call of flesh?"</p> - -<p>"He'll have earned it," smiled Kennebec. "Let's see what the sister -worlds have to say."</p> - -<p>"Not much—yet. Neither one of them seems to be aware of the other's -action—yet. I'll bet the Transplanet Press Association wires will be -burning when they all find out."</p> - -<p>"TPA is going to suppress any word of dissension," said Kennebec.</p> - -<p>"Um-m-m—seems that Terra, as usual, has a bear by the tail. Why -couldn't he have picked less dangerously?"</p> - -<p>"Knowing nothing of the Little People's culture, I can't say. I don't -even understand him most of the time excepting that I have attained the -idea that something is very important and must be done immediately. -What it is I don't really know, but I gather that it concerns the -integrity of a number of stellar races including that of the Little -People."</p> - -<p>"Sounds like corny dialogue from a bum soap opera," said Patricia. -"It's a sorry day for civilization when it must depend upon a deal like -this."</p> - -<p>"I'm certain that they understand. The Little Man reviewed the records. -Given the apparent understanding of mere records that he has—in spite -of not being able to understand me or any other Solarian—he must know -that we're all playing fireman in a powderhouse. He is going on through -with it in spite of what he must certainly know."</p> - -<p>"I feel inclined to take a vacation at Lake Stanley or Hawaii until -this blows over."</p> - -<p>Kennebec laughed. "It won't be that bad, and besides, you're a part of -this and no matter where you go, you'll be in it. Might as well give -up, Pat. You can't run now."</p> - -<p>"I know," answered Patricia wistfully, "but I'd like to keep out of the -way of any flying glass."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Stellor Downing was Martian by birth and by six hundred years of -Martian-born forebears. His family could trace its line back to the -first group of Terran colonists that braved the rigors of Martian life -before technology created a Martian world that was reasonably well -adapted for human life.</p> - -<p>Downing, being of hard nature, cold and calculating, and murderously -swift, should probably have been dark and swarthy with beetling brows -and a piercing stare.</p> - -<p>But Downing lived on Mars, where in spite of the thin atmosphere, Sol's -output was low. Downing had light hair, a skin like the baby-soap ads, -and pale-blue eyes that looked as innocent.</p> - -<p>A lot of people had been fooled—but not Martians.</p> - -<p>Stellor Downing's rapid rise up through the ranks of the Solar Guard -was legendary on Mars. His swinging gait was more or less known to all -theater-going Martians, and the sound of his voice over the radio was -familiar. He wore a double modine belt, with one of the nasty weapons -on each hip—where they crossed over his stomach, a dull silver -medallion held them together.</p> - -<p>The medallion was the sharp-shooter's award.</p> - -<p>Stellor Downing came on the spaceport escorted by six or seven -officials. He talked with them until it was time for take-off. Then -they all became more serious.</p> - -<p>"We have no idea what this mission is," said one. "But if you do it -honor, you'll get that other star."</p> - -<p>"That'll make you a Flight Co-ordinator," added another.</p> - -<p>"I can't make any promises," said Downing. "I'll do my best."</p> - -<p>"Terra must be really in a hole to call on you," laughed a third. -"You're by and far the best flight commander in the Guard."</p> - -<p>Downing lifted his eyebrow. "I'll admit that I'm not the worst," he -said cheerfully. "I hope you're right about the other." He turned to -his orderly and gave a sign. The orderly lifted a whistle and blew a -shrill note that cut the thin air of Mars.</p> - -<p>Three hundred men entered twenty-five ships, and the spaceport was -cleared. Radio messages filled the ether, as the ships were checked -before take-off. Then as the clamoring of the radio died, a more -powerful transmitter in the flight commander's ship gave the order to -lift.</p> - -<p>The center ship, bearing the red circle of Mars with the five stars -ringing it, lifted first, followed by the next concentric ring of ships.</p> - -<p>The third ring followed in close formation and then the last. In -a great space cone, the flight closed into tighter formation and -streaked straight upward and out of sight.</p> - -<p>Stellor Downing was on his way to Terra.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Flight Commander Clifford Lane was driven onto Venusport in a -cream-colored roadster that was either spotless enamel or mirror-finish -chromium as far as the eye could reach. In the car with Cliff Lane -were four women whose glitter was no less flagrant than the car's. The -slight olive-tint to their skin made their very white teeth flash in -the sunshine as they smiled at their passenger.</p> - -<p>This was Venus—living at its highest temperature. The car rolled to a -stop beside Cliff Lane's command and they all climbed out. It was with -a generous display of well-browned skin.</p> - -<p>Lane's costume was no less scanty than the women's. The modine over -his right hip was chased with silver and engraved, the holster was -hand-tooled and studded with five small emeralds.</p> - -<p>"What are you going for?" asked one of the women.</p> - -<p>"Don't you know?" teased the one beside her. "Cliff is going to Terra -to court Patricia Kennebec."</p> - -<p>"I think we should kidnap him."</p> - -<p>"You'd be sorry," laughed Cliff, waving the official order in front of -her.</p> - -<p>"Maybe we can bribe him. Tell you what, Cliff, you get this job done -and you'll probably get a promotion. If you do, we'll all chip in and -get that insignia on your modine holster changed to six full stars. -But to do it you'll have to come back to us—single."</p> - -<p>Cliff laughed. "And if it takes me more than six months, you'll all be -off elsewhere."</p> - -<p>"But what's Patricia got that we haven't?" wailed one.</p> - -<p>"Him," grinned another.</p> - -<p>"No, we've got him—now."</p> - -<p>"Any time someone wants something else, you might as well give it to -them, because they'll get it one way or another."</p> - -<p>"Look, kids," interrupted Lane, "we've been talking this up and down -for three hours. Now it's time to take off. Scram, like good little -lovelies."</p> - -<p>Cliff bade them a proper good-by and herded them back into the car. -It started and rolled slowly away amid feminine calls. Its course was -erratic, for the driver was handling the car by instinct; her head -being turned back over the front seat to watch Lane, too. Had she been -on a road instead of a broad, shining expanse of tarmacadam, trouble -would have met her more than half-way.</p> - -<p>Cliff waved a last good-by and turned to face a group of -kine-photographers. "Hi, Hal. Hello, fellers."</p> - -<p>"Hey, Cliff, will you wipe your puss or don't you care if Venus sees -their Favorite Son in lipstick?"</p> - -<p>Lane laughed and wiped. "On me it doesn't look good," he agreed. -"What'll you have?"</p> - -<p>"We'd like shots of you giving the last order, entering the ship, and -then wait until we can get set up on the edge of the field. We want a -pan shot of the command hitting the ether."</p> - -<p>"O.K. That we can do."</p> - -<p>He turned to the group of unit commanders and said, "The usual, -fellows. Straight up and away. Hey, Hal, pan the gang, will you? As a -hotshot I'm slightly cool if they aren't behind me."</p> - -<p>"Great stuff," grinned Hal. The kinephotogs spread out, took their -shots, and then closed up for the final order. As the space door -clanged shut, they raced for the edge of the field and waited.</p> - -<p>With an instantaneous rush, the lead ship, bearing the green triangle -of Venus surrounded by the five stars of the flight commander, took off -in a slight swirl of airswept dust. Then at a separation of exactly -three tenths of a second, the other twenty-four ships leaped into the -sky and formed a long spiral in space.</p> - -<p>The specks that were lost in the sky were Clifford Lane and his command -heading for Terra.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">II.</p> - - -<p>The Little Man had a name. Once in his own tiny spacecraft and -surrounded by his cohorts, he was addressed in his own semi-speech, -semimental means of communications.</p> - -<p>"You have succeeded, Toralen Ki?"</p> - -<p>"As best I can."</p> - -<p>"Not perfect?" asked Hotang Lu.</p> - -<p>"As long as the lack of communications exists, there can be no transfer -of real detailed intelligence between the two races. They have no -mental power of communication at all, of course, and since we use our -mental power when we wish to carry over a plan or abstract thought, we -fail when we are confronted as we are now. There are no words in our -audible tongue that have the proper semantic meaning."</p> - -<p>"But you did succeed in part?"</p> - -<p>"I have succeeded so far as gaining their co-operation. They will -assign to me or to us, rather, the necessary personnel and material to -complete the task."</p> - -<p>"Then we have succeeded."</p> - -<p>"In a sense. To carry this concept over was most difficult. As long as -we have their consent, everything will work out in time."</p> - -<p>"You have succeeded in convincing them that the Opposites must be used?"</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki smiled. "The Opposites we picked are violent enemies."</p> - -<p>"Good!"</p> - -<p>"It could be better. I'd hoped that they would be mere opposing -personalities. It is not necessary that people of opposite personality -be bitter rivals for everything."</p> - -<p>"But the greater the opposing forces, the greater the strength of the -mental field."</p> - -<p>"In this case," said Toralen Ki thoughtfully, "they insist upon -including a third party, of equal rank, to act as referee, or mediator. -It will be his task to keep the Opposites from fighting one another."</p> - -<p>"They were quite concerned?"</p> - -<p>"Definitely. It was most difficult to convey to them the fact that the -future of their—and all, for that matter—race depends upon absolute -co-operation between the mental opposites we have picked."</p> - -<p>"Once the suppressor is destroyed, communication with this race will be -easy. Then they can be told."</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki shook his head. "Fate is like that. To carry out the plan -properly, they must co-operate. In order to tell them what they must -do, the suppressor must first be destroyed. And were it not for the -suppressor in the first place, the mental capability of this race would -require no assistance from the like of you and I or any other member of -any other race. The Loard-vogh were very brilliant, Hotang Lu. To hurl -suppressors of mental energy through the Galaxy was a stroke of genius."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Hotang Lu smiled sourly. "I suppose it is a strange trick of fate to -have the fate of the entire Galaxy hanging upon an act of co-operation -between two bitter rivals. Especially when the means to explain fully -also hangs upon the outcome of their co-operation. I am reminded of an -incident in my boyhood. I sought work. I had no experience. They wanted -men with experience. In order to get the experience I must work—but -they wouldn't put me to work without experience. But it will be easier -once the initial step is taken," said Hotang Lu.</p> - -<p>"I know it will. It will be so much easier once they understand our -motives, at least. Had they proved non-co-operative, we would have -been completely stopped. As it is now, we can foresee the proper -culmination of all of our plans. We will win, yet!"</p> - -<p>"To our ultimate victory," said Hotang Lu, taking a sip from the tall -tube before him. Toralen Ki followed the other, echoing the words.</p> - -<p>"It is fortunate that they have evolved as far as they have," said -Toralen Ki, after the toast. "Dealing with a completely ignorant race -is more difficult. These people have a proper evaluation of technical -ideas. Therefore they will understand the proper course without having -it forced down their collective throats."</p> - -<p>"With their already available knowledge of the super drive, it -indicates their ability. Have they colonized any of the nearer stellar -systems yet?"</p> - -<p>"Several. But the urge is not quite universal, yet. Only the -adventurers and the malcontents seem to go. They will spread though, if -they're not stopped within a reasonable time."</p> - -<p>"Time.... Time—" muttered Hotang Lu. "Always time. Must we fight time -forever?"</p> - -<p>"Fighting time is most difficult when you are behind," remarked Toralen -Ki. "When you are ahead, it is no longer a fight."</p> - -<p>"We must move swiftly and yet we can do nothing to cause haste. -Confound it, must a man always be pinched between the urgency and the -impossible?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly. It makes one feel the ease of life during the times of -no-stress."</p> - -<p>"Some day I hope to see a period of no-stress that is longer than one -tenth the duration of the trouble before and after it."</p> - -<p>"You may," smiled Toralen Ki. "But there will be no after."</p> - -<p>"Gloomy thought. I'll forget it, thank you. But to change the gloomy -subject, I suggest that we contact Tlembo and let our ruler know that -we have, in part, been successful."</p> - -<p>"Right. I wish we were artists. So much can be conveyed to others by -mere pictures."</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu shook his head. "How could you possibly sketch the operation -of a suppressor? Perhaps <i>they</i> could do it, for they seem to have -advanced the art of thought-conveyance through pictures to a high -degree. But recall that no Tlemban ever considered the art a necessary -one and so we lack the technique."</p> - -<p>"I know."</p> - -<p>"After we contact Tlembo, when can we say we are to start?"</p> - -<p>"I think they convey something about two days. We await the arrival of -the contingents from the other planets."</p> - -<p>"More time wasted."</p> - -<p>"Think of the eons before this and the eons that will follow. And then -think of how utterly minute your two days are. They will arrive, but -quickly enough."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Flight Commander Cliff Lane heard the recognition gear tick off, and he -whirled to look at the scanning plate. "The devil," he growled.</p> - -<p>"Sir?</p> - -<p>"What is he doing here?"</p> - -<p>"I don't understand, sir."</p> - -<p>Cliff smiled wryly. "Sorry. I thought this would be more or less -pleasant."</p> - -<p>"Isn't it?"</p> - -<p>"That trace," he said, pointing to the squiggle on the scanning plate, -"happens to be the recognition trace of no one other than Stellor -Downing."</p> - -<p>"Oh," said the orderly. "I didn't know."</p> - -<p>Lane grinned. "Then you're the only one that doesn't. Any of the rest -of this outfit know it on sight. Take a good look at it, Timmy, and the -next time you see it, do your best to do whatever that is doing, but do -it quicker, neater, and with more flourish. Understand?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p>Lane strode into the operations room, and looked over the plotter's -shoulder. "What's he doing, Link?"</p> - -<p>Lincoln made some calculations on a paper, plunked the keys on his -computer for a moment and then came up with an equation. He showed it -to Lane with a grimace.</p> - -<p>"Landing," said Lane cryptically.</p> - -<p>Lincoln nodded.</p> - -<p>"Can we beat him in?"</p> - -<p>"I think so—if we get the jump on him."</p> - -<p>"There are just two landing circles on Mojave that aren't dusty," said -Lane. "One of them is not far from the field office building. The other -takes a full hour of travel before you can check in. I don't like to -walk."</p> - -<p>"Right. I'll see what we can do."</p> - -<p>"Good."</p> - -<p>One-tenth of a light-second away, an aide entered Stellor Downing's -cabin. "Recognition, sir," he said. "Flight Commander Lane, from Venus. -I thought you'd like to know."</p> - -<p>"What's his course?" clipped Downing.</p> - -<p>"Mojave."</p> - -<p>"Tell the tech to drop interferers. Tell navigator to correct course -for blitz-landing, and tell pilot to streak for landing Circle One. -Also broadcast crash-warning."</p> - -<p>"Right. We're going in if we have to collide to do it, sir?"</p> - -<p>"We'll have no collision. Lane wouldn't care to scrape any of his -nicely painted little toys."</p> - -<p>"On the roger," said the aide, leaving immediately.</p> - -<p>Two flights of ships changed course.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Down on Mojave, in the control and operations tower, signal officer -Clancey's face popped with beads of cold sweat. He sat down heavily in -a chair and:</p> - -<p>"Tony! Get me the chief!"</p> - -<p>"What's wrong, sir?" asked Tony.</p> - -<p>"This desert ain't a big enough landing field to take on Lane and -Downing. Not all at once."</p> - -<p>"Lane and Downing!" Tony streaked for the telephone. He called, and -handed the phone to Clancey, who plugged it into his switchboard, -putting it on his own headset so that he could hear both the chief and -the operations.</p> - -<p>"Chief. Look, this is too hot to handle. Lane and Downing are both -heading for Mojave."</p> - -<p>"I know."</p> - -<p>"Do you?" asked Clancey sarcastically. "They're heading for Mojave. -They're racing for Number One. And they're due to arrive within three -or four milliseconds of one another!"</p> - -<p>"Hell's Rockets!" exploded the chief. "Get 'em on the air and tell 'em -they're under orders."</p> - -<p>"There isn't any air. One of 'em dropped interferers."</p> - -<p>"Official?"</p> - -<p>"Unofficial."</p> - -<p>"O.K. Record the fact and then go out and watch. It's out of your hands -if they can't hear you. As long as you have a record of interference -it's not your cookie. It belongs to them."</p> - -<p>"Mind if I head for a bomb-shelter?" grinned Clancey.</p> - -<p>"Oh, they're both smart. That's one fight that never hit an innocent -bystander."</p> - -<p>"—yet," added Clancey.</p> - -<p>"Well—?"</p> - -<p>"It might be the first time I died, too," objected Clancey.</p> - -<p>"You don't want to live forever, do you?"</p> - -<p>"Wouldn't mind."</p> - -<p>"Nuts. There must be something good about dying. Everybody does it."</p> - -<p>"But only one; never again."</p> - -<p>"Well, play it your way. I sort of wish I could be there to watch, too."</p> - -<p>"Just tell mother I died game. So long, chief. I hear music in the air -right now, and hell will pop directly."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Like twin, high-velocity jets of water, the two space flights came -together, rebounded off of their individual barrier-layers and mingled -in a jarring maze of whirling ships. In a shapeless pattern they -whirled, and they might have whirled shapelessly all the way to Mojave, -except for one item.</p> - -<p>From Downing's lead ship there stabbed one of the heavy dymodine beams, -its danger area marked with the characteristic heterodyne of light. -It thrust a pale green finger into the sky before it, and as it came -around, the other ships moved aside. That was the breaker. The flights -reformed into twin interlocked spirals that thrust against one another -with pressors and tore at one another with tractors in an effort to -break up the other's flight.</p> - -<p>Lane snapped: "That's a stinking trick."</p> - -<p>"He's warning—"</p> - -<p>"Oh, nice of him to heterodyne it. I wish I had a roboship. I'd drive -it into his beam and tell him that he clipped my men—"</p> - -<p>Stellor Downing grinned at his unit commander. "I told you he'd duck," -he said loftily.</p> - -<p>"Wouldn't you?"</p> - -<p>"Nope. I'd drive into it and see if he'd shut it off before I hit it."</p> - -<p>"Supposing he didn't shut it off?"</p> - -<p>"Don't ask me," said Downing. "If he did, it would be to spare the -men with me. If I ducked at the last minute, it would be for the same -reason. If we were alone, I wouldn't dive into a beam—but we might -try a bit of rivet-cutting."</p> - -<p>The unit commander's face whitened a bit. That was an idea he disliked. -And yet some day he knew they'd get to it. Just as practically -everybody knew it.</p> - -<p>The hard ground of Mojave whirled up at them, and the twin spirals -flattened out. Like a whirling nebula, they spun, slowing as they -dropped.</p> - -<p>Clancey groaned from the top of the tower: "There ain't room for fifty -ships in Circle One. There ain't room for six ships fighting one -another. Holy—"</p> - -<p>The spattering of force-beams, tractor and pressor, died as the last -hundred feet of altitude closed in. The ships, still wabbling slightly, -slowed their spinning around and curved to drop vertically for fifty -feet.</p> - -<p>The ground shook—</p> - -<p>And there was left but one dustless landing circle at Mojave—the other -one.</p> - -<p>Windows in the control tower cracked, a fuse alarm rang furiously, and -somewhere a taut cable snapped, shutting off the fuse alarm for lack of -juice. The lights went out all over the Administration Building, and -every ceiling dropped a fine shower of plaster freckles.</p> - -<p>They landed on empty desks and open chairs.</p> - -<p>Seven thousand employees of Mojave were crammed out on the view-area, -wiping the dust from their eyes and shaking their heads.</p> - -<p>And through the dust, weaving their way between the ships of either -command. Cliff Lane and Stellor Downing advanced upon one another.</p> - -<p>Out of a cloud of dust came Lane. Downing emerged from the other side -and faced the Venusite.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus3.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"You fouled me," snarled Downing.</p> - -<p>"Who, me?" asked Lane saucily.</p> - -<p>"I broadcast a crash-warning."</p> - -<p>"You should have done it before you dropped interferers. All I know is -that you disputed my course."</p> - -<p>"So I did. So what?"</p> - -<p>Lane reached for a cigarette. He did it with his left hand, though -he knew that Downing wouldn't draw his modines while either hand -was occupied. Downing was fair, anyway. "So you didn't get what you -wanted—again."</p> - -<p>"Neither did you."</p> - -<p>"All right. Are you happy? Got to have the best, don't you?" growled -Lane. "Can't stand to see anybody take even a toothpick that you can't -have two of."</p> - -<p>"If you were more than a drug-store cowboy ... brother, what a get-up."</p> - -<p>Lane flushed. "My clothing is my own business."</p> - -<p>"It's very fetching. Chic, even."</p> - -<p>"Shut up, dough-head. <i>I'm</i> not forced to wear an iceman's uniform so -people won't think—"</p> - -<p>"What's the matter with me?" gritted Downing.</p> - -<p>"You might at least put on a clean shirt," drawled Lane, tossing his -cigarette at Downing.</p> - -<p>"Oh, swish—"</p> - -<p>That did it. Lane's right hand streaked for his hip after a warning -gesture. Downing's two hands dropped and came up with the twin modines.</p> - -<p>Only a microtime film record would ever tell the quicker man. Their -weapons came up and forward and the dust of landing Circle One was -shocked with a sharp electrical splat.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">III.</p> - - -<p>"And that's your job, Thompson," said Kennebec.</p> - -<p>"And that's enough," responded Thompson. He wiped his face.</p> - -<p>"Oh, I'll issue the proper orders. They'll receive them—and any trace -of insubordination on the part of either of them will be cause for -reprimand. Public reprimand."</p> - -<p>"But the reason behind all this? I don't understand."</p> - -<p>"Nor does anyone else. Look Thompson, the Little Man has a super ship -out there on Mojave. It is a real bear-cat. Packed into space smaller -than this office is enough stuff to hold off the Guard for a week. -That's premise number one.</p> - -<p>"Number two. They have some sort of telepathic means of communications.</p> - -<p>"Number three. They came here for help. Why, I may never tell you until -it's analyzed by the experts. But they came here for help. A machine, -bomb, some means of hell and destruction or other must be destroyed. It -must be located, too. Using some means of analysis on our card files, -voice records, identification quizzes, and so forth, they decided upon -Lane and Downing as the mainsprings. They'll have none other. Now why -or wherefore isn't for me to decide. If they want Lane and Downing, -they'll get Lane and Downing and none others. At the very least, we've -got to play their game as long and as well as we can play it. I want to -have the Solar Guard equipped as well as that ship is, and this is the -way to do it."</p> - -<p>"Why don't they go out and destroy this thing themselves?" asked -Thompson.</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't know. You know as much as I do."</p> - -<p>"They may fear the cat race."</p> - -<p>"If I had their stuff, I'd fear nothing."</p> - -<p>The telephone rang and Kennebec lifted it. He listened and then hung up -slowly.</p> - -<p>"Your job—" he said. "Lane and Downing are making a running fist fight -to see who lands on Circle One. If you go a-screeching fast, you might -be able to make it by the time they hit."</p> - -<p>"Right—" and Thompson left unceremoniously.</p> - -<p>He hit the street, landed in his car, and was a half block away, siren -screaming, before he realized that he had a passenger. It was Patricia.</p> - -<p>"Huh?" he asked foolishly.</p> - -<p>"Well, the engine was running, wasn't it?"</p> - -<p>"I didn't notice."</p> - -<p>"Fine thing."</p> - -<p>"You must have heard."</p> - -<p>"Who hasn't. Come on, Billy. A little more soup. I know that pair and -they won't waste time."</p> - -<p>Thompson poured more power into the car and it increased in speed. The -way was cleared for him, though it took some expert driving to cut -around and through the traffic, stopped by the demanding throat of the -official siren.</p> - -<p>Thompson roared up the main road to Mojave, sent the guard-rail gates -flying dangerously over the heads of onlookers, and sped out onto the -tarmacadam. The dust of the rough landing was just starting to rise -as Thompson slid into the outskirts of the circle of ships. His car -skidded dangerously on locked wheels, and he used the deceleration -of the vehicle to catapult himself forward. He landed running and -disappeared into the circling dust.</p> - -<p>He could be certain that Lane and Downing would be at the center of -this whirling mass.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Lane blinked. Downing shook his head in disbelief. Both recharged their -modines and—</p> - -<p>"That's about enough!" snapped Thompson, coming through the dust. "You -pair of idiots."</p> - -<p>They whirled.</p> - -<p>"No, you didn't miss, either of you." He waved his own modine. The -aperture was wide open. "But I've got a job to do and you aren't going -to spoil it on the first try. I'd hate to report to Co-ordinator -Kennebec that I'd failed—doubly. And that all there were to his plans -were two hardly scarred corpses."</p> - -<p>He tossed his weapon on the ground and nursed his hand.</p> - -<p>"You're the fool," said Downing. "Don't you know you can't absorb the -output of three on one of 'em?"</p> - -<p>"I did," snapped Thompson. "Though I'd rather use a baseball bat on -both of you."</p> - -<p>"We didn't intend to hurt anybody," explained Lane.</p> - -<p>"Good. Now that that's over, you might play sweet for a while, doing -penance for burning my hand."</p> - -<p>"You mean we're going to work together?" asked Lane in disbelief.</p> - -<p>"And you're going to act as though you liked it."</p> - -<p>"I won't like it," scowled Downing.</p> - -<p>"Just make it look good. You've got a job to do, and once it is done -you can go rivet-cutting for all I care."</p> - -<p>"It's an idea."</p> - -<p>"All right. But listen, you pair of fools, Patricia is coming through -this haze you kicked up. Take it easy."</p> - -<p>"Pat!" it was a duet.</p> - -<p>"Yeah, though you should both call her Miss Kennebec after this -performance."</p> - -<p>"You leave her out of this," snapped Lane.</p> - -<p>"After one more statement. You fellows can fight all you want to, but -remember, if you're fighting for Pat, just consider how she'd feel to -A, if as and when A chilled B to get rid of B's competition. Now let's -behave ourselves—and if you're asked, this was a fine shindy; a real -interesting whingding."</p> - -<p>Clancey saw the four of them emerge from the aura of dust and he held -his head. "Look at 'em, chief. It ain't goin' to last. I know it ain't. -Mis's Kennebec holding an arm of each of them and Mr. Thompson chatting -to all three from behind."</p> - -<p>"Clancey, this may be the calm before the storm. But from what I hear, -both of them will be a long way from Sol when the tornado winds up. -They're heading for the Big Man's office right now. He'll tell 'em."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"I think I get it," said Lane. "He wants us to analyze it. That's why -this motion of our heads to the thing."</p> - -<p>"You may be right."</p> - -<p>"This is a long way from here, though. I don't quite get it."</p> - -<p>Kennebec explained his reasons for playing the Little Man's game.</p> - -<p>"O.K., chief. I've heard of this cat race," said Downing.</p> - -<p>"You have?"</p> - -<p>"Only malcontent rumors. Tramps, adventurers, and the like are inclined -to take runs like that for the sheer loneliness of it—and the desire -to set foot where no man ever stood before. It's about the limit of -run with even a Guard ship. I suppose any rumors can be discounted, -but I've been given to understand that they are a rather nasty kind of -personality."</p> - -<p>"Being cats they would be," added Lane.</p> - -<p>"Not necessarily," objected Thompson. "We are basic primate-culture, -but we don't behave like apes."</p> - -<p>"No?" asked Kennebec with a sly smile.</p> - -<p>"O.K."</p> - -<p>"Now," said Kennebec. "They've chosen you two for the job in spite -of our explanations that you are slightly inclined toward dangerous -rivalry. Why they insist I do not know. Be that as it may, gentlemen, -you have this project. You have twenty-five ships each, all armed to -the best of Solar technique. You'll have to play it close to your vest, -I gather, since this machine or bomb is at present running through -their system. Therefore I order you, officially, to refrain from any -competitive action until this project is completed. The Little Man has -detectors to locate the thing, you'll each get one of them. Track it -down and analyze it. Destroy it after you could reproduce it. Thompson, -your only job is to remind this pair of worthies that their prime job -is to finish this project."</p> - -<p>"It may be not too hard," smiled Thompson. "I won't have any trouble."</p> - -<p>"Look, Downing, if this thing is as important as they claim, we're -fools not to work together. Right?"</p> - -<p>"As corny as it sounds—the fate of races depends—I believe the Little -Man. Until this fool project is over, no fight."</p> - -<p>"Shake."</p> - -<p>Downing made a "wait" gesture. He picked up an ornate dinner candle -from the mantelpiece and lit it. He took cigarettes, offered one to -Lane, and they shook hands. And they lit their cigarettes in the same -candle flame.</p> - -<p>And Thompson said to Kennebec: "A pair of showmen."</p> - -<p>"And the best flight commanders in the Guard, confound it!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Stellor Downing, out of his Martian uniform and wearing the dress -uniform of Terra, piloted Patricia Kennebec through the tables to a -seat. "Stop worrying," he laughed.</p> - -<p>"I suppose I should," she admitted.</p> - -<p>"Then please do."</p> - -<p>"I will. It isn't complimentary to you, is it?"</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't worry about that."</p> - -<p>"All right. But I still think I'm fostering trouble for both of you."</p> - -<p>"By coming out with me tonight? Lane asked—but he was late. He can't -object to my making plans first, can he?"</p> - -<p>"He admitted that he had only himself to blame."</p> - -<p>"Then?"</p> - -<p>"But I can't help thinking that I'm the cause—"</p> - -<p>"Look, Pat. Analyze us. Cliff is Venusite. His family went to Venus -about six hundred years ago—probably on the same ship that mine left -for Mars on at about the same time. Lane's impetuous and slightly -wildman. I'm more inclined to calculate. Dance?"</p> - -<p>"Yes—that was a quick change of subject, Stell. How do you do it?"</p> - -<p>"The music just started—and my basic idea in coming here was to dance -with you."</p> - -<p>"How about ordering? They'll get the stuff while we're dancing."</p> - -<p>"Everything's ordered," he smiled. He drew back her chair, offered her -an arm, and led her to the dance floor.</p> - -<p>Downing's dancing was excellent. He was precise, deft, and graceful -despite his size. The orchestra finished the piece, and then with a -drum-roll introduction led into the classic "<i>Mars Waltz</i>."</p> - -<p>The step was long and slow and though some of the other couples drifted -off the floor to await something more springy, they finished the long -number with a slight flourish.</p> - -<p>Another drum-roll, and: "Ladies and Gentlemen," said the announcer, -"that number was in honor of Stellor Downing, number one Flight -Commander of the Martian sector of the Solar Guard!"</p> - -<p>There was a craning of necks to see the Martian, and Downing politely -saluted before he retreated to his table.</p> - -<p>"And in this corner ... pardon me, I mean over here, ladies and -gentlemen, we have Clifford Lane, the top Flight Commander of the Venus -sector!"</p> - -<p>The necks swiveled like the spectators at a tennis match and the -spotlight caught Cliff, standing at the door with a woman on each arm.</p> - -<p>At a word from the manager, four large, square-shouldered men in -tuxedos accepted two tables. Base lines for defense—</p> - -<p>But Lane merely nodded affably in the bright spotlight. "Thanks, and -now, professor, that light is bright. Play, George. The Caramanne if -you please."</p> - -<p>"But I can't dance the Caramanne," objected the girl on his right.</p> - -<p>"And I wouldn't dance it in public," said the girl on his left.</p> - -<p>"Well, we all know someone who can and will," laughed Cliff. He led -them to Downing's table, shook hands with Stellor and underwent a -ten-second grip-trying match. He introduced them all around and then -asked: "Downing, may I steal her for a moment? I think she's the only -one present that can hang on while I take care of the Caramanne."</p> - -<p>"For a moment," said Downing.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The four men in tuxedos blinked and shook their heads. The manager -took a quick, very short drink. It was a draft of sheer relief.</p> - -<p>The pulse-beating rhythm of the native dance of Venus started with -rapid tomtom, and then carried up into the other instruments. With -the floor to themselves, Cliff and Patricia covered most of it in the -whirling, quick-step.</p> - -<p>"A fine specimen of fidelity you'd make," she laughed.</p> - -<p>"Well, you were busy. I had to do something."</p> - -<p>"You seem to do all right. They're both rather special."</p> - -<p>"Know them?"</p> - -<p>"Only by nodding acquaintance."</p> - -<p>"Well, any time you have time to spare for Cliff Lane, just let me know -and I'll toss 'em overboard and come running."</p> - -<p>"And in the meantime?"</p> - -<p>"And in the meantime, I'm not going to rot."</p> - -<p>The dance swung into the finish, which left them both breathing hard. -Lane escorted Patricia back to the table, where Downing sat silent. As -they came up, a third man approached. Lane seated Patricia and then -greeted the new-comer.</p> - -<p>"Hi, Billy. Lucky, we've got a girl for you, too."</p> - -<p>Thompson breathed out. "Oh," he said surveying the situation. Both -situations looked him over and smiled. "Lenore, and Karen, this is -Billy Thompson. He's in division."</p> - -<p>"Which division?" asked Lenore.</p> - -<p>"Subdivision," grinned Thompson. "I'm the guy they got to comb these -guys out of each other's hair."</p> - -<p>"Poor man," sympathized Karen.</p> - -<p>"You gals match for him," laughed Cliff. He tossed a coin.</p> - -<p>"Heads!" called Lenore.</p> - -<p>"You lose—take him," chuckled Lane.</p> - -<p>Lenore put her arm through Thompson's. "Nope," she said brightly, "I -win."</p> - -<p>The spotlight hit the table. "We might as well finish this," laughed -the announcer. "I present the referee ... pardon me, folks, I mean the -top man of the Terran sector; Flight Commander Billy Thompson!"</p> - -<p>The music started, and all three couples went to dance to a medley of -Strauss' waltzes.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">IV.</p> - - -<p>"It was all sort of whirligig, like," explained Patricia. "We didn't -get home until along toward the not-so-wee large hours of the morning."</p> - -<p>"I know," responded her father dryly. "The whole gang of you were -raiding the icebox at five."</p> - -<p>"The rest of them left shortly afterward."</p> - -<p>"All of them?"</p> - -<p>"No, Stellor outsat them and lingered to say goodnight."</p> - -<p>"What do you think of Stellor?"</p> - -<p>"I've always thought highly of Stellor. He's got everything. He knows -what he wants and he knows how to get it."</p> - -<p>"And Cliff Lane?"</p> - -<p>"Cliff is strictly on the impulse."</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't say that," objected her father. "After all, both of them -got where they are because of their ability."</p> - -<p>"Well, Cliff gives the impression that he just thought of it."</p> - -<p>"Of what?"</p> - -<p>"Of whatever he was going to do next."</p> - -<p>"A good thing nobody ever asked you to decide between them."</p> - -<p>"It would be difficult."</p> - -<p>"Well, it won't be necessary. They're leaving after the next change of -watch."</p> - -<p>"So soon?"</p> - -<p>"The Little Man gave the impression that all of us were fighting for -time."</p> - -<p>"I see. You do believe that this is important?"</p> - -<p>"I can see no other reason for it."</p> - -<p>"Um-m-m. Well, I'll be down to see them off."</p> - -<p>"All of us will."</p> - -<p>"I was worried, last night. I could see a beautiful shindy in the -offing."</p> - -<p>"And it didn't get bad at all?"</p> - -<p>"No," answered Patricia in surprise. "I think Cliff saved the day -by showing up with a couple of women. I wouldn't have wanted to sit -between the two of them all by myself. That would have been strictly -murder. And I wouldn't have wanted to see Stellor off without saying -farewell to Cliff. Stellor got here first with the plans—I was -strictly a fence. I didn't know what to do. So I did it. And everything -turned out fine."</p> - -<p>"You can hope that it will always turn out fine. What'll you do if one -of them turns to some other woman?"</p> - -<p>Patricia laughed wryly. "I'd lose both of them, Dad. Believe me, I -would. The other would barge in and set sail for the woman just as sure -as I'm a foot high."</p> - -<p>"But ... but ... but—"</p> - -<p>"I don't really know—nor do I care too much."</p> - -<p>"Anticipating me? You mean you don't know which one really wants you -and which other is just here for sheer rivalry?"</p> - -<p>Patricia nodded. "They don't, either," she said sagely. "It is a good -thing that we have time. Time will out, as you've always said. Time -will get us the answer. Right now I'm neither worried about time, or -even not having my mind made up on a future. I've got a number of years -of fun ahead before then."</p> - -<p>"Bright girl," laughed Kennebec. "Now let's get going. We want to see -them off, don't we?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Two hours later, seventy-five of the Solar Guard's finest ships arrowed -into the sky above Mojave. In the lead, determined by a toss of the -coin, was Stellor Downing's command. Thompson's outfit, running to his -own taste, encircled the Downing cone at the base in a short cylinder, -while bringing up the rear was Cliff Lane's long spiral. An hour out of -Mojave, the flight went into superdrive and left the Solar Combine far -behind in a matter of minutes.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>By the clock, it was weeks later that the Solar Guard's flight dropped -down out of superdrive and took a look around. The Little Man, in -Thompson's ship, used his own instruments and indicated that the yellow -star—it was more than a star at their distance—dead ahead was the one -they sought.</p> - -<p>"Downing," called Lane. "How's your power reserve?"</p> - -<p>"Like yours, probably."</p> - -<p>"We'd better find a close-in, hotter-than-the-hinges planet where they -won't be populating and charge up, what say?"</p> - -<p>"Good idea. Better than the original plan of charging in flight. If -it's close in, it'll have ceased revolution, probably. We can hit the -twilight zone and rest our feet a bit."</p> - -<p>"O.K. I'll put the searchers on it."</p> - -<p>"We'd better take it by relays, though. A fleet that's planeted for -charging isn't in the most admirable position for attack."</p> - -<p>"Reasonable. You charge, Thompson'll guard, and I'll scout around."</p> - -<p>"You'll do nothing of the sort," growled Downing. "You and Thompson -will both guard."</p> - -<p>"Afraid?"</p> - -<p>"No, you idiot. I'm jealous as hell. I don't want you to take all the -glory."</p> - -<p>"And that's probably the truth," laughed Lane.</p> - -<p>"Take it or leave it."</p> - -<p>Thompson interrupted. "This sounds like the leading edge of a fight. -Stop it. We'll play it safe—Downing's way."</p> - -<p>"O.K.," assented Lane cheerfully enough.</p> - -<p>"Thing that bothers me," muttered Downing, "is the fact that if this -bunch have any stuff, we're being recorded on the tapes right now."</p> - -<p>"So?"</p> - -<p>"And if they're as nasty as the Little Man claims, they'll be here with -all of their nastiness."</p> - -<p>"All right," snapped Lane. "We've got detectors and analyzers, haven't -we?"</p> - -<p>"Uh-huh. But we're a long way from home base. What we've got we've got -to keep—and use. They can toss the book at us and go home for another -library. Follow?"</p> - -<p>"Yup. Located a planet yet?"</p> - -<p>"Haven't you been paying attention?"</p> - -<p>"No. You're in the lead. I'm merely following as best I can."</p> - -<p>"Then sharp up. We're heading for the innermost planet now."</p> - -<p>"Go ahead—we'll go in to see. Then Lane and I will scout the sky above -to keep off the incoming bunch, if any," said Thompson.</p> - -<p>It was an armed watch. Downing's flight landed and set up the solar -collectors. From the ships there came a group of planet-mounted modines -which had little to offer over the turrets in the ships save adding to -their numbers.</p> - -<p>The other two flights dropped off their planet-mounts, too, since they -were of no use a-flight and might even become a detriment if trouble -demanded swift maneuver.</p> - -<p>Then a regular patrol schedule was set up and alternately Lane and -Thompson took to the sky to cover the area. The detectors were -overhauled and stepped up to the theoretical limit of their efficiency, -and couplers and fire-control systems were hooked in and calibrated.</p> - -<p>It took nine days by the clock to get the camp set up, and Downing's -flight was almost recharged by the end of that time.</p> - -<p>As Thompson's flight went in for re-charge, Downing and Lane discussed -the camp.</p> - -<p>"I say leave it here," said Lane. "Might be handy."</p> - -<p>"When?"</p> - -<p>"I don't have any real idea. But we've got one hundred and fifty extra -dymodines planet-mounted down there. I say leave it there until we get -this problem off our chest."</p> - -<p>"Expect trouble?" scoffed Downing.</p> - -<p>Lane nodded. "I expect this to end in a running fight with one of the -two of us making a blind but accurate stab in the dark and getting -that machine the Little Man talks about. If the going gets tough, we -can hole out here for some time with the solar collectors running the -planet mounts."</p> - -<p>"Wonder why the cat race hasn't come up," mused Downing. "It isn't -sensible to permit any alien to establish a planethead in your system."</p> - -<p>"They might not even know."</p> - -<p>"Unlikely."</p> - -<p>"Look, though," offered Lane, "we came in sunward, almost scorching -our tails. The solar centroid of interference might make any flight -detection undistinguishable from background noise."</p> - -<p>"Yeah? Remember that we came in over the edge of the sun from -<i>somewhere</i>. We were out in space mostly."</p> - -<p>"Then you answer it—you asked it!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The catmen came as Thompson's flight left the camp and Lane's ships -dropped into the charging positions. They came in a horde, they came -and they swarmed over the two flights that were patrolling.</p> - -<p>In a wide circle, the Solarians raced just outside of the camp. The -planet mounts covered the sky above, and a veritable arched roof of -death-dealing energy covered the twenty-five ships of Lane's flight. -The space between the Solar circle and the catman circle was ablaze -with energy, and the ether was filled with interference. Even the -subether carried its share of crackle, and the orders went on the -tone-modulated code instead of voice.</p> - -<p>Solid ordnance dropped, and exploded through the crisscrossing of the -planet mounts, and the planeted ships ran their charges down instead of -up by adding to the fury over their heads. They were sitting ducks and -they knew it.</p> - -<p>But unlike the sitting duck, these could shoot back. And they took -their toll.</p> - -<p>Then without apparent reason, the flight of catmen left their whirling -circle on a tangent and streaked for space.</p> - -<p>Behind them lay nine smoking ships—prey to the Solar Guard.</p> - -<p>But they had not gone in vain. There were seven of the Solar Guard -that would fly no more—seven ships and a total of one hundred and -seventy-five men.</p> - -<p>"<i>Whew.</i> They haven't any sense at all," snarled Downing.</p> - -<p>"Either that or they value their lives rather poorly."</p> - -<p>"Must be. I wouldn't know. But usually a vicious mind doesn't value -life too highly."</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't be too certain of that."</p> - -<p>"All right. I won't belabor the point. I don't know. It just seems—"</p> - -<p>The next ten days was under rigid rule. Lane's ships charged, and the -last day was spent in replenishing the charges lost in the short but -torrid fight.</p> - -<p>"Now," said Lane, "what's with this hell-machine that the Little Man -mentions?"</p> - -<p>"The detectors do not detect," objected Downing.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>They confronted the Little Man with the nonoperating detector. He shook -his tiny head and worried visibly. He puzzled over it, juggled the -circuit controls, and then threw up his hands in bafflement. He spoke -to Hotang Lu:</p> - -<p>"The field must be so great that the detector is paralyzed."</p> - -<p>"It is more than likely. Remember, it was working on Tlembo. It was -working on ... on ... I have not the word for their star. Many many -light-years away it is good. Close by—it must be paralyzed."</p> - -<p>"Then we must make it less sensitive."</p> - -<p>"Do you know how?"</p> - -<p>"I did once, long ago. But I have forgotten my techniques and my -ability lags because of lack of practice."</p> - -<p>"And I devoted myself to the arts instead of technology. A revered -master at the problem of mental culture; I cannot invade this gadget -with tools."</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu smiled. "You might try psychoanalyzing it."</p> - -<p>"Yes, if it contained but one memory-pattern," laughed Toralen Ki.</p> - -<p>"They'd have done better to have sent a plumber and an electrician than -we two failures."</p> - -<p>"At this point, we must attempt to convey the idea of a search for the -master machine."</p> - -<p>"It will not be hard. This race will search rather than return home -with an incomplete mission. The rivalry that exists between the leaders -insures the success of our plan despite any set-back."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Toralen Ki and Hotang Lu faced Lane and Downing. All four shook their -heads in complete misunderstanding. Then Hotang Lu sketched a crude -diagram of the catmen's star-system. He indicated the master machine -and also indicated their search for it and its ultimate destruction.</p> - -<p>Lane gritted his teeth. "How big?" he asked aloud, and pointed from the -machine to several bits of equipment in the ship.</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki said: "Don't know."</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu nodded in agreement and tried to convey their ignorance of -the size.</p> - -<p>"I gather that they've never seen it."</p> - -<p>"Chances are if they'd seen it they'd have bopped it themselves," -observed Downing.</p> - -<p>"Reasonable attitude."</p> - -<p>"Well, we have about ten to the twenty-seventh power square miles of -blank and utter nothing to curry-comb for a dingus of some sort."</p> - -<p>"Blank and utter nothing—hell! I wouldn't mind blank and utter -nothing. We could comb it if it weren't for sun, planets, asteroids, -meteors, noise-impulses from nowhere-in-particular, just plain hell, -and a crew of wild-personalized catmen." Lane paused to take a deep -breath. "As it is, the latter is the most complicated of the bunch -mentioned. We can't spread out in a space-lattice and comb. We've got -to do one of two things. Either we enlist the help—or get freedom of -search—of or from the catmen or we comb in a large and armed body."</p> - -<p>"That's a nice problem. Either way."</p> - -<p>"As has been mentioned before—'Take it or leave it!'"</p> - -<p>"Mind explaining how you go about getting chummy with a race that took -a swing without asking questions first?"</p> - -<p>"That's partly our fault. We just invaded."</p> - -<p>"We couldn't spend a few months getting chummy first. We needed -power—and bad."</p> - -<p>"All right," agreed Lane. "But they didn't know that. And it's all -right with me because I'm leery of letting anyone know that I'm -vulnerable. Especially people I don't know and therefore cannot trust."</p> - -<p>"Have we got what it takes to barge in there and settle down? Can we -hold them off until we can make it clear that we don't want their -stinking planet?"</p> - -<p>"Have we?"</p> - -<p>"If we do right now, there'll be a lot of us that stay there for good."</p> - -<p>"How many of us are expendable?"</p> - -<p>"All of us as long as that dingbat is destroyed."</p> - -<p>Lane grimaced. "And how important is it?"</p> - -<p>Downing gave an "I don't know" wave of his hands. "We might go looking -for trouble, Lane."</p> - -<p>"Meaning catch us a single shipload of catmen and let 'em go, well -filled with cream and a fine explanation?"</p> - -<p>"Might even get a rat or two for them."</p> - -<p>"Meaning?"</p> - -<p>Downing grinned maliciously. "Guilty conscience?" he taunted. "Forget -it, hothead."</p> - -<p>"Don't make cracks, Iceberg. O.K., forget it. It's probably the best -idea yet. How do we bait a cat trap?"</p> - -<p>"Cream—or catnip."</p> - -<p>"Very funny," interrupted Thompson. "Exceedingly amusing. You make me -laugh, <i>haha</i>," he added in a flat, disgusted tone.</p> - -<p>"Shut up," chorused Lane and Downing.</p> - -<p>"All right. Then stop making light of this. Bait a cat trap. You'll -just have to pirate the planet lanes and catch you one."</p> - -<p>"The trouble with you, Thompson, is that you have no sense of humor."</p> - -<p>Thompson subsided. He realized that this light banter was a cover-up -for a deeper feeling. Deprive them of niggling at one another in a -light way and they might take to it in a more serious vein.</p> - -<p>"It is agreed, then, that we grab us a boatload of catmen and -indoctrinate them with Solarian good will and propaganda."</p> - -<p>"It is," said Downing. "Time's a-wasting. Let's grab."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">V.</p> - - -<p>Like a contracting funnel, the Solar Guard closed down on the catman -ship. They crowded the catman spacer, forced him into a pocket, and -then started to drive him their way.</p> - -<p>But unlike a pocketed ship, the catman slashed back. An invisible beam -came from somewhere on the craft. It slashed out, closed down upon a -midsection of the nearest Solar Guard, and ripped the belly out of the -ship. It was both brutal and sickening. One moment the Solarian craft -was forcing the catman ship to give space or collide. The next moment -the midsection had been gouged away; ripped out as with a vicious claw -or a set of cruel, gigantic teeth. The crushed midsection was flung -free of the stricken craft and as the ship collapsed over its open -belly, and died, the catman slashed at another and another of the -Solarians.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus4.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Superdrive!" exploded Lane.</p> - -<p>The slashing catman got one more ship before the Solar Guard went -into the superdrive and raced away.</p> - -<p>"Did you record that?" asked Lane.</p> - -<p>"Tried to. The recorder blew."</p> - -<p>"So did all of them. Creepers! What a nasty thing to have around."</p> - -<p>Thompson said: "One of my techs is repairing a recorder now. He thinks -he can give the wave analysis."</p> - -<p>"How?"</p> - -<p>"He finds that certain of the crystalline structures in the wave -recorder are de-crystallized."</p> - -<p>"Meaning what?" demanded Lane.</p> - -<p>"Meaning that certain frequencies hit the nuclear resonance of the -crystalline structures. I'll let you know."</p> - -<p>"Let us know quick," said Downing. "If we can analyze it, we can either -reproduce it or shield against it."</p> - -<p>"Cats at seven o'clock, forty degrees!" exploded the observer in Lane's -ship.</p> - -<p>"Anywhere else?" demanded Lane.</p> - -<p>No answer.</p> - -<p>"Fight 'em," snapped Lane.</p> - -<p>There were six catmen converging on Lane's command. The rest of -the Solar crew flung around and headed for the local fight. Lane's -dymodines flashed out and were stopped cold by barriers.</p> - -<p>"Crash stations!" ordered Lane. "Prepare for total destruction!"</p> - -<p>The six catmen got above Lane's ship and drove him downward with -pressors and an occasional light—it must have been very light—touch -of the belly-tearing beam. Above the six were the sixty-odd Solarians -fighting to get through and fighting a useless battle.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"We can't damage 'em," snarled Lane. "Superdrive—right through 'em!"</p> - -<p>He almost made it. His ship rammed up under the stellar drive, came -level with the screen of catmen, and almost made it through. But four -of them reached forth with the belly-tearing beams and took separate -parts of his ship. The warning creak of plates caused the pilot to stop.</p> - -<p>Lane's ship was thrust down below again.</p> - -<p>"Superdrive—away!"</p> - -<p>Lane's ship turned and dropped.</p> - -<p>The action was too fast for the Solarian crew, and he left them far -behind. But the catmen were right with him all the way.</p> - -<p>"Cut it," said Lane in a tired voice. "Let 'em play. Save our strength -for later when we can do something."</p> - -<p>They went inert. No drive, no sign of fight, no objection.</p> - -<p>A side-force hit them, slapping the ship sidewise about fifty feet. It -jarred the ship's delicate mechanisms into a short fluster of unreal -alarms and ringing signals, but the sturdy stuff was not permanently -damaged.</p> - -<p>Still no response from Cliff's ship.</p> - -<p>They poked him down brutally with a pressor and then jerked him back up -again.</p> - -<p>More alarms and more nosebleed among the crew.</p> - -<p>They caught the ship in force-zones and played catch with it from one -catman to the other, poking and thrusting. They ripped off one of the -turrets with the snatcher.</p> - -<p>Then they stopped. And they waited. Quietly they hung above Lane's -ship, watching, watching, watching.</p> - -<p>A full, solid, nerve-breaking hour they waited, and the men in Lane's -ship waited, wondering.</p> - -<p>"Try it!" snapped Lane.</p> - -<p>The ship leaped into motion, driving to one side.</p> - -<p>Snatchers raced out and caught the fleeing ship, dragged it back, and -again they went through the pushing, pulling, tossing program. And then -again they stopped with a few, final perfunctory pokes and shoves.</p> - -<p>"They're catmen, all right," snarled Lane.</p> - -<p>The rest of the Solar Guard came up, and once more they tried to break -through the screen to free Lane's ship. Lane shook his head. "Pilot. -How long under superdrive before we hit the speed of light?"</p> - -<p>"Seven minutes."</p> - -<p>"Then drive straight down. I don't think any beam can exceed the speed -of light. Once we get up there, they can't reach forward after us, at -least."</p> - -<p>Lane's ship dropped. And the catmen followed, maintaining their -distance with superior balance and accuracy. A minute passed. Two. -Three. Four. Five. And then at an even six, a snatcher reached forward -and took Lane's ship by the empennage and shook it enough to rend a few -seams.</p> - -<p>"O.K., cut it," he said wearily. "I wonder what they want of us beside -to play cat-and-mouse?"</p> - -<p>There were three more sessions of the cat-and-mouse trick, separated by -hour intervals. Then the six catmen, their nature satisfied, took hold -of Lane's ship in a cluster of snatcher beams. Lane heard the plates -give as the fields-of-focus closed down.</p> - -<p>He closed his eyes, breathed a short prayer, and waited.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Stellor Downing called Thompson. "Back to One," he said.</p> - -<p>"Giving up?"</p> - -<p>"Can you think of anything to do?"</p> - -<p>"No."</p> - -<p>"Well, let's get back where we can plan."</p> - -<p>Thompson assented. It was reluctant, however, and a day later, when -they landed on One at their camp, he faced Downing. "Sort of solves -your problem, doesn't it?"</p> - -<p>"Look," snapped Stellor Downing. "I've got a few feelings and a number -of nerves. Lane and I were not deeply in love with one another. Yes, -it solves a lot of problems, Thompson, but don't taunt me about it, or -I'll take a modine to your throat, see?"</p> - -<p>"We might have tried again," insisted Thompson.</p> - -<p>"We might have tried for a month. We couldn't even touch them. If -you're intimating that I gave up quick—?"</p> - -<p>"You weren't leaning over backwards."</p> - -<p>"Quoting an old, famous fable, 'sometimes it is better to fall flat on -your face.'"</p> - -<p>"Meaning?"</p> - -<p>"We've got whole skins. They were after captives, not meat. They wanted -the same thing we do but they got 'em first."</p> - -<p>"So?"</p> - -<p>"So we take whatever wave analysis we have and try to figure 'em out. -If we can reproduce any of that stuff, we'll go back."</p> - -<p>"Hm-m-m."</p> - -<p>"Look, Thompson, as far as this job is concerned, your job of keeping -Lane and myself out of one another's hair is over. One head of hair is -gone, see."</p> - -<p>"And what do you intend to do about it?"</p> - -<p>"I intend to carry on. Now forget about the fact that a personal grudge -of mine has been taken out of my hands and let's get on to working out -some means of fighting back. Lane is gone. I'm trying not to gloat. But -you're not helping. So stop it."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Toralen Ki shook his head in a worried manner. "One is gone."</p> - -<p>"A substitute?"</p> - -<p>"I fear that any substitute may not be as good."</p> - -<p>"Nonsense, Toralen. Were there a better man than either, we'd have -selected him; if either had not existed, a lesser man would have -sufficed."</p> - -<p>"The right kind is so very few," complained Toralen Ki.</p> - -<p>"We can find one. We will have to return to their planet to do so, and -it will be harder for us—but it can be done. No good general has only -one plan of battle."</p> - -<p>"But so much depends—Ah well, despair is the product of the inferior -intellect. We will, we must carry on."</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu opened his large case. "I will contact our superiors -immediately and ask their advice."</p> - -<p>"Yes," nodded Toralen Ki. "Also ask them if they have the answer to the -less-sensitive detector, yet."</p> - -<p>Hotang turned the communicator on and waited for it to warm up. His -hand dropped into the case and came up with another small instrument of -extreme complexity.</p> - -<p>"Once the suppressor is destroyed," he said with a smile of -contemplation, "we can use this on them."</p> - -<p>"And that means success!" breathed Toralen Ki. "From that time on, our -plans—"</p> - -<p>"Wait, the communicator is operating," said Hotang Lu, waving a hand. -He reached for the communicator's controls and started to talk swiftly, -pressing his head against the plate above the voice-transmitter.</p> - -<p>Flight Commander Thompson handed Downing a sheaf of papers. "There's -the wave analysis," he said with pride.</p> - -<p>Downing looked them over. "You've got the technical crew. Can we -reproduce all or any of it?"</p> - -<p>"Only by tearing down a couple of modine directors. The boys can -convert the spotting, training, and ranging circuits—they'll use the -components—and rebuild the thing to generate barriers. The snatcher -is easy. We'll just juggle the main modulating system of a tractor -generator. That comes out so simple I feel slightly sick at not having -thought of it myself."</p> - -<p>"What is its analysis?" asked Downing.</p> - -<p>"Couple a force beam with a tractor focus-zone generator. The tractor, -you know, operates on the field-of-focus principle. A rough sphere at -the end of the beam—anything in that field is drawn. The snatcher -merely applies the field-of-focus idea to the side-thrust of a force -beam. You raise the power several times and anchor it with a superdrive -tube coupled so that the thrust is balanced against a spatial thrust -instead of the ship. That tears the guts out of anything."</p> - -<p>"I have an idea that you might be able to cut instead of tear if -you include some nuclear-resonant frequencies in the field of focus -generator."</p> - -<p>"Is it necessary?"</p> - -<p>"Might be interesting," said Downing. "They tear. If we land on them -with something that quickly, precisely, quietly, and almost painlessly -slices a sphere out of one of their ships, they may be impressed."</p> - -<p>"You have something there. I'm going to tear into some of the -planet-mounted jobs. We are now sixty-three ships. I can make one -snatcher out of every dymodine that's planet-mounted out here. Shall -I?"</p> - -<p>"How long?"</p> - -<p>"Ten hours each."</p> - -<p>"Six hundred and thirty hours. Twenty-six days and six hours."</p> - -<p>"We'll make it in twenty days. By the time the boys get to Number Ten -or Twelve they'll be working shortcut and on production-line basis and -the piece-time will drop."</p> - -<p>"Twenty days is long enough, believe me. We'll toss in my gang and -Lane's gang, too. They can go to work on the modine directors and make -barriers out of 'em if you claim they'll work."</p> - -<p>"They'll work."</p> - -<p>"Then let's get going. The Little Guys are tearing their hair as it is."</p> - -<p>Thompson nodded.</p> - -<p>"But look," said Downing, "don't rip up any dymodines ahead. Convert -slowly. If the catmen attack, we'll need all we can muster to fight 'em -off."</p> - -<p>"Right."</p> - -<p>"And as for Cliff Lane—he isn't dead until we prove it, see? So far as -I know, he might be getting an education in cat-culture right now."</p> - -<p>Thompson looked at Downing for a long time, saying nothing. Then he -turned and left, still without comment.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Cliff Lane and his ship were herded down to the ground. His ship was -surrounded by the six catmen, their beams pointed at him, waiting. For -an hour they waited, using all the patience of the feline. It got on -the nerves of the humans, and they wanted to do something.</p> - -<p>Their trouble was that they didn't quite know what to do.</p> - -<p>Cliff, after the full hour had ticked off, said: "I'm thinking of the -cat that got a neuropsychosis over mice because one came out of the -hole and kicked him in the face."</p> - -<p>"Think it's wise?"</p> - -<p>"Never was very fond of cats," admitted Lane glumly. "I find them even -more obnoxious when I see them employing intelligence. That makes it -worse—"</p> - -<p>"But just going out—?"</p> - -<p>"D'ye want to sit here for months?"</p> - -<p>"Think they would?"</p> - -<p>"Probably. At least, long enough to have us tearing out each other's -hair."</p> - -<p>"But—"</p> - -<p>"But nothing. Have we got the planet-analysis yet?"</p> - -<p>The aide pawed through the delivery basket on Lane's desk and came -up with a sheet of paper. He read: "Pressure sixteen point three. -Temperature eight-one, humidity thirty-seven. Air: Oxy twenty-one, -nitrogen all the rest—with a trace, of course, of CO<sub>2</sub>. Pollen count -not too bad, bacteria count about normal, but the spore count is zero."</p> - -<p>"No spores?"</p> - -<p>"Nope."</p> - -<p>"Gosh," smiled Lane. "Imagine a world where they can't smother a steak -with mushrooms!"</p> - -<p>"So what are you going to do?"</p> - -<p>"Me? I'm going out there and tell 'em what they're missing. Imagine—no -mushrooms!"</p> - -<p>"I'm just thinking of what a nice world this would be to do tropical -research. I've even seen fungus growing on steel."</p> - -<p>"No, you haven't. Bakelite I'll buy, but when the stuff grows on steel -it is growing on the dust that has collected. Well, tell the boys in -the back room to cover me as I emerge."</p> - -<p>Lane undogged the spacelock and the rams pulled it back out of the -frame. Riding on the front of the automatic runway, Lane stood in an -indolent attitude, the thumb of his right hand hooked over the belt -just one-half inch from the butt of his modine. His other hand held a -cigarette.</p> - -<p>As the runway hit the ground, Lane took a last puff of the cigarette, -stepped to the ground and dropped the glowing butt. He crushed it with -his heel, and then took five forward steps, looking about himself with -open curiosity.</p> - -<p>The catman ship directly in front of him opened its spacelock and one -of the catmen emerged.</p> - -<p>Lane walked forward boldly to inspect this alien creature. He acted -as though he were not a prisoner, but a visitor—and it was probably -that attitude that saved him from further cat-and-mouse, for the catman -seemed unsure of the next move.</p> - -<p>The catman was more man than cat, just as the human—in the catman's -nomenclature an apeman—the human was more man than ape. He stood -erect. His legs were long and excellently muscled. His shoulders were -broad and sloping, and his arms were well rounded. The temperature -was high—to Lane's liking, being Venusite—and the scanty uniform of -the catman matched the shorts, high-laced boots, shoulder straps and -cape of the Solarian. The catman's hands were long and spatulate, and -the fingernails were as broad as Cliff's. The retractile claws were -gone—deleted in a hundred thousand years of evolution. Gone were the -fur and the tail and the slitted eyes, and all of the other basic -cat-characteristics. The whiskers were gone also, and the ears were no -longer mobile, but on each side of the head just as the human's. They -were still pointed on top and resembled, or at least reminded Cliff of -a cat's ears modified in human mold.</p> - -<p>Catman?</p> - -<p>Well, there was something distinctly feline about the creature, -humanoid though he seemed. He was lithe, and instead of walking -forward, he prowled. There was a quick alertness—not visible, but -felt—to the catman's every move.</p> - -<p>Yes, this creature was definitely of feline evolution.</p> - -<p>And Cliff Lane walked forward boldly. He smiled inwardly, gaining -confidence from the fact that he was still alive and unharmed. Prisoner -he might be, but he was no humble prisoner. He was proud and haughty, -and he was not taking any guff.</p> - -<p>He strode forward to hasten the first meeting between Primate and -Feline on the common ground of civilization.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">VI.</p> - - -<p>The catman's steps faltered. This alien, that had come from some -distant star, was definitely primate in evolution. He knew -primates—they had primates on Sscantoo, here—and primates were nasty -animals. They were filled with curiosity—mass curiosity—that had been -the basis for a platitude on Sscantoo: "Curiosity saved a mansee." When -you killed or wounded a primate, the woods would fill up with curious, -chattering hordes of his fellow-primates. It made life rather dangerous -unless you were prepared to fight your way out.</p> - -<p>And this curious fellow was none the less a primate in spite of the -fact that his face bore the stamp of civilization and he wore clothing. -He was curious—even more curious than one of the Sscantovian apes. He -walked forward boldly in spite of the fact that he was a prisoner and -must know that fact. The catman wondered how bold the primate would -have been if his ship had landed of its own free will—or had landed -despite the objections of his six ships.</p> - -<p>If he were bold now, a prisoner, he would be downright arrogant as a -victorious captor.</p> - -<p>Linzete, the catman, stopped. He didn't like primates, and the idea of -confronting a primate armed with intelligence as well as the natural -instincts of the apeman bothered him.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>At Linzete's commandatory motion, Cliff Lane stopped. But not until -he'd taken a full step beyond the catman's command just to show him. -Twenty paces apart they stood, eying one another.</p> - -<p>Cliff smiled.</p> - -<p>Linzete's eyes glittered.</p> - -<p>Cliff shrugged. This was getting nowhere.</p> - -<p>Linzete took a step forward, and Cliff stepped forward two steps.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus1.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Linzete seemed pleased. This primate, he thought, is no larger nor does -he seem stronger than I. I do not believe that he is as quick.</p> - -<p>"<i>A move out of you</i>," thought Lane, "<i>and I'll clip you!</i>"</p> - -<p>Linzete stooped and picked up a pebble from the ground. He put it on -top of another pebble, and then stepped back and to one side by fifty -paces. He waved Cliff a waiting motion, and then with a lightning -motion Linzete drew his side arm and fired.</p> - -<p>The sharp crack of electrical discharge split the air. A dazzling -pencil of energy spat forth and the pebble disappeared in a blinding -coruscation.</p> - -<p>Lane laughed.</p> - -<p>Linzete scowled. That sound was very much like the chanting and -cachinnation that went on among the primates when they were amused.</p> - -<p>Cliff Lane stooped, picked up a pebble and threw it high above -Linzete's head. The modine came from Cliff's holster, poised for an -instant while it spat energy, and then was thrust back home again. -The motion was a flowing swift thing of muscle and timing, and the -end-result was the explosion of the pebble in midair.</p> - -<p>The flash and the explosive report of tortured air and matter caused -Linzete to blink. When his eyes opened again, the primate's weapon was -holstered.</p> - -<p>Linzete's breath came out in a sharp hiss.</p> - -<p>Lane shrugged and remembered the hiss of an annoyed cat.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Sound in the air caused both of them to look up. A small ship was -circling the open spot, and it landed not far from Cliff. Clad in -spotless white—spotless and seamless white—from toe to fingertip, and -an inverted bowl of clear glass or plastic, the catman emerged from his -open craft and came forward. On his back was a small tank and valves -for air, obviously.</p> - -<p>Cliff puzzled for only a moment. The white-clad one lifted a square -case from the plane and, coming forward boldly, snapped down a portable -set of legs and opened the door in front of Cliff.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus5.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>From the cabinet he took slides of glass. He took Cliff's hand between -his gloved fingers and pressed the human's fingers to the slide. He -caught the human's breath on another slide. He made a convulsive motion -with his face, and Cliff smiled and coughed on another slide. From the -cabinet he took a scalpel and with a deft motion—and before Cliff -could act—the doctor took a neat slice out of the small finger of -Cliff's left hand. He doused the cut immediately; the substance removed -the pain, at any rate.</p> - -<p>He took a sample of Cliff's blood, scraped the skin of Cliff's forearm, -and clipped off eight or nine of Cliff's crisp black hairs.</p> - -<p>Then he closed the cabinet and sealed it. From the plane he took a -large spray, and setting it up aground, the doctor proceeded to stand, -turn, and generally bathe in the atomizer output. He sprayed the -outside of the cabinet with it, and then proceeded to work the ground -and air over, spraying in all directions, including the other catman, -Linzete. The doctor finished his proceedings by spraying Cliff Lane's -ship on the outside, and turning the spray into the spacelock and -liberally drenching the runway and entrance of the Solarian vessel.</p> - -<p>Cliff nodded understandingly. He didn't even object to being sprayed -himself, for the stuff was aromatic though a bit sticky when it started -to dry.</p> - -<p>The doctor took off.</p> - -<p>"Wonder what he'll find," mused Cliff. And then a large white craft -landed. It was completely inclosed, and the driver's compartment was -set off from the rest.</p> - -<p>"The paddy-wagon," grinned Cliff. Clad as the doctor had been, four -catmen came from the craft bearing sprays. One of them approached Cliff -and motioned for him to follow. Cliff nodded, but turned and called -back:</p> - -<p>"Let 'em sterilize to their heart's content, fellows. After all, we -want their co-operation!"</p> - -<p>He entered the large ship as the other three catmen entered the -spacelock of Lane's ship and went to work.</p> - -<p>Within fifteen minutes, Cliff Lane was residing in a sterile, -spotlessly white room. The windows were sealed and the door was -air-tight. A portable atmosphere-cleaner purred in one corner, -freshening the air and cooling it. From a speaker in the wall there -came music—of a sort—and through a double window in the wall Lane and -the catmen indulged in mutual inspection.</p> - -<p>A large block of paper hung on an easel, and a heavy black crayon lay -in the tray. Cliff nodded. Heavy black crayon so that his sketchings -could be seen from the distance. He smiled, scowled at the music, and -then started to sketch.</p> - -<p>The Little People had not been able to convey the reasons for their -desires to the humans, but human and catmen were not possessed of any -form of telepathy to augment their communications. Cliff was a fair -cartoonist, and he progressed well.</p> - -<p>The catmen began to understand.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The days sped past, marked only by the clock and the chiming of -watch-change bells. Dymodines returned from their mountings on the -living rock of the innermost planet, they entered the ships of the -combined commands, and were converted, one by one. The machine shops in -the bellies of the ships hummed and racketed, and the stockroom stores -went down. The scrap pile outside on the airless face of One grew as -the dymodines were converted; parts of no use were tossed out.</p> - -<p>The catmen did not molest them. Not once during the twenty days of -labor was there any report, or any sight of the catmen. If the catmen -were using scanners on them, the catman scanner used frequencies never -tried by humans, for the detectors gave the spectrum a clear ticket.</p> - -<p>Yet the strain was there, and the men worked furiously to convert -the dymodines to snatchers, because they knew that until they were -finished, they were a group of sitting ducks. Dymodines had been -blocked by the catmen—and that left them unarmed.</p> - -<p>Then on the twentieth day, Stellor Downing gave the order to lift and -head for the fourth planet.</p> - -<p>In a close formation, the sixty-three ships arrowed into the sky, hit -superdrive, and headed away from the sun.</p> - -<p>They arrived above Four and began to look for trouble. They circled -the planet twice, took a few tentative stabs at the ground with their -improved snatchers, and generally let it be known that they were there -and seeking either their fellow or knowledge of his whereabouts.</p> - -<p>The recognition detectors flashed Lane's trace, and they put -direction-finding equipment into gear. They circled above the field -upon which lay Cliff Lane's craft.</p> - -<p>There was no sign of human life there. The spacelock was closed, and it -could not be known whether from the inside or from the outside. Signals -gained no answering flash, but the complete confidence with which they -circled this field did get them an answer of sorts.</p> - -<p>Beams flashed up, and spattered against the barriers of the flight. A -pair of extra heavy battlecraft leaped out of underground slides and -drove up into Downing's flight. The heavy beams lashed about, and four -of Downing's ships folded over their torn midsections. Then Downing's -ship answered fire.</p> - -<p>It was not spectacular. The sphere of energy was not visible, nor was -it heterodyned. It closed upon the midsection of the heavy battlecraft. -It cut, quietly and with lightning swift precision. It moved, swinging -on a force beam and taking with it a sphere of the battlecraft's -middle—a perfect sphere, mirror-finished on the plates, girders, and -equipment that met the surface.</p> - -<p>The energy ceased and the perfect sphere dropped toward the planet.</p> - -<p>Smoke poured from the gaping hole, and the battlecraft buckled, -folded, and exploded like a bomb. Bits of broken ship spread far and -wide, and the main mass fell back upon the spaceport.</p> - -<p>It lay there, inert, smoke trickling from its shapelessness.</p> - -<p>It was a blackened monument to two hundred thousand years of -civilization.</p> - -<p>The other battlecraft sped on through the flight unscathed. It looped -high in the space above Downing's flight and crossed around, looped -away and came back on the level against Thompson's group. It drove in -through the flight, lashing sidewise at Thompson's ships.</p> - -<p>And four of them reached out and sliced four large spheres from the -battlecraft. Shredded, the ship died in the air. It disintegrated, -and it rained metal parts for fifty square miles—a rain of smoking, -shapeless masses of deadly steel.</p> - -<p>"More?" snapped Stellor Downing.</p> - -<p>Blatantly, the flight landed on the field, covered the other ships, and -then waited for a move. As Downing said, "It's their move this time!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The white ship landed in their midst. From it came Lane and his crew. -The crew entered their ship, but Lane remained, waiting for Downing. -In the crook of his arm he held a small, white-furred creature, and he -stroked it gently with his free hand.</p> - -<p>"Just lucky," grunted Downing.</p> - -<p>"You talk big," retorted Lane. "But stay back, Downing. You're -contaminated."</p> - -<p>"Meaning?"</p> - -<p>"You're alive with deadly bugs."</p> - -<p>"Nuts. So are you."</p> - -<p>"No I'm not. I've been sterilized within an inch of my life. Look," he -said, holding up the Sscantovian equivalent of a guinea pig.</p> - -<p>"Cute—but so what?"</p> - -<p>"I've got the catmen scared of all Solarians—and from here on in, I'd -hate to be any race that bucks us. Take hold of this animal, just for a -moment."</p> - -<p>Stellor Downing put his hand on the creature's back. He held it for a -moment and then let go. Lane put the little animal on the ground and -stood back.</p> - -<p>"Well?"</p> - -<p>"Wait a minute, will you? Even potassium cyanide takes time to kill—"</p> - -<p>The little creature was running around, sniffing the ground and -obviously looking for food. For three minutes it searched quietly, and -then with a plaintive mew, it sat on its haunches and scratched its -back. The plaintive cry became louder—and tufts of hair came from the -back where the hind paw was scratching.</p> - -<p>The creature scratched furiously—and succeeded in de-hairing its back, -<i>in the shape of Stellor Downing's hand</i>!</p> - -<p>"What in—?"</p> - -<p>"Wait."</p> - -<p>Downing looked at his hand in a sort of horror.</p> - -<p>The scratching increased, and bits of skin followed the pattern of the -bare patch. The plaintive cry became strident in a tiny voice. The -little animal stopped scratching, turned over on its back and wriggled -in the dirt of the spaceport. It wrenched itself back and forth -sharply, and with squeals of pain. Its four feet opened and closed -against its stomach, and the whites of its eyes gleamed.</p> - -<p>A black patch appeared on the pink of the abdomen, and the paws -scratched at the spot. It grew, and the pig cried continuously.</p> - -<p>Cliff Lane took out his modine and blasted the suffering pig with a -shake of his head.</p> - -<p>Both he and Downing were a little sick.</p> - -<p>"What—?"</p> - -<p>"Fungus. As I gather it, the Solar sector of the Galaxy is alive with a -violent evolution of fungus. We live in it, we breathe it, and we—eat -it. They cringed in horror at what they found on the microscope slides, -and this is the fourth pig I've killed. But I'm completely fungicided -now, and I can handle 'em. But you see, Downing, you are alive with -fungus spores looking for a place to live. They can't live on you, but -what few that do escape the bactericidal action of the skin find it -quite easy to go to work on an animal that has never been required to -strive for life against fungi."</p> - -<p>"Are the whole race like this?"</p> - -<p>"No. Not entirely. But they haven't our strength against such—not -by a jugful. They're right on the edge of the Solar sector, as I get -it. They have some fungi, but it's nothing like the stuff we have on -Terra. I think that Sol may be the center—the evolution may well have -started there, mutated there, and anything that grows elsewhere may be -spore-born on the Arrhenius Theory to the rest of the Galaxy. Brother, -we're tough!"</p> - -<p>"Well, what have we accomplished besides killing guinea pigs, -discovering a set of new weapons, and blasting the guts out of a couple -of their best craft?"</p> - -<p>Lane smiled. "I've succeeded in carrying over to them the problem of -why we're here. They do not understand any more than we do, but they're -willing to let us seek out the machine."</p> - -<p>"What about blasting their ships?"</p> - -<p>"Won't bother them too much. They'll rather enjoy the development of -the slicing cut—after all their human appearance, they're still cats. -They like to fight silently, and slash quietly, and then to slink away -in the night. They're strictly predators, and their evaluation of life -is rather low."</p> - -<p>"So?"</p> - -<p>"You may have to prove your prowess with a bit of fighting, Downing. -Personal, I mean."</p> - -<p>"Well—"</p> - -<p>"And you may not. You've always accused me of being brash, bold, and -impulsive. All three of 'em got me across to this gang. I've always -accused you of being quiet, shy, and coldly-calculating. They'll like -those features, too."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Three white-clad doctors surrounded Downing with their sprays.</p> - -<p>"That stuff they have is better than the glook they sprayed me with," -remarked Lane. "But it doesn't smell as good and it is inclined to -sting a bit. They developed it after making me live in a glass-inclosed -laboratory for about two weeks."</p> - -<p>Downing submitted to the spray with scratching and shrugging. "Tell -me," he clipped, "how're the women?"</p> - -<p>"Cats," grinned Lane.</p> - -<p>Downing grunted. "Sounds like 'sour grapes' to me."</p> - -<p>"Frankly, they ain't bad, Downing. But a guy can't do much when he's -living in a laboratory."</p> - -<p>Downing laughed. "People who live in glass houses shouldn't."</p> - -<p>"Shouldn't what?"</p> - -<p>"Shouldn't—period!"</p> - -<p>"Well, I intend to return after we get this thing off of our chests. -This gang is not human. They aren't the kind you could trust, but they -are interesting. It is really something to see their civilization—and -to see just how catlike they behave. They never laugh. Their exhibition -of amusement is a deep-throated purr. And when one of 'em gets his feet -stepped on, he hisses like a couple of cats squaring off on the back -fence."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Thompson came up, followed by the spraying doctors. "This is all very -fine," he said. "But we've wasted a lot of time. The Little Men are -getting quite nervous."</p> - -<p>Downing looked at Lane. "I'm sort of glad you turned up," he said -flatly. "Especially with permission to hunt that thing."</p> - -<p>Lane smiled bitterly. "If I hadn't turned up, Downing, you'd have spent -the next fifteen years combing this system for confirmation, wouldn't -you?"</p> - -<p>"Naturally. Now let's find that machine. I've got a little project of -rivet-clipping ahead."</p> - -<p>Thompson intervened. "Seems to me that you've both accomplished plenty. -Lane here gained the confidence of the catmen and Downing has the fleet -equipped with heavy stuff."</p> - -<p>"Who?" asked Lane. "I have a hunch that it was your doing, Billy."</p> - -<p>"And any confidence-getting he did was strictly fear of our natural -environment coming here," returned Stellor Downing.</p> - -<p>"All right, break it up."</p> - -<p>"We're all to return here as soon as we get the machine destroyed," -said Lane. "They want to know what the answer is, just as we do. I have -a hunch that finding the machine itself will tell us plenty."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">VII.</p> - - -<p>Toralen Ki turned from the communicator. "Hotang," he called. "They -have the answer!"</p> - -<p>"Good. Then our time has not been wasted! For now we have the other one -back."</p> - -<p>"The technicians on Tlembo have just given me full and complete -instructions on how to lower the sensitivity of the detector to a -proper level."</p> - -<p>"Not shielding?" asked Hotang Lu skeptically.</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki laughed. "What manner of shielding would stop the suppressor -wave? Nothing, I know. Absolutely nothing can deflect or stop it."</p> - -<p>Toralen opened the detector case and started to fumble inside. He was -not deft, and the tools from the equipment case did not fit his hand. -But in an hour he had made the changes suggested by the technicians on -Tlembo—but aided finally by one of Thompson's crew of technicians who -went to work on the thing with dexterity but complete ignorance of its -principles of operation.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Then with the one detector in operation, in Thompson's ship, the -flight took off and began to take the last measures necessary to the -completion of their task.</p> - -<p>Hour after hour they went, out into the space beyond the last planet of -the catmen, and out and out, running slowly so that they would neither -collide with the machine nor overrun it.</p> - -<p>It was a matter of days.</p> - -<p>"Dead ahead," said Thompson on the communicator.</p> - -<p>"Target?" asked Lane.</p> - -<p>"Meteor, it looks like."</p> - -<p>"Might be camouflage," suggested Downing. "Remember if it must be -destroyed, it is a sign that those who made it knew that it would be -against the wishes of <i>somebody</i>."</p> - -<p>"Did either of you think that it might be a good thing?"</p> - -<p>"You mean the machine might be benign?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," answered Thompson.</p> - -<p>"That's why you are going to analyze it before we destroy it," said -Lane.</p> - -<p>"Yes?"</p> - -<p>"If we destroy it and discover it is benign, then we can reproduce it. -Follow?"</p> - -<p>"Excellent idea," said Thompson. "Kennebec thought of that?"</p> - -<p>"Kennebec is a smart man," said Lane. "He wanted the stuff in the -Little Man's ship—stuff none of us can understand yet. He agreed to -come out here and blast the machine. But he considered it likely that -the Little Man was making a cat's-paw out of the human race and he -wanted to repair any damage done as soon as we found out we'd made a -mistake."</p> - -<p>"Did you ever think that the interval between destroying this and -getting the reproduction in working order might be just time enough?" -demanded Thompson.</p> - -<p>"Yup. I've figured all of that. But I'm following orders, Billy. I'm -going to wreck that thing as soon as you tell me you can reproduce it."</p> - -<p>Downing interrupted. "You're going to do it? I am."</p> - -<p>"Want to bet?" snapped Lane.</p> - -<p>"Cut it," said Thompson.</p> - -<p>"Make you a deal," said Lane, ignoring Thompson.</p> - -<p>"Go on."</p> - -<p>"I order you to stop it," snapped Thompson.</p> - -<p>"Go fly a kite," growled Lane. "Look, Downing, I'll fight you for the -privilege of destroying that machine."</p> - -<p>"Deal. How?"</p> - -<p>"When Billy has his pictures and data, we'll take off in our fleeters. -The idea will be to see who can blast the thing first—no holds barred, -right?"</p> - -<p>"It's one way of finding out who's the best flier," agreed Downing.</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki looked up at Thompson. Billy smiled. He made motions, -conveyed the idea to the Little Man that Downing and Lane were going -out to destroy the machine personally.</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki fumbled for the meaning and then understood. He agreed -vigorously, nodding and smiling.</p> - -<p>"The Little Man here says to go ahead," Thompson said, into the -communicator. "I'm supposed to be a buffer until this mission is -complete—it will be complete when that machine is blasted. Everybody -knows that you fellows are going to go rivet-cutting sooner or -later—might as well have something to do it over."</p> - -<p>"Thanks," said Downing dryly. "And the guy that loses makes a public -announcement of his inferiority, see?"</p> - -<p>"I'll be listening to you," came Lane's taunting laugh.</p> - -<p>"What you'll be hearing is my acceptance," returned Downing.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Thompson left them quibbling and took his crew over to the meteor that -carried the machine. It was a real meteor, a huge one almost a half -mile in jagged diameter. A well penetrated it, sealed by huge metal -doors. They breached the doors and resealed them, once they were -inside, to pressurize the cavern.</p> - -<p>Then they went to work on the huge machine.</p> - -<p>It was bizarre. It was unreal and unearthly. Atomic generators powered -it silently, pouring torrents of high power into its apparently -senseless circuits. Great silvery crystals twisted and distorted slowly -under piezoelectric stress, and sputtered-silver contacts carried off -the impulses to other circuits.</p> - -<p>Solid metal bars carried some sort of circulatory impulse from place to -place—they were reminiscent of wave-guide plumbing but no microwave -set-up could function in a system like this.</p> - -<p>Then, slowly, the thing appeared to have pattern. Whatever it was, the -output of the slowly-distorting crystals was fed in or out of phase -through filters and transmission bars to the topmost crystal. It was -multi-faceted and obviously not a natural formation. It scintillated -and pulsed rapidly, and the facets gleamed against the lights as the -crystal throbbed in tune with the feeding currents.</p> - -<p>"This," said Thompson, "is going to be reproduced later if for no other -reason than just sheer curiosity. Whoever built it is a little ahead of -our time and I want to get caught up. Benign or malignant, it must be -remade and studied."</p> - -<p>Then for hours, Thompson's technicians went over the machine with a -fine-tooth comb. Pictures—tridimensional shots, moving pictures, -microtime film, and hand sketches. Technicians measured potentials, -made pictures of wave shapes from the oscilloscope patterns, and drew -endless schematic diagrams. Metallurgists took minute samples of the -metals, of the dielectrics, of the crystals themselves, cutting bits -out with microscopic modine beams.</p> - -<p>Then, as they ran out of things to measure, Thompson took one last look -at it. "O.K., fellows," he said, "can you rebuild it?"</p> - -<p>"To the last decimal place."</p> - -<p>"It's alien," warned Thompson.</p> - -<p>"It's still made of metal and crystal."</p> - -<p>"O.K." He turned to Toralen Ki and made suggestive motions. He turned -off the main feed line, and the atomics thrummed to a stop. Then he -suggested that now it was off, why didn't they just take it back to -Terra and not bother reproducing it. Toralen Ki shook his head—No. He -waved Thompson to come along, and they left the machine in the meteor -forever.</p> - -<p>"I'm finished," said Thompson, "but wait before you blast. The Little -Man seems to want me to confer with him for a moment."</p> - -<p>Thompson's ship took off. Toralen Ki emerged from his stateroom with -the instrument. He planted it on a table, turned it on, and strapped -the plate to his forehead. He offered the other one to Thompson.</p> - -<p>Thompson understood. He knew that the Little People had a means of -mental communication that augmented their speech. He accepted the -plate and strapped it on his own head.</p> - -<p>"Now," said Toralen Ki, "I may at last converse with you and your race."</p> - -<p>"What is the machine?" asked Thompson.</p> - -<p>"The others—they are all right?"</p> - -<p>Thompson nodded. "They are destroying the machine. Tell me, what is it?"</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki nodded in agreement. "Tell them to destroy it and then to -return, for I must speak with them through this, now that the machine -is stopped and I may. But destroy it, for the Loard-vogh may have -remote control and if they have, it may be started again at any moment."</p> - -<p>"Before I blast any alien machine," said Thompson, "I must know what it -is. You insist that it be destroyed. How do I know that the machine is -not benign?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"The machine," explained Toralen Ki, "is a device which suppresses -the mental activity of all races within its field of radiation. It -was built by a ruthless and predatory race to hold down the overall -galactic mentality. It must be destroyed, for even though it is not -running, full and complete regaining of the mental strength will not -be possible until the machine is destroyed because a certain amount of -residual power exists in the radiating crystal."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus6.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Thompson smiled, nodded, and went to the communicator. "O.K., fellows, -have your fun. Blast it!"</p> - -<p>Two ships circled Thompson's craft—two tiny ships, both as fleet as a -beam of light and as maneuverable as thought. They circled one another, -winding away from Thompson's ship in a tight twin-corkscrew spiral.</p> - -<p>"Twenty thousand years ago—of your years—this race planned to conquer -the Galaxy. They were an old race then, a mad race, with dreams of -grandeur. Their numbers were countless, for they were spreading through -their own section of the Galaxy like a mobile gas.</p> - -<p>"They struck trouble, twenty thousand years ago. They hit a race that -fought them—that almost succeeded in holding them to their line. -Unfortunately, they were too numerous. They won. And then they decided -that it would take many thousands of years of work to conquer the -Galaxy. And in those years, younger, lustier races might evolve. Races -that by sheer youth and strength might outstrip them. And so they made -and sent forth horde upon horde of these suppressors.</p> - -<p>"Your race," continued Toralen Ki, "has never been able to use its full -mental power. That is because of the suppressor. True, you are a long -way from the suppressor, but its power is fearsome and its effect is -lasting. It passed through your system thousands of years ago and it -held sway over your mental ability to now.</p> - -<p>"Your race," said Toralen Ki, "is best equipped to fight the -Loard-vogh."</p> - -<p>"I don't feel any more intelligent than I did before," objected -Thompson.</p> - -<p>"No, because you have been under the influence of the suppressor for -countless generations. It has become an inherited trait. It will remain -an inherited trait until the mentality of the human race is energized, -or triggered by a rather powerful wave of mental energy.</p> - -<p>"The Loard-vogh will enslave the Galaxy if they are not stopped. Our -original home was overrun three thousand years ago, and fourteen times -they have caught up with us. Again, Tlembo is being attacked, or -perhaps it has not started yet. Fourteen planets named Tlembo lie in -our history, and fourteen times have we combed the Galaxy waiting and -seeking a race with the proper mental power and technical ability. It -would have been useless to energize your minds a thousand years ago, -Solarian, for you had not the technical skill to accept it. The shock -would have made you all mad. You believe me of superior intellect -and knowledge because I have been able to make this machine. I am -acknowledged the highest intellect among the Tlembans. I intend to -sacrifice my intellect for humanity. The energizing will destroy me."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The meter in Lane's ship read forty. Forty miles per second. Dead ahead -was the lacery of the star field, clustered around the tininess of -black that was the meteor of the machine. Somewhere in the invisibility -of space was Stellor Downing, coming this way.</p> - -<p>He knew, because his detector said so.</p> - -<p>This was not only a test of operator's skill, but of technical -superiority, too. Detectors were not calibrated to the last foot of -distance, and he who had the best capability in the art of tuning a -detector knew better where the other man was at any time.</p> - -<p>But it was also necessary to judge your opponent's error. For a single -error would destroy both.</p> - -<p>Downing's ship came. It was there and it was gone. Missed by a matter -of feet.</p> - -<p>And yet not a bead of sweat came. Neither had given ground. Lane -grinned inwardly as his ship slowed for the turn. Dead ahead was the -sealed door to the machine. He touched the button on his drive-rod, and -the dymodine flared forth, boring down the shaft and driving great -scintillating clouds of super-heated gases up from the bowels of the -meteor. The machine was blasted.</p> - -<p>"You stinking opportunist," snarled Downing.</p> - -<p>"Mad?"</p> - -<p>"That was—"</p> - -<p>"One step ahead of you."</p> - -<p>"You haven't won—"</p> - -<p>"Only succeeded. Now we can fight this out for good. Really want to -play, Stellor?"</p> - -<p>"I'll run you right into that hole in the meteor," snarled Downing.</p> - -<p>The two tiny ships approached on a converging course. Collision course, -it was, and somewhere far ahead there was the meteor again. Downing was -on the spaceward side, and edging sidewise into Lane's course. Lane -was pinched between meteor and Downing; edging outward into Stellor's -course and calculated to miss the meteor by several yards—if he did -not give.</p> - -<p>At fifty miles per second they rocketed forward, approaching one -another, and telling each other what was going to happen next.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The communicator in Thompson's ship told the story. Thompson heard it, -and Toralen Ki understood it from Thompson's mind.</p> - -<p>"They—Stop them!"</p> - -<p>"I cannot," replied Thompson, with a smile.</p> - -<p>"You must. They are necessary to our plan."</p> - -<p>"Plan?"</p> - -<p>"I am going to give up my intellect. Lane and Downing are emotional -and psychological opposites. In one great burst of mental energy, my -intellect will be expended. The shock wave from my mind will energize -their minds. Their intellects will merge, making them emotional twins -and psychological equals, each with the double power gained by joining -with the other. They must willingly submit to this mental combining, -for then the wave of energy from their minds in twin transfer will -awaken every human in the Solar sector of the Galaxy."</p> - -<p>"You're asking them to give up their identities."</p> - -<p>"I am. And they must."</p> - -<p>"They will never do it."</p> - -<p>"You are stalling for time. Order them to cease. If either of them -is killed, our plan may fail completely. Both of them are of the -highest order of intellect—and of opposite psychology. That is -necessary—order them to stop—<i>immediately</i>!"</p> - -<p>Thompson laughed.</p> - -<p>"I am willing to die for civilization. They should—" Toralen Ki looked -at Thompson, and his eyes widened in wonder, fear, and finally horror.</p> - -<p>"You are under control—the Loard-vogh!"</p> - -<p>Thompson smiled affably. "The Terran known as Billy Thompson left this -body when the machine was blasted," he said. "Previously I could but -urge and draw him into agreement with me. And you, Toralen Ki, are also -necessary to the plan."</p> - -<p>Thompson's one hundred and eighty pounds of fine body came forward. -Thirty-seven pounds of Little Man shrank back in fear. Not fear of -life—but fear for civilization.</p> - -<p>And as Thompson's body reached for Toralen Ki, the radiation alarm -blared. It registered; dymodines had been fired and simultaneous hits -had been made.</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki's free hand snapped the power of the telementor over full. -Physical weakling though he was, he was aided mentally by the power in -the mental transfer machine. He invaded Thompson's mind and fought the -Loard-vogh intelligence that he found there.</p> - -<p>Waves of mental energy spewed forth, and Hotang Lu came running to aid -his friend. Stricken rigid, Thompson almost ceased to breathe; his -heart faltered. For Toralen Ki and the alien Loard-vogh were using all -of Billy Thompson's mind against each other, trying to drive the other -out, calling upon more and more, even to the point of short-circuiting -some of the voluntary sectors. It was battle, silent and fierce.</p> - -<p>And the waves of mental energy spread in a vast radiation pattern -as Toralen Ki and the Loard-vogh fought for the possession of Billy -Thompson's mind and body.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illusc2.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">VIII.</p> - - -<p>Lindoo entered the crystal palace proudly. Not for Lindoo was the -belly-crawling approach to the mighty Vorgan, Lord of All. Lindoo was -not a mere stripling; Lindoo was the head of the Board of Universal -Strategy, and Lindoo had not only permission, but orders to enter but -quickly, and tell but swiftly, anything that might possibly affect the -future plans of the Loard-vogh.</p> - -<p>Vorgan lifted a hand to silence the one upon the floor, his wish was -conveyed by a man-at-arms, since the one on the floor was flat on his -face, as befitted one of the lower caste.</p> - -<p>"Urgent?" asked Vorgan.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps urgent, but informative at least," explained Lindoo. "Kregar -has made full contact with the Susceptible One."</p> - -<p>"Susceptible One? Who may that be? Of what importance?"</p> - -<p>"His thoughts are confused. His name is not pronounceable from the -mixed thought-pattern. He is important. He was sent to maintain order -between the Extremes."</p> - -<p>"Ah—and Kregar has succeeded?"</p> - -<p>"He has. But not without incident."</p> - -<p>"Trouble?"</p> - -<p>"Some. The Little Men of Tlembo have, in part, been successful. I curse -them as you do, Lord of All. Yet the Loard-vogh must prepare and be -always prepared for resistance. It is written that smooth sailing is -a vain hope. The Little Men have carried out their intent. They have -succeeded in harnessing the Extremes together—for a time. They have -succeeded in destroying the suppressor—which is why Kregar was able -to control the mind of the Susceptible One. Kregar is brilliant, Lord -of All. Kregar deserves attention."</p> - -<p>"If Kregar earns it, he will get it. I am not unjust, nor has any -Loard-vogh been unjust. Tell me—his brilliancy?"</p> - -<p>"Kregar learned of the rivalry through the Susceptible One. Through the -latter, Kregar was able to set one Extreme against the other, fighting -a mad duel to ascertain the better man. The intellectual apex, the -Little Man known as Toralen Ki, the key to their future, is now being -attacked by the Susceptible One, through Kregar's control."</p> - -<p>"Excellent. And the outcome?"</p> - -<p>"Obvious. Toralen Ki will die. So will his cohort Hotang Lu. Thus dies -those who understand their intellectual limitations and the will to -lift others above them. The Extremes, upon whom the Little Men pinned -their hopes, will be split forever. One will certainly die—perhaps -both."</p> - -<p>"It is best. Shall we then attack the Planet of Terror?"</p> - -<p>"It will not be necessary. Their possible danger to us is over."</p> - -<p>Vorgan smiled, and he looked almost benign. He was a tall man, bearded, -with a full head of hair that tufted white in patches. His ancestry? -His classification? It is hard to say. He was vertebrate. He was -warm-blooded. He was intelligent and he was more than dextrous with -his hands. Both hands. He was also dextrous with his mind. The Lord of -All had not become Lord of All because of his heritage, his faith in -deity, or his sheer ruthlessness. All helped, but the Lord of All was -ruler because of his ability to rule.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus8.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"I'll witness the final act," he said.</p> - -<p>"The reason I came—" nodded Lindoo. "Kregar is working madly, and -yet there is interest there. It will be enlightening. For even the -Susceptible One is most difficult."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The Loard-vogh at the instrument was sweating profusely. His hands were -clenched, and blood ran from the center of the right fist where his -fingernails had pierced his palm. His entire frame was tense, and his -eyes were half-closed.</p> - -<p>Vorgan looked, nodded, and spoke freely to the recorder beside Kregar. -The Lord of All knew that the operative was concentrated beyond all -physical stimuli. "The details, Neckal?"</p> - -<p>"Lord of All, the battle progresses favorably. The Extremes—they -are fighting each other. As you entered, the Susceptible One's mind -indicated that there might have been a culmination to their feud. Two -of their weapons have been discharged in a location that makes us -believe that simultaneous death may have taken place. Toralen Ki is -fighting for his life—"</p> - -<p>Vorgan laughed. "Thirty-odd pounds against six times that mass! Lindoo, -your operator has done well."</p> - -<p>"Naturally," said Lindoo proudly. He could afford to be proud; he had -picked Kregar.</p> - -<p>"Yet I feel that we should do something about the Planet of Terror."</p> - -<p>"You think—?"</p> - -<p>"Sending out another suppressor will do no good."</p> - -<p>"You are certain?"</p> - -<p>"Not entirely. I just fear them. It is good sense to fear a strong -enemy, Lindoo. We, of course, shall conquer, but far better to find -them easily beaten than to lose ten billion of Loard-vogh's finest."</p> - -<p>"The master plan does not call for invasion of that sector for -twenty-four hundred years."</p> - -<p>"I should hate to have my ultimate offspring cast slurs at my -memory—and perhaps erect a statue to throw excrement at."</p> - -<p>"But one cannot cover all dangers—"</p> - -<p>"I know. Yet let us wait. It will depend upon Kregar's success."</p> - -<p>Neckal spoke: "The battle progresses."</p> - -<p>Vorgan frowned. "Why or how can one so small defend himself against one -of the Planet of Terror?"</p> - -<p>"The Little Man is agile and the Terran is clumsy."</p> - -<p>Lindoo nodded. "We may both curse and praise that. If the Terran were -less clumsy, he might well be more difficult for Kregar."</p> - -<p>"Toralen Ki also has mental amplification."</p> - -<p>Kregar's hands opened and closed convulsively. Once they clutched at a -space near his belt, but closed as though in futility—what he sought -was not there. He reached forward, and only Neckal's quick action in -turning Kregar around slightly prevented the Loard-vogh from clutching -a delicate adjustment of the instrument through which Kregar worked.</p> - -<p>Lindoo smiled. "It is written that a good big man will always conquer a -good small man, my Lord of All."</p> - -<p>"What lies between the Loard-vogh and the Planet of Terror?"</p> - -<p>"Ten thousand light-leagues of space."</p> - -<p>"A most dangerous spearhead—is it not?"</p> - -<p>"It might be more than dangerous. To fight a war on many fronts is -death. To warn a thousand races between the Loard-vogh and Terra might -be the balance."</p> - -<p>"Then we must hope," said Vorgan. "And only as a last resort will we -drive forward."</p> - -<p>"Face the fact," smiled Lindoo. "Kregar has—will have soon—the Little -Man in his power. The cohort of the Little Man comes next. Dispose -of them and the Planet of Terror will never know what it missed, in -spite of the destruction of the suppressor. If nothing more than that -happens, we are still safe. The Extremes fight one another—or fought -one another. One or both of them may be dead. Grant the impossible and -assume that Kregar is not successful and that Toralen Ki and Hotang Lu -escape. Without the Extremes, releasing the mental torpor of the Planet -of Terror will be most difficult.</p> - -<p>"Now," continued Lindoo, with a very superior smile, "we grant the -complete failure of our plans. All escape. Toralen Ki explains his -plan to the Extremes. Have you any idea of sheer rivalry? Then consider -your own attitude upon being asked to relinquish your identity to your -most bitter rival."</p> - -<p>Vorgan nodded. "How simple it would have been to wipe out all Tlembans -so many hundreds of years ago instead of permitting those few to -escape. I curse Mangare and I think I will erect a statue to his -dishonor, that all Loard-vogh may spit at he who was not thorough."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Kregar's muscles tensed, wrapped him in knots, and his head jerked -to one side in a spasm of pain. His eyes opened, glazed. They stayed -open—wide and glassy.</p> - -<p>Slowly he started, and with accelerated motion, he toppled to the -floor. His frame went into one spasm, and he curled convulsively over -his stomach. Then he stretched out straight and stiff.</p> - -<p>"Dead," said Neckal, frantically.</p> - -<p>"Dead?" echoed Lindoo.</p> - -<p>"What happened?" asked Vorgan in a hollow voice.</p> - -<p>"He failed."</p> - -<p>"Failed?"</p> - -<p>"How?"</p> - -<p>"We may never know. But the failure was complete."</p> - -<p>The Lord of All scowled. "Lindoo, plan the attack upon the Planet of -Terror!"</p> - -<p>"Yes, Lord of All. We shall strike Terra as soon as our forces can be -deployed. It will take time, but we shall move with high speed."</p> - -<p>"A word of caution, Lindoo. If they do not embark upon the Plan of the -Little Men, merely hold our spearhead force in everlasting readiness. I -dislike this attack, though our numbers permit it. I'd prefer to stay -closer to the Master Plan. But—if they change, attack!"</p> - -<p>Vorgan returned to his throne room, to ascend his crystal seat. He -waved for the serf upon the floor to continue, and the man-at-arms -conveyed the Lord of All's desire because the serf still had his face -to the floor.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">IX.</p> - - -<p>Hotang Lu came at the call of his fellow. He saw the tableau. Thompson -stricken rigid with mental effort, and Toralen Ki, tense and firm, -before him. The Little Man's eyes were closed lightly, and his hands -were clenched tight. Every muscle was tight in the mental effort, -trying to drive the Loard-vogh out of Thompson's mind.</p> - -<p>The waves of mental energy spread. Invisible and silent, they were -not undetectable, for the men in the ships felt the waves of mental -bleakness and strife and knew a deep and unreasoning fear.</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki fought—and Hotang Lu stood by. To connect himself into the -mental hookup at this point might destroy the balance. To destroy the -balance might permit the hated Loard-vogh to enter, and no matter how -brief the entry, it would be fatal.</p> - -<p>So he waited, alert and ready to snap the transmentor over his head -if Toralen Ki failed. He would give the Loard-vogh no chance to get -set again; he would strike quickly while the Loard-vogh was still -recovering from the headlong success. For in the moment of mental -victory, the Loard-vogh's mind would be reeling forward like a man -forcing a door that suddenly gives way before him.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Thompson's frame was rigid, his eyes open but glassy and—but they were -not vacant. They were ablaze with an unreal light, the conflict in the -helpless mind behind the eyes energized them.</p> - -<p>But—the machine was destroyed.</p> - -<p>And—there were waves of mental energy in the Terran's mind.</p> - -<p>The conflict raged, and despite the helplessness of the Terran's mind -and control, there was the untouchable subconscious that told him that -he must fight for the beliefs he had always held.</p> - -<p>His faltering breath strengthened. His rigid muscles freed, slightly, -and the creases of sheer pain left his forehead. Still in fog, his mind -scanned the mental data. Two forces struggled for control—of <i>his</i> -mind. The thought came:</p> - -<p><i>Hurl them out!</i></p> - -<p>But one was—friendly—fighting for him.</p> - -<p>The other was alien, inimical.</p> - -<p>And with an effort of will, Thompson set his mind against the -Loard-vogh, and with the efforts of Toralen Ki and Hotang Lu, plus -their mental amplifier, Thompson hurled his weight of mind against the -invader.</p> - -<p>Thompson was annoyed, confused and not too logical. To his mind, this -was sheer pain, caused by the Loard-vogh. He hurled his hatred at the -distant alien.</p> - -<p>And the pressure of the conflict died. Thompson's body resumed its -natural looseness, and the light of reason returned to his eyes. He -smiled his usual smile and relaxed, breathing hard, and rubbing his -temples with the palms of his hands.</p> - -<p>The severe headache was leaving with noticeable rapidity. He faced the -Little Men with an attitude of power and great will.</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu stood in amazement.</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki relaxed slightly also. They still faced one another, Little -Man and Terran. But in their attitude was a vague feeling that they -were fighting side by side.</p> - -<p>And Hotang Lu understood. Toralen Ki intended to excite the minds of -Lane and Downing by forcing them, psychological opposites, into mental -contact. And he, Toralen Ki, was right now in bitter conflict with his -own mental opposite—the Loard-vogh. The mental energies released in -Thompson's mind had given the Terran the full and perfect control of -his own mental ability.</p> - -<p>They opened their eyes, both of them.</p> - -<p>"Won," said Thompson, wiping his brow.</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki inspected the Terran carefully. "You know, now?"</p> - -<p>Billy nodded. "The rest of Terra and Sol must be excited. Wait—I must -order Lane and Downing to stop."</p> - -<p>The planetoid loomed larger and larger, and Downing crowded Lane -closer. On approaching courses, it was becoming evident that the -conjunction of courses would occur simultaneously with their arrival -at the huge meteor. And yet Downing was the better off, for if he and -Lane kept their courses doggedly true, Lane's ship would hit the meteor -first. The carom, of course, would drive the flaming remnants of Cliff -Lane's craft upward into Stellor Downing's ship, with the resulting -injury to the latter.</p> - -<p>Downing jacked up the magnification of his course-scanner with a twitch -of his free hand. A rounded knoll of rock covered the scanner plate, -and the cross-hairs that marked Stellor's course were just above and -just to the left of the top of the knoll. A full-power shot with the -dymodine in the right place—</p> - -<p>And the caroming ship would deflect sidewise instead of straight up!</p> - -<p>Stellor Downing trained the dymodine projector until the tiny circle -in the course-scanner was still farther to the left of the top of the -knoll than his ship's course.</p> - -<p>The course-scanner in Cliff Lane's ship told him that he was heading -for the knoll of rock. It would be a slicing blow, with Cliff's ship -bounding up into Downing's craft. That much he knew.</p> - -<p>Unless he did something.</p> - -<p>He could drive up into Downing's ship right now. But that would be -no solution as to whom was the better man. That would get Terra two -corpses, but finely divided ones.</p> - -<p>He could swerve.</p> - -<p>And give Stellor Downing the right to say that he, Cliff Lane, had been -bluffed?</p> - -<p>Now if he were Stellor—?</p> - -<p>Cliff Lane's dymodine sight was centered on the cross-hair of the -scanner. He trained it slightly to the right and down, and then he -touched the trigger.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Both dymodines blasted at once. Both beams raved out from positions -one above the other, and both beams hit the knoll of rock in slightly -different places. The splatter of energy from the coruscation ahead -blinded both men, and set up shock-interference in the scanners.</p> - -<p>A gout of flaming gas burst from the hit.</p> - -<p>And within a few milliseconds of the hit, Cliff Lane arrived, with -Stellor Downing almost on top of him.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Downing's ship hit the gout of flaming gas, and the velocity of ship -was high. It deflected upward slightly, bending the spine of the little -fleeter, rending a few plates, and dazing the Martian.</p> - -<p>Lane's ship hit the flaming gas—which was almost homogenous where Lane -passed through. The Venusite's nose plates dinged in slightly from the -metal-to-gas impact. Right into the hit went Cliff Lane.</p> - -<p>And out through the scar on the far side went the Venusite, roaring off -in a halo of gases from the explosion.</p> - -<p>They snapped radio sets.</p> - -<p>"Well?" grinned Cliff saucily.</p> - -<p>"Wise, aren't you?" grunted Downing.</p> - -<p>"Try it again," advised Cliff. "I'm still spaceworthy."</p> - -<p>"I'm buckled, but still capable," snorted Downing. "I'll be around—"</p> - -<p>The ringing of the emergency alarm interrupted them. Thompson's voice -came through. "Stop—at once!"</p> - -<p>"Why?" asked Lane insolently.</p> - -<p>"Don't even answer," scorned Downing.</p> - -<p>"Stop, you fools. Stop—or Patricia Kennebec may die!"</p> - -<p>Downing and Lane came around in tight arcs. As one they met on -adjoining courses and raced like madmen for Thompson's command. They -magnetted their ships beside the spacelock, breached it with the -outside controls, and entered. They sent the door to Thompson's cabin -slamming back against the wall and strode in.</p> - -<p>"What's all this about Pat Kennebec?"</p> - -<p>Thompson smiled. "It was about the only way I could stop that -foolishness."</p> - -<p>"Look, Billy, you've been interfering—"</p> - -<p>"Don't be an idiot, Lane. Frankly I'm sick and tired of that schoolboy -bickering of yours. As far as I'm concerned you can both go out and -kill one another. But this is bigger than I am and it should be bigger -than you are. Your job isn't through. We thought it was, but it is not. -You, in fact, are just beginning."</p> - -<p>"Quit talking in riddles and tell us what goes on."</p> - -<p>"That machine restricted mental energy. It has been restricting mental -ability for this entire sector of the Galaxy for twenty thousand years. -It has been destroyed. But until the minds of Solarians are excited -by a shock wave of mental energy, they will not have the use of their -intellects fully and freely. You two are mental and psychological -opposites, and the shock excitation of your minds in mental contact -will excite the minds of all men." He turned to Toralen Ki and said: -"I'm puzzled. There was sufficient mental conflict between you and the -Loard-vogh to give me my release. Why hasn't it taken care of these two -wildmen?"</p> - -<p>"You mean the re-radiation from your mind operating on theirs as their -radiation will free the minds of the rest?"</p> - -<p>"Right. Why?"</p> - -<p>"Lack of sympathetic tuning," explained Toralen Ki. "Your mind is -unlike mine, and unlike the Loard-vogh known as Kregar, the one we -fought and killed. Yet since you were at the focal point of the mental -strife, your mind, untuned as it was, was excited by sheer brute force, -so to speak. Selectivity could not keep out such sheer power. But -selectivity would and did prevent re-radiation of the mental energy. -You, therefore, have been freed, but no one else."</p> - -<p>"Too bad," said Thompson critically. "It might have shoved some sense -into their thick skulls."</p> - -<p>"Hey!" exploded Lane. "He's talking to the Little Guy."</p> - -<p>"How come, Billy?"</p> - -<p>"You mean talking to him? Well, I was given mental release by a bit of -a battle between Toralen Ki, here, and one of the Loard-vogh who was -trying to control my mind."</p> - -<p>"Give us more. You sound like a synopsis."</p> - -<p>Thompson explained.</p> - -<p>"Well, but how can you speak with him?"</p> - -<p>Billy turned and asked Toralen Ki.</p> - -<p>"You're surprised? Just as Lane and Downing will become mental twins, -you, Billy Thompson, have gained twinship with my mind. Also that of -Kregar, the dead Loard-vogh."</p> - -<p>Billy smiled. "Simple enough," he explained to the pair. "After your -minds are given release, you'll be able to understand him, too."</p> - -<p>Thompson did not explain the twinship idea. Co-operation was one thing -to explain, but the concept of accepting one another's personality -would have to be given to them by someone who outranked them. Let them -wonder—or even better, let them remain in ignorance, on the basis that -what they did not know wouldn't harm Terra.</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki shook his tiny head and looked puzzled, as well as -shamefaced. "I didn't expect this," he said. "The concept of mental -struggle between myself and another never occurred to me."</p> - -<p>"It saved my neck," grinned Billy.</p> - -<p>"And the collective necks of most of the Galaxy. And it is just as -well that we didn't energize them, too. The main release for the solar -sector must come when they go into the change. Had they gone into the -change out here, in Sscantoo, the mental radiation would not have been -strong enough to trigger the minds of your fellows near Sol."</p> - -<p>Thompson nodded and turned to Lane and Downing. "You two are going to -have something to fight—but against, not over. That's been a private -fight of yours for years. If you'd like to continue it, you'd better -knock off the battle long enough to stop the Loard-vogh cold. Then you -can resume personal hostilities and be damned."</p> - -<p>"What about this Sscantoo?" asked Lane.</p> - -<p>"They have some stuff that'll come in handy in fighting the -Loard-vogh," nodded Thompson. "But we're not running off half-cocked. -We're heading back to Sol right now, to make plans."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">X.</p> - - -<p>Stellor Downing's hard fist came down on the table with a shattering -crash. "I will not!" he said in a powerful tone.</p> - -<p>"And I agree," echoed Cliff Lane.</p> - -<p>Kennebec smiled patiently. "So far as I know it is the first time -you've ever agreed on anything."</p> - -<p>"The future—?" pleaded Toralen Ki.</p> - -<p>Kennebec nodded at the Tlemban. "He's willing to die. He thinks enough -of the future to die for it. You two might sublimate your lives just a -little for it."</p> - -<p>"Get a couple of others!"</p> - -<p>"There are none suitable."</p> - -<p>"What a stinking set-up," grunted Lane. "I've got to forget my -identity and become a sheer hyphen."</p> - -<p>"Look," snapped Downing, "it happens that you're sneering at my -personality, remember?"</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't have your personality for a gift."</p> - -<p>"You couldn't—it's too big for the like of you!"</p> - -<p>"All right," said Kennebec. "Stop it."</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki said, sorrowfully: "I might have been dishonest, -Co-ordinator Kennebec. I should have told them that the mental -transformation would prove who was the better man."</p> - -<p>"A convincing lie for the benefit of mankind is often better than the -disquieting truth," observed Kennebec.</p> - -<p>Thompson looked up. "What they need is to have their heads knocked -together," he said sourly. "A fine rotten pair."</p> - -<p>"Look," started Downing.</p> - -<p>"Now listen," grated Lane.</p> - -<p>"Shut up!" snapped Thompson. "You've both heard what Toralen Ki said. -You know what's heading this way. You are aware of just what can happen -on Sol if Sol isn't smart. And you sit there like a pair of flat-headed -imbeciles, prating about your own petty fight. Patricia was right. It -is a sorry day for civilization when it must depend upon the likes of -you. Why don't you get smart? Where is your good sense?"</p> - -<p>"You've no right—"</p> - -<p>"Shut up!" snapped Thompson. "I have every right in the world and by -thunder I'm going to use it! It was funny, for years now, that you -two were running all over your respective worlds, crowing like a pair -of bantam roosters. The Favorite Son of Mars and the Pride of Venus! -A bright pair of grown-up juvenile delinquents! Well, bright boys, -civilization still depends on you."</p> - -<p>Stellor Downing turned on Thompson and snarled: "No one is asking you -to give up your identity. I haven't noticed any passion for anonymity -in you, Thompson."</p> - -<p>"You won't find any," gritted Thompson. He turned to Toralen Ki and -asked: "Is there any way in which I may take either of their places?"</p> - -<p>"Mine," offered Stellor Downing.</p> - -<p>"Over my corpse!" shouted Cliff Lane.</p> - -<p>"That I can arrange," ground Downing at Lane.</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki shook his head, part in negation and part in the -hopelessness of the situation. "No, on two counts," he said slowly. -"One, your mind is not of an extreme nature. Second, your mind is -already energized."</p> - -<p>"Hm-m-m," mused Thompson. "Energized but still slumbering, I gather. -Thanks for the tip, Toralen Ki."</p> - -<p>He turned and bore his gaze on the battling pair.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus7.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Listen—and carefully," he said.</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"Because I tell you so," he said in a hard voice. "I'm tired—as -everyone is—of your foolishness. I'll say no more about it. I've -said my last." He opened his eyes slightly, and caught their gaze. He -said nothing, but held their eyes as though what they saw must not be -lost from sight lest disaster follow. For minutes he held them, and -then he said in a quiet, low voice: "You will become mental twins. -The battle for supremacy between you will and can become one of sheer -mental force. You will each have that which you sneer at in the other. -With all factors in the mind, you will struggle. Whichever of you is -best fitted for existence under such circumstances will emerge victor. -Understand. There will never be a public admission of mediocrity on the -part of either one of you, for you will both change toward the one that -is victorious. Now if you really want to finish that fight, this is a -way to do it."</p> - -<p>He turned to Kennebec. "At this point, they'll do it or I'll strap 'em -both down—"</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki interrupted. "They must enter it willingly."</p> - -<p>Thompson looked the pair over. "Shall I call in the Interplanetary -Press?"</p> - -<p>Downing had been thinking deeply. He looked up and shook his head. -"Lane, I'm willing to bet my mind against yours. Put up or shut up."</p> - -<p>"Anything you can do I can do better—and faster!"</p> - -<p>"Baloney. Toralen Ki can start right now, if the other half isn't -afraid."</p> - -<p>"Afraid—!"</p> - -<p>"Well, are you?" sneered Downing.</p> - -<p>"That doesn't even rate an answer. I'll take your mind over."</p> - -<p>"Uh-huh. This time we'll have an answer. O.K., Billy. Bring on your -devil-gadget and we'll play ball."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Toralen Ki looked about him, his face a mask. Stonily silent, he -walked to the greenhouse and looked out over the landscape. He basked -in the warm sunshine, and thought how much it reminded him of the -bright sunshine of Tlembo. The buildings on the edge of the clearing -were vast; Toralen Ki felt dwarfed by them, and he felt all alone and -utterly alien in this world of giant beings.</p> - -<p>A phonograph was playing somewhere, a piece of Terran music that suited -the Tlemban fancy, and Toralen Ki was drinking it in.</p> - -<p>The greenhouse was slid open in one section, and mingled with the -soft phonograph were the myriad sounds of living. Faintly there came -the raucous rattle of a rivet gun, the rumble of a sky train passing -overhead on its way to the antipodes. He slid the section shut, closing -the sounds of this alien world of monsters from his ears. He pressed a -button and the steel shutter closed off the light that was so much like -his own Tlemban sunshine.</p> - -<p>It seemed wrong that such a familiar sun should shine down upon -buildings of such vastness, glint against skycraft of such magnitude, -and give warmth and life to a race so huge and so very, very young.</p> - -<p>He turned and ran his hand over a bookcase. He touched a favorite -volume, but did not remove it from its place. He had not the time.</p> - -<p>He ran his hand over the tiny controls of his little craft. It had -carried him so many light-leagues of space faithfully and well, -following the dictates of his hands on the worn plastic handles.</p> - -<p><i>End of quest!</i></p> - -<p>This was it. He had come to the end of his search, the answer to his -desire. This race would carry on where he and his race could not. The -flaming torch—</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki broke off with a bitter laugh. He was sounding slightly -overdramatic to himself.</p> - -<p>He faced them. Hotang Lu, who was looking at the blank wall with intent -stare, and the Extremes, Lane and Downing, whose huge frames were -cramped in the tiny control room.</p> - -<p>Even here, they were. He could not escape them—and he admitted that -he did not want to escape them. Yet he felt the touch of resentment. -Unthinkable light-years from his home, surrounded and overwhelmed on -every side with utter bigness—slumbering giants, all of them, awaiting -the touch of his mind to awaken them to their rightful place.</p> - -<p>It might have been Tlembo's rightful place were it not for sheer size -and other natural factors. Why couldn't fate have given Tlembo that -gift instead of this race?</p> - -<p>But, time went on. And there was so little time—</p> - -<p>Toralen Ki went to his desk and took a quick drink from the tall tube, -and then inhaled the aroma deeply. It had no smell to Terrans, nor -taste, but Toralen Ki loved it for its powers—<i>not too much, Toralen -Ki, you have a job to do!</i></p> - -<p>He went over and slipped the headset on.</p> - -<p>"I'm sorry," he said. "I did want this last minute—"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus10.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>He took up the hypo, inserted the needle in the vein of his arm, and -pushed the plunger home.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Countless light-years away, Lindoo watched his meters rise higher and -higher as he increased the penetration. Ever seeking, ever tuning, -Lindoo strove to find another man whose mind was at balance and -receptive. Given time—</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus9.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>And with a rush, all meters hit zero. A backlashing surge of power -drove Lindoo back from his position. He turned and faced Vorgan.</p> - -<p>"As with Kregar—" he started.</p> - -<p>"Kregar died," said the Lord of All, ominously.</p> - -<p>"Kregar died of mental overload. I received no such punishment. Kregar, -recall, was in charge of the mind of the Susceptible One who thought -of himself as Tawmpsahn. He was forced out and away, and pursued by -Tawmpsahn and the Toralen Ki himself."</p> - -<p>"So—?"</p> - -<p>"Toralen Ki is dead."</p> - -<p>"Good!"</p> - -<p>Lindoo shook his head. "He did not die in vain."</p> - -<p>Vorgan blinked. "They—?"</p> - -<p>"I have failed. I have been trying to find another one to control. -Those who may be controlled were in no political position to do any -good—I found several others."</p> - -<p>Vorgan nodded. "Time was short."</p> - -<p>"I did not locate one controllable among those who might have done some -good. And now I never will. The Extremes have joined!"</p> - -<p>"And the shock wave?"</p> - -<p>"Has undone all the good our suppressor did for twenty thousand years."</p> - -<p>"Order the attack."</p> - -<p>"Yes, Lord of All. The logisticians indicate a short period of -mobilization and preparation. The Enilode Sector is being stripped of -our men—they're not too hard to handle now—and a tenth of the men in -all other sectors not actively fighting are being sent to the spearhead -sector. I hate time. It takes so much of it to handle thirty million -men and the supplies necessary for their support."</p> - -<p>"That," grumbled Vorgan, "and the inoculations. A man undergoing them -is a sick Loard-vogh for a week."</p> - -<p>"Our initial attack may be some time in coming. But it will be -complete, throughout that entire sector. We'll destroy the menace -immediately, and from then on, all we'll have to do is to hold that -sector against any possible enemy."</p> - -<p>"A long and dismal prospect," said Vorgan. "But we must not give them -time."</p> - -<p>"They will have no time to do more than plan," said Lindoo. "It takes -time to put a new skill into practice. We shall conquer them!"</p> - -<p>"We shall conquer them," echoed Vorgan, the Lord of All.</p> - -<p>"And we shall have to force the catmen, too, Lord of All."</p> - -<p>"Why?" thundered the Lord of All.</p> - -<p>"Because the catmen of Sscantoo are unsympathetic to all forms of -alliance."</p> - -<p>"They need never know."</p> - -<p>"They will be told. Sol will ask their help."</p> - -<p>"But ... I see," agreed Vorgan. "Being against all forms of alliance -means that they will form an alliance, temporarily, in order to keep -from being included in an everlasting tie. Yes, you are right. We may -have to force them. But let us conquer Sol at any cost. And soon."</p> - -<p>"As soon as we can prepare."</p> - -<p>"Better cut the preparation somewhat. Let the initial attack come -before full preparation. Only in that way will we gain time."</p> - -<p>"It is a gamble."</p> - -<p>"I know it is a gamble," agreed Vorgan. "But one must gamble if the -Galaxy is worth the fight."</p> - -<p>"I wonder if we could convince the Sscantovians that our interests—No, -it would not work. I like not that idea."</p> - -<p>"Sscantoo would demand proof. It is far easier to prove that we have -been all-conquering than otherwise. An alliance with them could not be -made. To do so would require that we give them full confidence. And -we cannot control a quarter of a galaxy of Loard-vogh slaves so well -that they must not speak. And their weapons are less efficient than -ours—we could gain nothing but manpower which we do not need.... No, -Lindoo, we must go forward alone as we always have."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Lindoo smiled. "We must be on the everlasting lookout for spies."</p> - -<p>"We shall. I wonder if it would not be best to exterminate them -completely."</p> - -<p>"I could do it alone."</p> - -<p>"I know. I wonder. They are a hardy race, though, and ambitious -workers. Extermination—"</p> - -<p>"Merely eliminates one menace."</p> - -<p>"I don't think it would work."</p> - -<p>"May I try?"</p> - -<p>"May I have your head if you fail?" snarled Vorgan.</p> - -<p>"Then I shall not try, Lord of All."</p> - -<p>Vorgan nodded cryptically. "Losing faith in your own ability?"</p> - -<p>"No. I merely have reason to respect your judgment."</p> - -<p>"You are a true diplomat, Lindoo. Someday it will get you into trouble."</p> - -<p>"When it does, that is a sign that I am not as good a diplomat as I -thought I was."</p> - -<p>"Or that someone has exceeded you, Lindoo."</p> - -<p>"I might wear out—"</p> - -<p>"No. When you fail, Lindoo, it will be because you have confronted -yourself with your superior."</p> - -<p>"And then?"</p> - -<p>"Then the Lord of All will have a new Head of Strategy."</p> - -<p>Lindoo laughed. "At that time I shall expect you to need one. Well, I -must start preparation. I have much to do."</p> - -<p>"You have," nodded Vorgan.</p> - -<p>Throughout the lands and planets of the Loard-vogh there started a -slow and gradual crawl. The forces of the Loard-vogh began to move -slowly, like the rivers of the ocean. They could be felt; slowly and -inexorably, though they could not be seen. Throughout a thousand suns -the soldiery left their billets in twos and threes. They bade good-by -to their temporary homes, kissed their slave-lovers and serf-women -farewell and faced new fields. They collected along the frontier, -planets full of brawling Loard-vogh that swarmed like the all-consuming -locusts. They fought among themselves. They stole and they looted, -and they took souvenirs of value. Native women—some of them the -intellectual superiors of the Loard-vogh—were not safe on the streets, -and the fighting was not without its overwhelming toll of innocent -bystanders.</p> - -<p>Somehow it was very few of the Loard-vogh that got hurt.</p> - -<p>And the planets began to pile deep with equipment. It was a real -springboard, this planet frontier. Like a storm cloud collecting -electrons, they would pile up to the bursting point and then with a -crackle and a flash of lightning, they would hurl themselves across -space to blast the focal point.</p> - -<p>Terra!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XI.</p> - - -<p>Cliff Lane and Stellor Downing faced one another. They had spent hours -in complete slumber after the incident, and their awakening had been -almost simultaneous. They were both in a mental tizzy; they knew that -Something Must Be Done but were slightly foggy as to what. Their former -animosity seemed gone, or at least secondary to the urgency of the -present situation.</p> - -<p>They did not ask the usual question upon awakening, they knew that they -had been removed from Toralen Ki's ship and hospitalized.</p> - -<p>They did not mention Toralen Ki—not openly. But they felt it. Perhaps -it was a sort of mental maturity, this Transformation. They kept their -counsel until they could discuss it together—and they seemed to know -that the other preferred it that way.</p> - -<p>They sought the eyes of the people in the room and asked, almost -simultaneously: "Can this be explained now?"</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu nodded agreeably. He explained the story in full, and -completely. As he concluded Hotang Lu smiled again. "Before—you had -not the ability to understand, nor had I the ability to express myself -in your terms. The Transformation has made it possible for all of us to -partly speak in the other's language, and partly convey thoughts."</p> - -<p>"That should be helpful."</p> - -<p>"You will find it so. No matter which race of whatever sun you visit in -the future, you will find that faculty helpful. You will even be able -to mingle with the Loard-vogh."</p> - -<p>"'Mangle' sounds better," gritted Lane.</p> - -<p>"That will come in time."</p> - -<p>"Well, let's hit it," said Lane. "What do we do first?"</p> - -<p>"First," said Hotang Lu, "is to beware. The Loard-vogh are warned. -Knowing their psychology, attack will be imminent."</p> - -<p>"Then we'd best prepare to repel boarders?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Hotang Lu has the right idea," said Lane. "If they're warned, they'll -clip us first."</p> - -<p>Kennebec objected. "Why?" he asked. "Why do you expect them to hit us? -After all, they're swarming through the galaxy in this direction. If -they are that powerful, why should they attack Terra?"</p> - -<p>"We constitute a threat," said Downing. "We are a powerful threat, or I -miss my guess."</p> - -<p>"Terra is a most powerful threat," said Hotang Lu. "Terra, well, it is -known to the Loard-vogh as the Planet of Terror."</p> - -<p>"Gratifying in a nice, lethal way," smiled Kennebec. "Mind telling us -why?"</p> - -<p>"Not at all. Terra is the center of the mutation area."</p> - -<p>"Meaning what?"</p> - -<p>"Sol is one of a vast trinary, astronomically speaking. Or was once. It -is now one of an extended binary. You have no reference to this?"</p> - -<p>"Not that I know of," said Lane. "And I've been a student of astronomy."</p> - -<p>"Well, it is so vast that you may probably not come to the astronomical -proof for thousands of years. Sol, however, is one of a binary -that used to be a trinary. The third sun was alien—contraterrene. -Thirty million years ago it was struck by a stellar wanderer—of -terrene matter. The explosion was mighty. It was vast. It scattered -particles of the third member far and wide. A great swarm of bits of -contraterrene matter range this sector of the Galaxy. They fall into -Sol, into Alpha, into Procyon, into Sirius, into the other stars within -thirty to forty light-years from Sol. Even Arcturus, forty light-years -away, has his small share, and so it goes.</p> - -<p>"The resulting radiation from this drift of contraterrene matter -falling into the star dispersion of this sector has bathed this entire -portion of the Galaxy in hard radiation. Mutation has been rapid, and -evolution has taken swift advances."</p> - -<p>"Meaning exactly what?" demanded Stellor Downing.</p> - -<p>"I can tell you that one," laughed Thompson. "We are tougher than hell."</p> - -<p>"Terra's evolution has been vicious and swift," said Hotang Lu. "The -natural enemies of life have also evolved rapidly. Clifford Lane -destroyed one of the minor animals of Sscantoo by merely holding it—so -did Stellor Downing. The things that Terrans live with in peace—or -even symbiosis—are feared by the rest of the Galaxy. Insect life—many -thousands of kinds of insects. Fungus—a myriad of types, all hardy. -I've heard of a mollusk that secretes strontium metal for a shell -rather than the usual calcium, and micro-animalcules that thrive in -a bath of chemically pure sulphuric acid. Terrans drink a most foul -poison—ethanol—for pleasure, and inhale the combustion-products—tar -and worse—of a dried weed as a fairly common habit. This habit, by the -way, seems to have absolutely no effect upon life or mentality. Terrans -go anywhere with immunity, and those who come here must prepare to die."</p> - -<p>"You're not dead," objected Lane.</p> - -<p>"No, but I expected death. I was prepared. I was innoculated and -sterilized and given all sorts of treatments. I irradiate myself daily -with the micro-organism killing radiations known to our doctors and -scientists. Otherwise I would—well, in your slang terms—grow green -hair in an hour.</p> - -<p>"In fact," continued Hotang Lu thoughtfully, "Toralen Ki and myself -were the last of several expeditions to contact Terra. We sent a -first to investigate and sample the upper stratosphere. They did—and -they died painfully. But they succeeded in preparing artificial -antimeasures against the bacteria and fungus-spores that roam that -altitude. The second expedition landed, but took only samples of the -surface-atmosphere. They died, learning the secrets of the mutant -microlife of Terra. They prepared antimeasures for the third expedition -who emerged from the ship, protected against air-borne death, and gave -their lives learning how to control the microlife that abounds and is -transmitted by contact.</p> - -<p>"The fourth expedition came to roam the planet at will, and they died -because there had been a mutation in one form of spore in the years -between the third expedition and the fourth. The fifth came and were -safe.</p> - -<p>"Toralen Ki and myself were the fifth expedition."</p> - -<p>"Um-m-m, what a nice bunch of little stinkers Terrans must be," smiled -Lane.</p> - -<p>"Terrans and Venusites," amended Downing.</p> - -<p>"Don't be bitter," laughed Lane. "You're tarred with this brush too, -you know."</p> - -<p>Kennebec smiled. "I'll be afraid of myself from now on."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Hotang Lu looked at Kennebec seriously. "That is your main concern," he -said. "You—and all Solarians—have but that to fear."</p> - -<p>"What?"</p> - -<p>"You need fear only yourselves. All your other enemies fall like the -wheat before the scythe. From the most minute to the most gigantic. -Micro-organisms that defy your best instruments can not defy your -evolution. Giants that defy your imagination can not defy your science. -The cold and forbidding planets themselves bow to Terran domination. -Lane, born on Venus; a world of violent insect life and rife with -micro-organisms is populated by Terrans. Downing was born of Mars. -Mars is cold and forbidding. Life cannot survive there. Life cannot, -gentlemen. Oh, life in the sense that regeneration and self-sustenance -is life, can. After all, Mars is bathed in the same radiation that -produces hardy mutations. But Terran life is intelligent. Martian life -can not be—"</p> - -<p>"See?" chortled Cliff Lane.</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu swung upon the Venusite. "Stellor Downing is Terran," he said -stoutly. "Venus can not support intelligent life either," he added in a -mollifying tone.</p> - -<p>"They do," objected Kennebec.</p> - -<p>"By support I mean spawn," said Hotang Lu. "To support does not mean to -'be converted to'."</p> - -<p>"Oh."</p> - -<p>"Terra controls. Terra takes over. Terra is the Planet of Terror. Her -minions rule the Galaxy, her mutants are the fear and the death of all. -Linzete of Sscantoo capitulated because of two things. One was Lane's -ability to carry, without self-destruction, microlife that destroyed -their minor animals in a matter of minutes. The other was Downing's -ability to read the radiation of their weapons and return in less than -a month with an improvement on them. And what is your favorite dish?" -he asked Kennebec.</p> - -<p>"Filet mignon with mushrooms."</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu shivered visibly. "Tender, of course?"</p> - -<p>"Tender and very, very rare."</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu shivered again.</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"What makes a steak tender?" he asked with an air of innocence.</p> - -<p>"Brutally speaking, it is a matter of semiputrefication."</p> - -<p>"Precisely. You hang it in a warm, smoky, damp place until it 'grows -hair'. Then you partially cook it—not really enough to destroy the -enzymes—and smother it with one of the most pernicious forms of fungi. -It is served hot—a condition that enhances most chemical reactions. -And you fall to, eating this deadly mixture with appetite, relish, -appreciation, and, by the most holy, you complain bitterly if the -tenderness is not right. You object if the micro-organisms have not had -their chance to break down the toughness of the meat. About the only -disease that Terrans really need fear is the ulcer, which is a case of -the adaptable beginning to eat itself, or perhaps carcinoma, where -local mutation takes place."</p> - -<p>"That makes us feel very good," said Kennebec dryly. "But from what -you've told us, we are on the brink of invasion by a super-race that is -slowly engulfing the Galaxy."</p> - -<p>"The Loard-vogh must be defeated."</p> - -<p>"I should think so," remarked Kennebec.</p> - -<p>"Our work is through," said Hotang Lu. "Tlembo is surpassed. Sscantoo -was one hope of Tlembo, but the catmen are almost at the peak of their -evolution, and cannot be increased in mental stature more than twice -or thrice. Tlembo reached their mental ultimate ten thousand years -ago and were far surpassed by the Loard-vogh. Terra now surpasses -the Loard-vogh. But remember, Co-ordinator Kennebec, you have mental -<i>ability</i> not real mentality. You have the capability to increase -a thousandfold above your present mental stature. But you have not -increased in fact."</p> - -<p>"I do not follow."</p> - -<p>"Your infants have the ability to become the mentally great. Until -that ability is exploited, they are mentally lower than the most -unintelligent of animals. They cannot even feed themselves without help.</p> - -<p>"Terra now has the ability," he continued. "If Terra is to rule the -Galaxy—and well she might for her adaptability—she must exploit the -latent mental capability."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"And the next plan?" suggested Kennebec.</p> - -<p>Thompson looked at Hotang Lu. "What's yours?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"You will be the co-ordinator. The Extremes will co-operate in -gathering information and you will direct them, and all of Sol, in this -effort."</p> - -<p>Kennebec frowned. "You must know what you're doing," he said. "But I -was under the impression that Lane and Downing—?"</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu nodded. "That was the original plan. But due to a rather -peculiar set of circumstances out near Sscantoo, Thompson now has the -superior mind of all Solarians. You see, he did not achieve twinship -with a Terran. He achieved a ... er ... <i>tripletship</i> with Toralen Ki, -and the Loard-vogh known as Kregar, who was high in their councils. -Since he is aware of the Loard-vogh mind, his decisions can be expected -to take into account what they are likely to do."</p> - -<p>"One of the main jobs in fighting an alien culture is to try to -outguess them," added Thompson. "Having a bit of Loard-vogh psychology -for inspection will enable me to handle the outguessing process -somewhat better."</p> - -<p>"Reasonable," agreed Kennebec. "My job now will be to convince the -superior officers of these three that their ability warrants giving -orders instead of taking them."</p> - -<p>"It should be easy. Their ability will speak for itself. Besides, you -may issue statements to the effect that mental activity between these -three have placed them—"</p> - -<p>"Hotang Lu, a thousand years from now we might. But you told us that -all we now have is the mental <i>ability</i> without the training necessary -to use it."</p> - -<p>"Yes?"</p> - -<p>"My small friend, all that means is that men will now be able to use -the whole of their minds to indulge in power-grabbing, connivery, and -politics."</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu smiled. "I know," he said. "The end-product of it all will -be that little change is visible. You see, the avaricious of your race -will be of greater mental power, true enough. But those of you who try -to see that things are run right will have the same increase in mental -stature. When I spoke of the human race as a slumbering giant, I meant -that all facets of human nature were equally smothered."</p> - -<p>"Hm-m-m. I see what you mean. But jealousy isn't good, and if I make -a statement to the effect that the minds of these three are superior, -every mother's son on all three planets and nine colonies a-stellar -will be sharpshooting for them. Ah-hah," he finished, shaking his head.</p> - -<p>"Their ability will take hold. Their individual characteristics will -show. Let it be known that Lane and Downing are each doubly capable -because of the mental twinship. That all Solarians know now. Let it -also be known that Toralen Ki and the Loard-vogh Kregar fought the same -type of mental battle for Thompson's mind—and that he has the triple -ability. Regardless of jealousy, they will come out on top."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"Well," said Thompson, "at this point I think we'd best be thinking -about our skins, Cliff, like to scout the catmen again?"</p> - -<p>"What for?"</p> - -<p>"Take a look at their stuff. That snatcher they had might be the stuff -for trouble in a large scale. Might see what they've got, and what you -can make of it."</p> - -<p>"Think there's any chance we might grab a hunk out of the middle of a -sun and hurl it at the enemy?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, but it is remote, and wasteful to boot."</p> - -<p>"Why?</p> - -<p>"Anything you might grab out of any sun would be more difficult than -grabbing the planet itself—the one you want to annihilate, I mean. -Better do it directly by just taking the planet, stopping it in its -orbit, and hurling it to its sun itself. The forces present in a sun -would be more difficult to handle. And besides, what would you anchor -it to?"</p> - -<p>"Space itself," suggested Downing. "With a driver beam."</p> - -<p>"You'd end up by warping space. Nope, I can think of easier ways of -beating out my brains. But Cliff, if you'll see what they have, we can -use it, perhaps. Stellor, any suggestions you'd like to make?"</p> - -<p>"Someone better start converting the manufacturers. Hotang Lu's picture -isn't at all good, you know. The Loard-vogh have conquered about a -quarter of the Galaxy now. Their numbers are legion and they are a -conquistadorial outfit at best. They'll fight to the last one, and they -outnumber us thousands to one."</p> - -<p>"Millions," corrected Hotang Lu.</p> - -<p>"Looks futile right there."</p> - -<p>"Let's not quit before we're licked," snapped Thompson. "Before they -collect Sol in their list, they're going to have to kill each and every -Terran."</p> - -<p>"Um-m-m—not a bright prospect."</p> - -<p>"Makes us as tough as they are," mused Kennebec.</p> - -<p>"Tough, but not as nasty," offered Billy. "They want conquest for the -sake of conquest. They'll die to the last man fighting for the sake of -fighting. We'll die to the last man fighting for peace."</p> - -<p>"Right."</p> - -<p>"So," offered Downing, "I'll take a scout of the Loard-vogh if you -want."</p> - -<p>"O.K.," said Thompson. "This is going to keep us all busy for a long -time. We'd best relax tonight—tomorrow we can all leave."</p> - -<p>"You'll take my crew?" asked Stellor Downing.</p> - -<p>"Since spying can't be done with twenty-five ships at your back, I -will," agreed Lane.</p> - -<p>"You can handle 'em," said Downing. "After all, you do have my ability -now."</p> - -<p>Lane smiled cheerfully. "O.K. I'll see you later."</p> - -<p>"Right," said Downing.</p> - -<p>"And keep this under your hat, fellows. Terra has one great secret -weapon that the Loard-vogh can never get nor use. It is a weapon that -must wait until the time is ripe. It must never be disclosed, until it -is in use. Then—it will be too late for the Loard-vogh to stop it."</p> - -<p>"What is it?"</p> - -<p>"If you don't know, I'll not tell you yet."</p> - -<p>"But why tell us at all?"</p> - -<p>"The idea of fighting a race that has conquered the Galaxy is -staggering. Especially a race that, until lately, has been Terra's -mental superior. The knowledge of a secret weapon of definite -capability tends to make our battle less foolish. We will win."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XII.</p> - - -<p>Patricia Kennebec peered out of the window at the screech of brakes on -the pavement. Then, to avert open hostility, she ran to the door and -out upon the sidewalk.</p> - -<p>She faced them, and was slightly baffled to hear them speak:</p> - -<p>"Well?" asked Lane.</p> - -<p>"You didn't beat me."</p> - -<p>"It was a dead heat," smiled Lane.</p> - -<p>"We're two minds with but a single thought, these days," Stellor told -Patricia. "Every time I find myself thinking of something, I discover -that he has been considering the same thing, too."</p> - -<p>"You'd better split your personality—and/or your body," suggested -Lane. "Or become twins. I can foresee difficulties with the theological -and civil authorities if this goes on."</p> - -<p>Patricia smiled. "I can't possibly marry you both. Not at the same -time, anyway."</p> - -<p>"Toss coin?" offered Lane. "We'll take turns—"</p> - -<p>"You will not!" stated Patricia. "I'm old-fashioned enough to go into -it wanting permanency. I don't really expect it, but I can and will -hope. I will not enter marriage with any split in mind. That's ... -that's—"</p> - -<p>"Sorry," said Cliff. "I was joking."</p> - -<p>"Love may be somewhat amusing," she said seriously. "But marriage is no -joke. So let's forget it. Oh—look! Here comes Billy!"</p> - -<p>Lane and Downing looked, and then whistled.</p> - -<p>Patricia squinted at the pair of them, and then took another look at -Thompson. "Did you two swap minds—or was he in on it?" she asked with -a laugh.</p> - -<p>"He wasn't—but why?" asked Lane.</p> - -<p>"Billy is pulling your favorite trick," she told Lane. "He's got a -glamor-puss on each elbow."</p> - -<p>"And he can pick 'em, too!" said Downing approvingly.</p> - -<p>Patricia looked at him in puzzlement.</p> - -<p>Lane caught the look. "That's my line," he told Stellor.</p> - -<p>"So it is. 'And your line shall be my line, and your ideas shall be -mine. For whitherso thou goest, there—' and so on, Cliff."</p> - -<p>"This is getting bad," smiled Patricia to Billy. "I've often thought -that it would be perfect if I could take these two and boil 'em -down into one man. Instead, I've got the boiling process done but -the outcome is two men both with all of the things I've liked about -each—or am I getting involved in my own words?"</p> - -<p>"I knew they'd not think of furnishing enough femininity to make a full -party," he laughed. "Patricia, smile and be nice to all of us. Kids, -Patricia Kennebec. Virginia Thompson, my sister, and Tania Lake, her -erstwhile college chum. Gals, the redheaded wildman is Stellor Downing -and the dark, sunkissed Adonis is Clifford Lane. Take it from there."</p> - -<p>Lane blinked at Virginia. "You're <i>his</i> sister? By adoption, no doubt. -No blood relation of Billy could be—" Lane stopped at precisely the -right point, and looked just the right amount of confusion. His act -went over, and Virginia smiled back. "He talks, too," he said seriously.</p> - -<p>Patricia Kennebec looked at Billy. "This has the earmarks of -conspiracy," she told him. "What gives?"</p> - -<p>"Nothing in particular," he said with a slight smile. "Ginger and Tanny -were sitting around the house as usual when I got home this evening, -and both of them looked hungry. Seems to me they're always that way—at -least as far back as I can remember."</p> - -<p>"You mean you've been concealing assets like these?" demanded Downing.</p> - -<p>"I'll inspect this conspiracy a little better after I find out how -it's working," Patricia whispered to Billy. "You treat them both like -sisters."</p> - -<p>"Tania has lived next door to us for most of her life," said Billy -honestly.</p> - -<p>"Hm-m-m—girlhood sweet-heart?"</p> - -<p>"Nope. We didn't even scrap over the back fence."</p> - -<p>"There's one thing about Billy," said Downing, diverting his attention -briefly. "He doesn't ever scrap for anything."</p> - -<p>"He never seems to lose anything he wants," offered Tania.</p> - -<p>"He doesn't," affirmed Lane. "Trouble is with that kind of guy, he'll -never win the Solar Citation. Billy, why in the name of sin don't you -make something look hard, just for once."</p> - -<p>"I claimed that any man who could spend a couple of months as referee -between you two would have a job big enough to win the Solar Citation," -said Patricia.</p> - -<p>"He made a breeze of it," said Lane, and Downing nodded and added: -"Every time we got to the shooting-point, Billy was there with a crisis -to solve, a mission to perform, or a detail to handle. And when the -rivet-cutting really got going, he thought of the one short statement -that stopped us both—cold."</p> - -<p>"I still say getting in between you two is bravery above the -consideration of personal safety, or even the safety of any individual, -for the benefit of mankind. If that doesn't rate a Solar Cit, I don't -know what does."</p> - -<p>Billy grinned brazenly. "It all comes of one idea," he told them. "And -that's the little proposition of making the best of what you know. -I—know people. So I can make 'em tick. I'll admit it, I'm brilliant. -Now let's forget my obvious touch of genius and go somewhere and try -out our own individual superiority against a steak. We'll weigh the -remains and the largest leavings is a loser."</p> - -<p>From the front steps, Co-ordinator Kennebec called: "A good idea, -fellows. I was about to call out the Guard. I was beginning to think -that a mass meeting was going on right on the Presidential Grounds."</p> - -<p>They waved good-by, and drove off in Billy Thompson's car.</p> - -<p>And it was about four o'clock in the morning that Hotang Lu retired -after hours of discussion with Kennebec. The co-ordinator of the Solar -Combine nodded the Little One to his door, and then decided to raid the -presidential icebox. He stopped at the door.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Co-ordinator Kennebec had a large and healthy respect for Patricia's -judgment, though she was but a youngster according to his standards -and those of his contemporaries. Perhaps the combination of Irish -impulsiveness with the Canadian-Scotch horse sense had resulted in -something with a better grasp on human nature—or perhaps it was that -still-unknown intuition that women all claimed. Anyway, Kennebec had -been talking to Hotang Lu with four tenths of an ear cocked to the -doorway. He'd wanted to get Pat's side of the details.</p> - -<p>He'd missed her, apparently.</p> - -<p>For if any icebox were raided, especially the austere icebox of the -co-ordinator's presidential home, it would be done <i>en trio</i>.</p> - -<p>Kennebec grinned. He hoped they'd leave some for the nominal ruler of -the Solar Combine.</p> - -<p>The idea of ordering out an aide didn't occur to him; an aide could -produce anything at any time, but Kennebec wasn't the type to impose. -He'd do his own icebox raiding!</p> - -<p>But he was not beyond a bit of diplomatic eavesdropping. He'd thought -of Pat's problem, too. Twin minds between the men she preferred -impartially. That—and he didn't like to consider it—reduced her -selection to the sheer animal. He was not euphemistic, nor blind, -and he recognized that men and women will be men and women and that -physical attraction was a major factor. But he was of an intelligent -race, and he knew also that sheer physical attraction without a -simultaneous mating of mind usually resulted in trouble.</p> - -<p>He wondered—which of the pair of worthies had the greater physical -attraction for his daughter.</p> - -<p>So, with no feeling of shame about it, Co-ordinator Kennebec, nominal -ruling head of three planets; elected by popular vote; empowered to act -by the Solar Combine Congress; commander in chief of all armed forces -of three worlds—eavesdropped on his daughter.</p> - -<p>"Just a keyhole listener," he thought. "I wonder which—"</p> - -<p>"That was a neat piece of business," Pat laughed.</p> - -<p>"Was it?" answered her companion.</p> - -<p>"It was. And you know it. A neat bit of skullduggery."</p> - -<p>The laugh that followed was very masculine—and there was no mistaking -the originator.</p> - -<p>"May I ask what the idea was?" asked Pat.</p> - -<p>Billy Thompson's well-modulated voice answered: "Sure, I'll tell you. -Do you want it right off the shoulder or will you take it by degrees?"</p> - -<p>"I can take it," said Patricia. Her tone was light, but under-tones of -softness were there. "Can you dish it out?"</p> - -<p>Kennebec swallowed. Billy Thompson! Whatever he had done, he'd done it -well. Kennebec smiled wistfully. Any man who could cut Patricia out of -the tight-pack between Lane and Downing was either overly wise or—</p> - -<p>"I'm dishing," said Billy. "I've been wondering how it would be to have -you all to myself."</p> - -<p>"Have you found out yet?" asked Patricia lightly.</p> - -<p>"Not yet—it might take a long time."</p> - -<p>"It's four o'clock," she told him.</p> - -<p>"So what?" he said hotly. "If I get a card to this game, it's going to -be a hard-held one."</p> - -<p>"You mean that now I'm confronted with the idea of deciding between -three of you?"</p> - -<p>"Patricia, this is big-league stuff. Sit around and get as egotistical -as you want. I don't think you are. I think a lot of your confounded -superciliousness is just an act—and I intend to find out!"</p> - -<p>"An act, Billy?"</p> - -<p>"Pat, I hope it is. How long has your dad been co-ordinator?"</p> - -<p>"About seven years."</p> - -<p>"And you're twenty-four."</p> - -<p>"Been reading my mail?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.</p> - -<p>"I can—and often do—read newsprint."</p> - -<p>"Oh, you read, too?"</p> - -<p>"Shut up," he snapped, "and stop sounding like a character out of a -bum play. You know what I'm trying to tell you. You've been the high -priestess of this chateau ever since you were seventeen. D'ye know any -seventeen-year-old that has any sense?"</p> - -<p>"Ah—"</p> - -<p>"I know," he grinned cheerfully. "Patricia Kennebec at seventeen."</p> - -<p>"I've not been here—"</p> - -<p>"No, you've been to college, and stuff like that where people have been -kowtowing to you. Well, either you have that glazed-personality for -self-protection <i>or I wouldn't have you on a bet</i>!"</p> - -<p>"Huh?" asked the girl. And her father swallowed, took a deep but silent -breath and wondered what next?</p> - -<p>"Wonderful woman," he laughed. "Three of the top men in the Solar Guard -chasing after you. Gives you quite a feeling of superiority, doesn't -it?"</p> - -<p>"I—"</p> - -<p>"Don't answer, Pat, you're about as responsible for the antics of that -pair of concentric idiots as anything else."</p> - -<p>"Look, Billy, Cliff and Stellor at least were honest with me. I knew -them before I ever met you. Years and years ago. They fought over me -for the junior prom in high school. They ganged up and took me, <i>en -trio</i>, to the graduation party from grammar school. And both of those -were before dad was mentioned as co-ordinator-possible. That, Billy, -was before I became a possible key to the co-ordinator's office. All -right. I sound jaded. I'm a stinking little headstrong, egocentric brat -that sits around dangling men from a nylon ribbon, playing hearts. -Billy—<i>how can YOU prove that YOU don't want -something?</i>"</p> - -<p>"Huh?"</p> - -<p>"How is a nonomniscent human being in my position to know a -protestation of affection from a pure and perfect act—the purpose of -which to gain something?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Kennebec, standing in the silver closet, bit his lip. He'd see this -thing out, for he wanted to ask Patricia a question. For once in his -life, he was not certain of the <i>rightness</i> of his ambition. Patricia -would know. Was all ambition foolish? Is this what they meant when they -said: Of what use to gain the world if only to lose a soul? Had he in -his ambition to give his motherless daughter the best of everything, -deprived her of that one thing that no one could do without? To have -friends, even lovers, whose protestations of affection were honest; -whose need of her was as personal as her need of them? How had she -learned, at a tender twenty-four, that there were those who would -present false face for position—and take, perhaps, that which—?</p> - -<p>Kennebec smiled shyly, in the darkness. She had learned. Apparently it -had been hard, but not too hard, that learning.</p> - -<p>"Patricia," said Billy. "Patricia, listen to me. I've not known you -long, compared to the—wildmen." He laughed shortly, but it was forced -and she knew it. So did the man behind the door.</p> - -<p>"I've not known you long, Patricia. I did a bit of trickery tonight. I -dropped two red herrings across the trail—"</p> - -<p>"Make it good," whispered Patricia, "or I'll tell the girls what you -called them."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus11.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Basically, I'm honest," said Thompson in a cheerful voice. "I bribed -them well. Their known and accepted jobs were to sidetrack the -un-heavenly twins. Both Ginger and Tanny swore that nothing short of -open seduction would prevent them from leaving the aisle clear for my -frontal attack."</p> - -<p>"Hm-m-m—so Pat Kennebec was Target for Tonight?"</p> - -<p>"Do you dislike me for being honest?"</p> - -<p>"Is that honesty a cover for deeper dis—"</p> - -<p>"Pat, please. Don't say it."</p> - -<p>"Then what shall I say?"</p> - -<p>"Tell me—did you like it?"</p> - -<p>Patricia looked up at Billy Thompson. "Now <i>I'm</i> asking. Can you take -it?"</p> - -<p>"I can take it," said Billy. "Tell me to go and jump in the lake, if -you want. I did what I did because—"</p> - -<p>"Billy, it was rather nice."</p> - -<p>"It—?"</p> - -<p>"I liked it."</p> - -<p>"Ah ... er—"</p> - -<p>"Billy?"</p> - -<p>"Yes?"</p> - -<p>"Best you can do?"</p> - -<p>The silence was significant. Kennebec, eavesdropping, swallowed deeply, -and left quietly.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"Billy?"</p> - -<p>"Patricia?"</p> - -<p>"You always call me by my full name?"</p> - -<p>"I like to hear it."</p> - -<p>"Billy, what do we do now?"</p> - -<p>"We do nothing. As far as I'm concerned, Patricia, we've just met. From -here on, we do all we can to know one another better."</p> - -<p>"I—"</p> - -<p>The beer and sandwiches were growing warm.</p> - -<p>"—won't be able to know—"</p> - -<p>And it was getting later.</p> - -<p>"—if you keep my eyes closed all the time."</p> - -<p>Billy took a deep breath. "The better to keep you from finding out all -about me, my dear."</p> - -<p>She held his face back between her hands. "Do you realize?" she asked. -The head between her hands shook. "You have really known me for less -than ... than six hours. And you're making protestations—"</p> - -<p>"You forget," he reminded her carefully, "that I'd been contemplating -Patricia Kennebec for a long time. There are some things that are -worth waiting for; things that require planning. I didn't know what -the score would be at the end of this evening, Patricia, but I wanted -so to find out. I've known you for a long time, Patricia. And, -remember, little lady, that one need not fight bitterly for what he -wants—sometimes it comes better if one bides his time and lets the -fighters run themselves out of wind. From here, Patricia, let no man -get in my way, lest he get his legs clipped out from under him."</p> - -<p>"Supposing that I like him?" said Patricia.</p> - -<p>"I'll only be fluffed off once," warned Billy. "There's one thing that -I have that few other people have, Patricia. I can't really read minds, -but I've discovered, ever since that little battle out there near -Sscantoo, that I <i>feel</i>, and deeply, the truth of any man's feelings. -But enough of that. We'll have time to quarrel later. Right now, -Patricia—"</p> - -<p>That night, the old adage died. The head that wore the crown of the -Solar Combine slept like a kitten. And the only thing that bothered -Co-ordinator Kennebec was that usual irrelevant wonder that crops -up in the most trying of circumstances, though this was not trying, -as circumstances go. Yet, Kennebec thought, it was like an hysteria -almost; the unfunny joke that sends chief mourners off into gales of -laughter. Incongruous and irrelevant, immaterial and inconsequential.</p> - -<p>But why in the name of Sol didn't they go into the living room, and do -their necking on the love seat where it belonged instead of sitting on -the cook's tall stool in the kitchen?</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XIII.</p> - - -<p>The scene at the proving grounds was a bustle of activity. In the -center of the area stood a huge machine with a paraboloid reflector, -pointing skyward on gimbals. Supporting the projector was a girdered -and trussed platform, with tractor beams on each corner, pointing down -to the center of Terra. Vast was the machine; no telescope in the Solar -Combine was half as solid as the trunnions and bars that rigidized the -setting of the relatively small, ten-foot bowl of the projector.</p> - -<p>A line of portable telephone poles, strung with portable wiring, led -from the housing below the projector. Off across the proving ground -they went to a master-control office almost lost in the horizon and the -haze.</p> - -<p>But the projector would not be studied from the remote position. That -was just a clearing house—a veritable telephone exchange—that fed -terrestrial data from all of the research laboratories of Terra to the -monster on the proving ground.</p> - -<p>Inside the housing was Cliff Lane, directing the technical staff. -There, too, was Linzete, the catman, brought back to Terra by Lane's -doubly convincing mind. Linzete did not like primates; he avoided them -and went out of his way to keep a two-foot clear space between himself -and the primates as he moved around in the crowded housing.</p> - -<p>The Terrans, warned beforehand, did their best to honor his dislike of -them. They respected his preference in contact, though they, at this -point, tended to use his mind and his experience as something presented -to them. For they—and he—knew that their mental ability exceeded his -and he was there only because his experience had been greater than -theirs.</p> - -<p>Out on the trestles and the catwalks of the machine stood Stellor -Downing, directing the final touches of the monstrous mechanical system.</p> - -<p>The operator called to Lane: "The sounding-boat is over the Mindanao -Deep, sir. Ready and waiting."</p> - -<p>"How's the terrestrial laboratory at Washington?"</p> - -<p>"Ready for an hour. And Cal Tech has been chewing their fingernails for -two hours."</p> - -<p>"Call Downing and ask him how long?"</p> - -<p>"Calling Stellor Downing—"</p> - -<p>"On the roger," answered Downing, grabbing a phone from its rack on a -catwalk.</p> - -<p>"How much more greasing are you going to give that mecanno set?" asked -Cliff.</p> - -<p>"Oh, any time you're ready, we are."</p> - -<p>"I know but—"</p> - -<p>"Until the bell rings, we'll sort of pick curls of dust out of the -bearings, put a drop of oil here and there, and see that the stuff is -shiny—and as slippery as the devil."</p> - -<p>The operator plugged into a ringing line. "Lane," he called after -listening, "the crew just dropped the drone."</p> - -<p>"Get the detector gang and tell 'em."</p> - -<p>The operator unplugged and shoved the plug into another jack. He spoke, -and listened for several minutes.</p> - -<p>"Detector gang has picked up the drone," he announced to Lane.</p> - -<p>"Ring the warning bell!"</p> - -<p>The clangor of the warning bell shattered the air. Over the <i>tactac</i> of -machinery and the rumble of heavy generators, it fell on waiting ears, -and from all parts of the great projector there was a general rush to -hit solid ground. A huge ring of men formed a hundred yards from the -machine, and Downing entered the housing.</p> - -<p>"Can we see better in here or out there?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"In here," said Cliff. "The drone won't be within a ten light-sec range -when we hit it. The celestial globe, here, has been juggled up to show -both drone and projector. It's rough, but the lack of definition won't -bother us. We can understand what's happening—and if it happens as we -expect, we'll see it go blooey and be able to reconstruct the event. -Stick around."</p> - -<p>Linzete came and stood beside them. "I think the sawtooth is not of -the proper shape," he suggested.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps not," agreed Lane. "But to put any sharper break on it -will require another high-power driver stage. I'm hoping it will be -adequate."</p> - -<p>"The recovery time may seem slow," added Downing. "But remember how -much distance it controls."</p> - -<p>Linzete nodded dubiously. He was not the type to argue. If these -gadget-mad Terrans were going to ruin a second-rate ship on the first -try, well, they'd find out soon enough. He hoped they had a stock of -radio-controlled drones. They'd need them.</p> - -<p>They had—and they probably would need them.</p> - -<p>"On target!" came the cry.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Above, the platform swung around. The projector bobbled over in its -gimbals and centered on something invisible in the blue sky. The -tractor beams took hold invisibly and there was a grunting of the -bearings as the whole mechanism anchored itself to the core of the -planet.</p> - -<p>Then the projector jumped perceptibly. It seemed to gather itself -together and pounce. Then the system relaxed, apparently, for the -tractor beams died and the bearings resumed their freedom.</p> - -<p>Down in the housing, the celestial globe showed a small, outdated -cruiser. Speed was apparently zero, for the globe and its detecting -and scanning circuits was following it, mile for mile and second by -second. A range and velocity computed below the globe gave the data: -Nine light-sec range, velocity sixty-six MPS.</p> - -<p>The cruiser faltered in flight and the scanners almost passed ahead -of it. It faltered momentarily—that was during the time that the -projector seemed to gather its energy. As the pounce came, something -inside of the cruiser exploded very slowly. It expanded the cruiser -slightly here and there; a plate blew off; five or six of the -greenhouses shattered in puffs of mild fire; and then the cruiser -staggered and continued on at a lower velocity.</p> - -<p>"Send out the word," called Lane. "General coverage. That was the first -shock."</p> - -<p>Laboratories marked the time all over Terra. It would take hours -for the shock—if any—to reach the antipodes. What Lane was more -interested in was the report from Cal Tech, only a few hundred miles -away.</p> - -<p>"Linzete, you were right," said Lane. "It'll take time, and we'll need -it. But—Hey! Fellows! Get the high-power stage rigged and see what can -be done about increasing the sharpness of the sawtooth generator."</p> - -<p>The period of waiting was filled with activity. The reports started to -come in:</p> - -<p>"Cal Tech reports very mild shock."</p> - -<p>"Washington indicated almost zero—just a trace."</p> - -<p>"O.K., we can stand it," said Lane. "How's the target?"</p> - -<p>"Circling Terra. Radius seven light-sec. Velocity fifty-three MPS."</p> - -<p>The projector was ready when the drone returned. Again the projector -gathered itself together, and the pounce was quite visible. Beneath -them, the ground shook violently, and the projector and its mighty -platforms rattled in the bearings, held as they were by tractors to the -core of Terra.</p> - -<p>In the celestial sphere, the cruiser faltered again, and then exploded -in a wild blast of sheer flame, white and violent. The radiating gases -expanded, passed out of the scope of the scanner, and then the scanner -fell away from the scene and roamed aimlessly across the sky, showing a -mad whirling pattern of uninteresting stars.</p> - -<p>"What happened?" asked Linzete.</p> - -<p>"Main target blew up completely. Nothing massive to focus on, so the -finders and scanners just roam at will. That's it, Stellor."</p> - -<p>"Wait until we get the seismographic reports," cautioned the Martian. -"Maybe we can blast a ship to bits at two million miles, but so what if -California slides into the San Jacinto fault?"</p> - -<p>"Well, there'll be no more attempts until the returns are all in from -the labs," said Lane. "I'm taking no more chances." He turned to -Linzete. "You'll want the plans, of course?"</p> - -<p>The Sscantovian nodded. "I will not require the main circuits, of -course. The snatcher portion is just an oversized version of our own -invention. What I shall need is the details of the compressing sphere. -We were content to tear a section out of the ship. You made a precision -slicing operation out of it which pleased us greatly. But this problem -of taking the spherical cut and actually compressing the matter -inside—then releasing it instantly to create an atomic explosion is -far beyond me. We can copy it, but no Sscantovian would ever hope to -develop it from the facts here unless he had detailed plans. We—could -not understand its operation."</p> - -<p>"You did understand the main principle, though. You were the one who -predicted that the release-time was not fast enough and suggested -sharpening the sawtooth generator."</p> - -<p>"One may make suggestions without understanding the whole process," -purred Linzete. "Your weapon seems to be a success."</p> - -<p>"We'll know that when the seismographic reports are all in. Hurling a -beam of this kind, doing what we do, may well shake the planet's crust. -We hope to extend our range to ten million miles, and we'll know if we -can in a few months. If you have any deities, Linzete, you might burn a -prayer to 'em."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was thirty-six hours before the returns were all in. All along the -fault-lines of Terra came reports of very mild temblors. Nowhere was -there any severe slippage of Terra's crust: the seismographs could -find no epicenters, the uncounted tons of rock, under unknown tons of -pressure, had slid uniformly, creating a general, little shock.</p> - -<p>And Lane grinned. "With little slippages," he said, "we may do away -with all severe earthquakes. Releasing the crust-pressures before they -build up to a disaster-quantity should help, not hinder. We might -continue hitting small targets like this until the distribution of -fault-pressures is even all over. Then we can swing the Big Beam."</p> - -<p>"What I'm interested in at this point," said Downing, "is the -countermeasures group. What if the Loard-vogh get this thing?"</p> - -<p>"Billy says that they can't miss getting it eventually. And Billy also -says that the countermeasures gang is working on another development. -Has something to do with a similar gadget, only the sphere of force can -be made to pierce the snatcher—or any other field of force—and remove -smaller items inside. Sort of grab the stuff out from the contracting -sphere and toss it outside. It might save a lot of the crew, especially -since the atomic sphere is necessarily small."</p> - -<p>Linzete purred and asked: "Couldn't you compress a whole section of the -ship?"</p> - -<p>Lane turned. "Billy says we could, but why? Takes that much more power, -and the ultimate explosion would do little harm. This way we can grab a -hunk the size of a baseball and make quite an atomic blowup out of it. -Takes much less power, and the explosion is great."</p> - -<p>"I think you'll find," offered Downing, "that it takes just as much -power to wreck a ship by crushing it physically as it does to compress -a small sphere and then let it explode."</p> - -<p>"The atomic explosion takes more," said Lane.</p> - -<p>"Then why?"</p> - -<p>"Projector-size. We're getting away with swinging a ten-foot bowl -around. If we wanted to inclose a whole ship, we'd require a paraboloid -about forty times the longest diameter of the ship, just as the -ten-foot bowl is forty times the diameter of the compressible sphere. -And cutting a section out—well, that's the weapon we had before and -decided against because it left a chance for a well-designed ship to -lose a section and still carry on, or be repaired. Complete destruction -is the only answer."</p> - -<p>"In other words, the power input is greater, but the operational -power—?"</p> - -<p>"The overall power requirements of the atomic sphere projector are -about even this way to just crumpling a ship."</p> - -<p>"That's what I said," objected Downing.</p> - -<p>"I thought you meant just the crushing factor. The difference is made -up in the projector elements. Well, that's those. Billy says we can -turn this over to the secondary crew, now."</p> - -<p>"Then what?"</p> - -<p>"I'm going to get six of these made up for each planet. We'll also -mount some on the outer planets; and the colonials of Alpha, Procyon, -and the rest."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Hotang Lu pounded the table with his little fist. "That weapon might -have stopped them!" he snapped. "Why did you stop production?"</p> - -<p>"Are you questioning my motives?" asked Thompson quietly.</p> - -<p>"Yes!"</p> - -<p>"Have you any doubts as to my loyalty?"</p> - -<p>"I ... ah ... no."</p> - -<p>"And you do not understand my intent?"</p> - -<p>"No."</p> - -<p>"He's not alone, Billy," put in Kennebec. "What do you intend to do?"</p> - -<p>"The use of Terra's secret weapon is critical. It must be employed -at exactly the opportune moment, and not one minute before and not -one minute after. There must be, for psychological reasons you all -know, a certain amount of normal, mine-run fighting before we employ -our secret. But I do not want them to be defeated by our might and -our weapons. That would be disastrous, for they would return in a few -years, and they would return and return, until finally they succeeded -in conquering us. We must fight this as I have planned, and when the -time is exactly ripe, we shall employ our secret weapon and from that -time on, there will be no more carnage, and the Loard-vogh will be -conquered."</p> - -<p>"When you're dealing with the Loard-vogh, there's no better way -to skin a cat than to grab the skin at the neck and pull," scowled -Downing. "Choking them to death with cream will not work. I spent three -weeks there, remember, and I tell you, Billy, you can not temporize -with them!"</p> - -<p>Kennebec shook his head at Billy, "I wonder if your practice of getting -what you want without fighting for it mightn't be carried too far."</p> - -<p>"We are a million million in population," said Billy. "That's counting -the Solar Combine plus the colonial outposts. This fight we're -facing can not be won in another way. They outnumber us a million -to one—think of that! To win, every Solarian must kill one million -Loard-vogh! And that," he concluded bitterly, "makes us all come out -even!"</p> - -<p>"There isn't a man in this sector that wouldn't prefer to die -protecting his own than to knuckle under Loard-vogh rule."</p> - -<p>"I know—"</p> - -<p>"Billy, I can not permit this order to continue," said Kennebec. "We -must not permit them to take Terra!"</p> - -<p>"Then you're overriding my order?"</p> - -<p>"I am—and I pray that the procrastination isn't fatal."</p> - -<p>Downing frowned. "Look, Billy, remember this: The Loard-vogh fear us as -we are! Otherwise they would not be mobilizing against us. Despite the -million-to-one ratio, they fear us and our heredity. We can and will -win!"</p> - -<p>"We'll win, never fear," said Billy. "But we'll win only if we play it -properly."</p> - -<p>"And properly means to fight with every weapon that we have."</p> - -<p>"Spore bombs?"</p> - -<p>"That's but one thing."</p> - -<p>"They'll help—only to make the other trillion Loard-vogh mad. Douse a -few planets and thousands of others will muster."</p> - -<p>Billy Thompson thought for a moment and then answered: "Really, it -makes little difference how we fight. We'll win anyway. Go ahead and -build your gadgets."</p> - -<p>He left, and Hotang Lu nodded. "I pray there is time left. Time to -build smaller ones, too, that will fit the ships of the Solar Guard. -Time to manufacture the necessary fighting equipment. Time to ... ah, -always we are fighting time. I curse the lack of time."</p> - -<p>And then the Tlemban added: "I am mystified. In my cosmos, if a secret -weapon is worthy of use, it is worthy of use from the time it is -discovered. I am puzzled—but then, I do not understand your secret -weapon. It sounds foolish to me."</p> - -<p>Kennebec spent the next three hours trying to make the Tlemban -understand, and finally gave up.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XIV.</p> - - -<p>Lindoo strode into the presence of Vorgan, Lord of All, and handed an -aide a scroll for the record. The Lord of All nodded and said nothing. -Nor was there anything to say that had not been said previously. Any -further discussion would be merely re-contemplation of ideas. The proof -was four months off.</p> - -<p>It would take four long months between this day—when Lindoo handed -Vorgan's aide the scroll, giving the official date and time of -I-second, when the invasion spearhead of the Loard-vogh blasted upward -from the locus and headed for Sol—to the time when the first of the -advance flight reached the Solar Sector.</p> - -<p>Four months of just sheer waiting. Four months which the gadget-mad -Terrans would use in preparation after the grand fleet of the -Loard-vogh was a-space, and growing flight-weary.</p> - -<p>Four months, full of intership bickerings and man-to-man fights because -the quarters were too confined.</p> - -<p>For the Loard-vogh were a quarrelsome race, and their fighting men -trained to viciousness. It is not strange that with four months, cooped -up in shells of steel, they should take to fighting among themselves. -It was strictly against the regulations, of course, because the Lord -of All wanted his fighting men to kill the enemy. Yet a fighting man -will fight if he has nothing else to do, and for four long months there -would be absolutely nothing to do. The Loard-vogh fighting man knew -little else but battle. Trained from youth to be hard, vicious, and -ruthless, he knew nothing of the art of killing time. Confinement made -him more vicious when released, and the officers overlooked a given -percentage of fights among the men. It was better that the ultimate -viciousness be great than to have their men soft with other arts.</p> - -<p>A goodly supply of other arts among the Loard-vogh would cause less -casualties. Had they been mentally and physically trained to carve -ivory, play chess, tie knots, or build spacecraft in bottles, their -lives would have been less violent, including the madness with which -they drove forward their attack.</p> - -<p>Forward went the grand fleet. In the lead were the fleet fighter ships, -and following them were the second wave craft. Third came the heavy -supercraft, the backbone of the grand fleet of the Loard-vogh. A day -behind came the mop-up transports, crammed to the space cocks with -fighting men, their nerves already on edge after a short day or two of -flight.</p> - -<p>And bringing up the rear were the myriad upon myriad of supply ships, -replacement carriers, machine-shop craft, and even space-going -foundries. Heavy ships laden with munitions and generating equipment; -craft that could anchor to the sunward side of an inner planet and -hurl megawatt after megawatt of power to the fighting ships for their -power-coffers. Huge—frameworks—with the equipment exposed to space. -Planet docks for the repair of ships damaged in fight.</p> - -<p>Forward drove this horde; forward into the Solar Sector. An -all-conquering mass.</p> - -<p>Silently and invisibly they sped in a long, cylindrical space pattern.</p> - -<p>Object, Terra.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Not unmindful of danger, Sol was working furiously. Factories, their -dies rusting the yard, were turning out parts for the atomic sphere. -Dymodines fairly rattled off of production lines and were installed -in the minor ships. Modines, the personal side-arm miniature of the -dymodine, came with a rush down the production-line conveyors and slid -into wrapping machines; were wrapped against all destructive, natural -forces and then were packed in boxes for shipment.</p> - -<p>Planet-mounted snatchers came to location by skytrain in parts and were -assembled on the spot by skilled technicians.</p> - -<p>The vast machines that generated the atomic sphere were being assembled -and shipped to the several places. Here they went together, fitted bit -by bit by machinists and technical men who worked furiously against -time to complete the job before the Loard-vogh came.</p> - -<p>They were many years building the original Palomar telescope, but this -was war, and the techniques of fabrication had advanced since then. -Perhaps the experience gained in that monstrous job—and in other -mighty projects, some war-driven, some peace-measures—gave Sol the -technical skill she needed. There would be no matter of years, this -time. It was a matter of four very short months.</p> - -<p>One hundred and twenty days. Just one small third of a year. And there -is a saturation point in the manpower curve; just because one man can -dig a well in sixty days, it is no sign that sixty men can dig the well -in one day. They could, mathematically, but you can't get sixty men -with shovels in a three-foot circle either mathematically or physically.</p> - -<p>So time bore on relentlessly. Time that for the Loard-vogh seemed -endlessly droning by was racing like fury for the laboring Terrans.</p> - -<p>For at the same instant that Vorgan was groaning about the four-month -wait, Thompson was complaining about the utter impossibility of getting -anything done in four months.</p> - -<p>What hurt Vorgan's sleep most of all was the fact that he feared that -Terra knew of the imminent invasion.</p> - -<p>Terra knew, and that spoiled their sleep, too.</p> - -<p>But they did not tell Vorgan that they knew. If the Lord of All had -known for certain, he would have slept better, for the uncertainty -would have been removed.</p> - -<p>For four long months, Vorgan's vicious crew of Loard-vogh warriors -drove through space, and then they deployed in battle array. Their -nerves tautened, and the personal fighting ceased, for the chances of -battle with a legal enemy stayed their hands against their fellows.</p> - -<p>They knew that they were approaching enemy territory. Their first -glimpse of trouble would be a mushrooming blast in the sky—or even -several simultaneous explosions.</p> - -<p>The first that went up would be a deadly signal that near by, or dead -ahead, their hated enemy was making his advance stand. That was the -gamble. They each pinned their hopes on being the watcher. Let another -ship go up in fire and flame. In this game, where no man could help -another, none even considered the idea of wanting death in preference -to another. For one man's life was exactly as good as any other man's -at this point—for until the initial shock wave hit, neither was doing -a thing.</p> - -<p>They were on the offensive, the Loard-vogh. They were breaching a -system that their leaders feared enough to break the Master Plan and -send forth a full grand fleet to take this sector that lay more than a -thousand light-years from the frontier of Loard-vogh conquest.</p> - -<p>As the Loard-vogh was on the offensive, the first move had been -taken—by them. The next move was up to Sol. And that retaliation would -take place soon was not doubted by any man.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Fifty light-years from Sol they slowed and alerted. They wondered, -those leaders of that invasion, when the blow would fall. Was it wiser -to wait until the enemy was alert? To wait until the enemy was waiting -for the first detector alarm seemed brash. The Loard-vogh method was to -strike like a hidden snake, and beat the enemy to the ground before he -knew what was waiting for him.</p> - -<p>It made them nervous.</p> - -<p>And a psychologist who had studied both the Loard-vogh and the Terran -minds from a dispassionate standpoint made the observation that the -Loard-vogh might have been better equipped to cope with a slashing -surprise attack, but were completely baffled by the obvious foolishness -of waiting.</p> - -<p>Three days Terran went by, and the secondary waves of Loard-vogh came -up, adding to the general confusion. Orders rang through space and the -following waves of the grand fleet slowed so that utter confusion would -not hamper their action.</p> - -<p>Then, eight days after the first arrivals, and still with no attack, -the Loard-vogh decided to move in another ten light-years. A star -twinkled there. It had been this stellar outpost that the Loard-vogh -feared. Their methods of defense would have been to arm every planet of -this star with energy enough to reach three light-years into space and -crush any oncomer. They were wise. They gave a three-times plus safety -factor just because their Lord of All was afraid of Terra.</p> - -<p>And they admitted that they, too, feared Terra.</p> - -<p>With slow care, the spearhead moved forward. The grand fleet moved in -waves once again. Slow, overcautious waves, and they worried all the -way. They knew. They knew that it would come any minute now.</p> - -<p>But nothing came at five light-years from the star. And at three -light-years there was not a sign in their detector systems. A single -light-year gave them the same indication, and they swarmed about the -star—now a blazing sun, and searched the heavens about them for the -sign of enemy activity. They gave the seven planets a wide berth, and -would stay away until they were very certain—</p> - -<p>So this was the feared and hated Solar Sector? Not even an outpost. Not -a scout. Not a sign of activity!</p> - -<p>The Loard-vogh took a deep breath and sighed in relief. And while they -were letting their breath out, Sol struck—and hard!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XV.</p> - - -<p>In the long-range scanner, the Loard-vogh fleet were but shapeless -blobs. In the past hours, they had become detectable, and now were -spreading out as the terrific velocity of the Terran fleet dropped down -upon them.</p> - -<p>"Now?" asked Downing.</p> - -<p>"Better wait another minute," suggested Cliff.</p> - -<p>"O.K. The judgment of when is best is tough, sometimes."</p> - -<p>"Better we should blitz eight or nine of them for sure than to try and -get fifteen but miss all but six. And don't forget that we're in the -lead. The boys in back will have more time to spread out and get the -outlying ships."</p> - -<p>"I'd like to stay running free as long as I can," said Stellor.</p> - -<p>"It makes us just that harder to detect when we are not radiating," -agreed Lane. "Too bad we can't run right on through this way."</p> - -<p>"Yeah, but we've got to use echo-ranging for the ordnance directors. We -can't just use their radiation as a means. And if we use echo-ranging, -that means squirting out the prime signal. That means detection anyway, -and we might as well use power, too."</p> - -<p>"What's our speed?"</p> - -<p>"Point seven nine light."</p> - -<p>"Fast enough," grunted Downing. "O.K., let 'em have it!"</p> - -<p>At seventy-nine percent of the speed of light, the free-running ships -came to life. The drivers went to work at the same time that the first -pulse from the ordnance directors went out. The turrets, already -trained by hand, moved only seconds of arc to correct for speed, when -the pulse-echo returned with the data. And with the return of the -second echo, reducing the error, the projectors belched energy.</p> - -<p>In the Loard-vogh, detectors screamed and flared. Turrets, directed at -random or stowed for travel, whipped around, the projectors rising in -elevation. Defensive equipment went to work—but not soon enough.</p> - -<p>For a dymodine crossing a dymodine will stop both, but they must be -operating simultaneously. The Terran ships fired first, and they hit.</p> - -<p>The sky had been serene. There was the star, blazing as a sun should -blaze, the only thing in view against a stellar curtain. The ships of -both fleets were black, and minutely invisible against the sky. The -planets of this star were as much a part of the stellar backdrop as any -planets are, even on Earth, and the appearance was just that of a very -distant disk, half-dollar size, blinding white, poised against a vast, -never ending wall of twinkling points.</p> - -<p>Thirty seconds later, man had passed through—and left his mark.</p> - -<p>Dymodines flashed incandescent spots that erupted in flaming gases. -Snatchers sliced backbone from the ships of the Loard-vogh and they -crumpled; some exploding. Three atomic sphere projectors found their -mark and three of the Loard-vogh blasted themselves to bits, leaving -only expanding masses and hard radiation—against the sky were moving -flecks of death; the Universe was spreckled with novae that spread as -they were watched.</p> - -<p>Death, silent and unspectacular from a distance, struck.</p> - -<p>And the Terran ships were through the Loard-vogh fleet and gone.</p> - -<p>But not unscathed. Trailing lines of whispy, incandescent vapor from -their intrinsic velocity, nine Terran ships traced their lives across -the sky.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"Made it! Call base and tell 'em," said Downing.</p> - -<p>The connection was already established. "Thompson? We got twenty-two. -Thirteen definites and nine more-than-probables. Seven with light -damage. Lost nine."</p> - -<p>"Good, Stellor. Now don't try it again. They're wise and they'll clean -you out."</p> - -<p>"I'd like to take my chance on one more run."</p> - -<p>"Don't do it. You'll be cleaned."</p> - -<p>"But they'll make a base here."</p> - -<p>"They'll make it anyway. How's their numbers?"</p> - -<p>"Terrific. They've got everything."</p> - -<p>Thompson grunted. "I'm not surprised. After all, they have a quarter -of the Galaxy full of them, and even though slave labor isn't the best, -a planet full of slaves is better than half a planet of free men if you -accept that a slave is fifty percent efficient."</p> - -<p>"I'm beginning to see futility ahead," said Lane.</p> - -<p>"Well, don't. Terra has a secret weapon that will win for us, you know."</p> - -<p>"I know, but you can't swing it yet. It's the waiting and the -back-breaking fight that must come first."</p> - -<p>"Too bad we can't just let 'em roar in close enough to use it all at -once."</p> - -<p>"Wouldn't work. We've got to wait until the psychological moment. -Then—we'll swing it."</p> - -<p>"O.K., now what?"</p> - -<p>"Don't toss away any more ships. Not right now. Let the Loard-vogh -establish their base," explained Billy. "We can't stop 'em anyway. Let -them come on in. I want them close enough so we can get at them without -having to go all the way out to get them." He thought a moment. "Tell -your boys not to use the atomic sphere any more than necessary. You -know why."</p> - -<p>"We got a few with it."</p> - -<p>"All right," answered Thompson. "At that time it was expedient. We had -to dent them to make them cautious."</p> - -<p>Lane said: "I don't see why we just don't let 'em roar on in close and -then use Plan One on them."</p> - -<p>"Wouldn't work that way. They are too numerous. Before Plan One is -efficient, we must give them a tough fight. Otherwise they will not -understand that we mean business. We'll win only after we convince the -Loard-vogh that we are worthy opponents in their own type of fighting. -Otherwise they will wipe us out by sheer weight of numbers despite Plan -One."</p> - -<p>"I know," grumbled Lane. "We've been through all that."</p> - -<p>"Well, then you know that Plan One will work only after a certain -number of them have reason to fear our arms."</p> - -<p>"O.K., Billy, we're coming in."</p> - -<p>"No—not yet. Head in for Procyon IV and wait for them there. Give them -as good a fight as you can."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Inward swept the grand fleet of the Loard-vogh. The other six planets -of Procyon were push-overs; the Loard-vogh hit the planetary defenses, -knocked them down by outnumbering them, and landed. The colonial -population headed for the hills and hid out. And as the mop-up squads -beat the bush, many of them did not come back. Yet it was futility, for -Vorgan's vicious minions held the planets eventually.</p> - -<p>But on Procyon IV, they had trouble.</p> - -<p>The fleet came down in a multiple line and encircled IV. Terran forces -fought back.</p> - -<p>Up-shooting beams crossed with the Loard-vogh weapons and made the air -a seething hell. Snatchers ripped the bellies out of ships, and from -the ships there came answering snatchers that gouged spheroidal chunks -out of the planet along with the projector crews and hurled them aside.</p> - -<p>Nuisance weapons—air torpedoes and space mines—floated freely and -exploded, filling the air with flying slabs of metal.</p> - -<p>And then forty of the finest made a landing. They forced their way to -the defended surface, scoured the ground beneath them with a solid -curtain of energy, and scarred the countryside until nothing was left -to stop them. They landed, set up a vast circle, and into the center of -the circle there poured a constant stream of Loard-vogh transports.</p> - -<p>"All right!" barked Lane. "Get the heavies over!"</p> - -<p>"Heavies on the way!"</p> - -<p>"And bring up the atomic spheres."</p> - -<p>Twenty of the atomic sphere projectors came zooming over, suspended on -tractors. They dropped on the circle and the tractors anchored them to -the solid core of IV.</p> - -<p>The paraboloids swung over and gouged pieces out of the center of the -Loard-vogh camp and let them blast loose with their atomic fire. The -Loard-vogh died like flies under the terrible energy—and like flies -they came on, replacing those gone.</p> - -<p>The air above the camp was seething. The ground below bubbled molten -in spots. The periphery was a raving, solid mass of sheer energy. The -bubble between the Loard-vogh forces and the Terrans was shimmering -energy that pulsated in and out like the beating of an irregular heart.</p> - -<p>And in spite of the utter madness of trying to enter that holocaust, -the Loard-vogh poured in. One man made the safety of the inner shields -to every hundred that came, and that one in a hundred multiplied, added -to those already there, until the shell of murderous energy swelled of -its own incompressible contents of Loard-vogh material and men.</p> - -<p>The shell expanded, moved outward against the fire. The atomic spheres -moved backwards, and as they moved they were silent. The Loard-vogh -took advantage of the silence to shove farther. A salient fingered out—</p> - -<p>"Cut it!" snapped Downing.</p> - -<p>"With what?" asked Hayes, the commander.</p> - -<p>"Drive in there—they're cutting off projector seven."</p> - -<p>The salient swept out, forcing Terran arms back. It curved around, -swept back, and had Number Seven within the loop. The pocket closed and -the bitterly contested area was a wide bulge on the edge of a circle.</p> - -<p>Another landing took place.</p> - -<p>And another, not more than a mile away.</p> - -<p>And then across the plains of Planet IV, of Procyon, there rolled -endless, countless mile after mile of ground equipment. The heavy -portables started to hurl their might as soon as they came in sight, -and the Terrans were pinched.</p> - -<p>Pinched between an embattled circle and a closing circle. The inner -circle expanded, the outer circle contracted.</p> - -<p>Downing's ship roared into the concentric fire, its turrets whipping -back and forth and spitting sheer energy. Behind him there sped the -twenty-four ships of his command. Into the holocaust they drove, -piercing the Loard-vogh line momentarily. The hole widened briefly, -and then closed down behind them. Englobed, the flight pressed close -together and fought outward.</p> - -<p>It was stalemate—and yet nine of them dropped as inert, flaming masses.</p> - -<p>"Enough!" called Stellor. "Back!"</p> - -<p>And his flight formed, was forced apart, and reformed. They drove for -the inside again and ran up against a solid wall of ships.</p> - -<p>Downing's flight dwindled. Pressing close, the Loard-vogh fired their -torrents of energy into Downing's ships at projector-burst range. One -by one the ships flamed and went down in a smoke-trailing comet.</p> - -<p>"Help?" snapped Lane over the sub-communicator.</p> - -<p>"Stay out—" started Downing. He was cut off as his command burst into -flaming, violent death.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Thompson's voice came over the interstellar band. "Better retreat now," -he said.</p> - -<p>Lane answered. Here in the scanning-ship, the torrent of energy and -deafening sound was gone, and only peaceful quiet reigned. Save for -the constantly swirling fire in the battle plotter globes and the -everlasting flicker of pilot lights, there was no evidence of the -swift, concentrated hell that went on in the space between spheres that -approached one another.</p> - -<p>"Downing tried it," he said.</p> - -<p>"Get many?"</p> - -<p>"Swapped his entire twenty-five for forty-one of the Loard-vogh before -they got him."</p> - -<p>"Not at all bad," answered Thompson.</p> - -<p>"I'd like to try it—?"</p> - -<p>"Nope. Better collect Downing and the rest and haul tail for Terra. -We're about due for the big show."</p> - -<p>"Downing is—"</p> - -<p>"Back," answered Stellor, opening the door. "I'm sorry to be late, -fellas. They asked me about the fight out there in the hall and I -stopped to chat. I didn't know you were on the line, Billy."</p> - -<p>"Well, how was the fight?"</p> - -<p>"Fierce. I'd hate to get into one like that, for real. Billy, will the -personnel snatcher save enough of our men to lick them?"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus12.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Saving every man aboard a doomed ship at the moment of destruction -with the individual snatcher globes is a good way of not losing a man," -explained Billy. "But it doesn't save materiel. They've got both, in -plenty. We'll have to fall back on the secret."</p> - -<p>"But when?" asked Lane.</p> - -<p>"When the time is ripe. And not one moment before."</p> - -<p>Thompson rang off. And then with a concentrated effort, the Solarian -forces drove upward in a piercing needle of ships. They broke through, -not without loss, and made their escape into the sky. When they landed -on Terra, every ship was crammed to discomfort with men from stricken -ships—literally snatched from the jaws of death with the personnel -snatcher.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In numbers enough to take a whole planet, the Loard-vogh landed on -Umbriel and overran it in an hour. Inward they swept to Titan and the -Saturnian colonies. Inward they came to overrun Callisto and Ganymede.</p> - -<p>Downward they dropped to Phobos and Deimos, where they set up vast -projectors and hurled the attack upon Mars. Simultaneously they fell -upon Venus—a monstrous horde of ships. Systematically they went -through the Evening Star taking area after area, and they held Mars in -their grip at the same time that Venus fell to their hordes.</p> - -<p>"God—their numbers," groaned Cliff Lane. "I'd hoped that they might -find it tough to hold everything and still hurl fresh equipment into -Sol."</p> - -<p>"They are numberless," said Hotang Lu.</p> - -<p>The Loard-vogh swept into Terra.</p> - -<p>Terra, the home of man. Terra, the mighty. Terra, defended as few -planets were defended against the legions of Vorgan, Lord of All.</p> - -<p>Despite the humans on Venus and Mars, they were still colonies compared -to the home planet. Knowing that massed energy might hold out, all -Solar defenses had been moved to Terra. Let Terra hold out and -eventually mankind would recover, expand, and then drive the enemy back.</p> - -<p>And when the Loard-vogh came to Terra, they found it defended against -them.</p> - -<p>Nowhere on Terra was there a place to land in safety. They took dead -Luna easily and hurried to set up a long-range beam. Atomic spheres -of unheard-of size reached upward from Terra and Luna sparkled with -mighty atomic storms. Whole detachments of the Loard-vogh flamed into -incandescence as the super-atomics bit fifty-foot spheres out of the -face of Luna, compressed the matter itself, and let it explode.</p> - -<p>They made a landing in Siberia and the encampment burst with a roar -that shook the earth.</p> - -<p>Overhead they roared, raining down energy that never reached through -the upthrust beams. The cities were fortresses that hurled power into -the sky, and though the shattered wrecks of the Loard-vogh dropped -like rain, none of them reached Earth in large enough pieces to do any -damage. The air took on a metallic smell, and ozone fixed out as the -stratosphere shimmered in the grip of a torrent of energy beams that -crossed and nullified one another.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Across the face of Terra, the high-power transmission beams hurled -energy back and forth. Energy to feed the projectors that fenced with -the ships of the Loard-vogh. Beams that ran on sublevel energy and -could not be cut.</p> - -<p>In the master room, there was a huge globe, wired with multicolored -lights. And as the battle swept back and forth over the face of -Terra, the lights changed from dark red to violet, depending upon the -power drain of that district. Master technicians, making lightning -calculations in a mathematical medium adapted for power work, viewed -the globe and pressed buttons that hurled relay-impulses across Terra -to switch and divert power for the needy locations. Their hope was -to maintain a medium red all over instead of bright violet here and -almost-black red there.</p> - -<p>The Mongolian sector flamed violet after the Siberian attempt was made. -Power was switched from Africa, raising the dark continent higher into -the red and lowering the dangerous violet of the Mongolian sector. A -sortie hit Africa, and the area pulsed briefly into the yellow and died -before the technician could hit his button.</p> - -<p>North America caught it next, and power came from Antarctica to drive -the invaders away. The Mongolian effort stopped and the map died into -black. The extra power went into North America and it became a less -dangerous color.</p> - -<p>And then the Panamanian district flared up. Into the violet it went, -and the switches flew to drive power into the isthmus. Spreckled all -over the globe were minor flarings, and they all increased as the -Panama Zone took more and more power and still crept upward and upward.</p> - -<p>It was all very much like a game of chess here in Terra's Master Power -Distribution Center. But on Panama, another scene was taking place.</p> - -<p>Four thousand of the Loard-vogh dropped to ground, driven by sheer -power and as they landed, they anchored themselves to the crust of -Terra.</p> - -<p>A super-atomic reached over and its sphere of energy clutched—another -atomic sphere.</p> - -<p>Their inflexible beams strained against one another. Wrestling in -subelectronic space, pulling and straining against one another. The -crust of Terra groaned and the fault-lines rubbed and heaved. The -inflexible beams pulled, trying to up-root the other—and both were -anchored to the crust of the planet.</p> - -<p>Luckily, the beams broke before the very surface of Terra gave. The -backlash shook Terra to the core and the tidal waves lashed out against -the shorelines. The ground shook, and the resulting quakes did what the -Loard-vogh had not been able to do. The quakes shook earthly damage -into the cities of Terra.</p> - -<p>The energy continued to pour into the Loard-vogh planethead. -The air shimmered and burst away from the hemisphere of terror, -and the resulting convections drew fresh air in to be heated to -almost-incandescence and driven upward.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Hotang Lu faced Billy Thompson bitterly. "This secret weapon of yours," -he demanded, "it was to win for us?"</p> - -<p>"It is," said Billy.</p> - -<p>"IS? Is it not time that it be used? The Loard-vogh are upon the planet -itself. Death looks us in the face."</p> - -<p>"It is not yet time."</p> - -<p>"Once before you were under their control," said Hotang Lu sharply. -"Your actions now—and for the past weeks of terror—lead me to believe -you are again."</p> - -<p>"I am not."</p> - -<p>"And who can prove it?" argued Hotang Lu.</p> - -<p>Kennebec shook his head. "He is the one who might prove it—if you -cannot trust him, who can be trusted?"</p> - -<p>"For this, Toralen Ki died," said Hotang Lu bitterly. "My friend—dead! -He died in the hope that this very thing would not happen. He met death -quickly, even argued with you for the chance. A friend walked into the -valley of the shadow for Terra, and Terra sits by and spits on his life -by doing nothing. I would—"</p> - -<p>"Stop it," snarled Billy Thompson. "You and your ideas. You simple -fools. To think that you believed that one small system could come up -ten thousand years of evolution in a year and beat a quarter of the -Galaxy! I'm fighting your battle, and yet I curse you all! Have you -ever stopped to think that if it were not for you and Toralen Ki, <i>we -would not be in this killing battle</i>? To die for an ideal is all right. -Toralen Ki died happy, at least! He believed that he had done his part, -and no more could he do. Fine! The Loard-vogh would have ignored us for -another three thousand years if you had not come here and stirred us -up. Now we reap the seed of your foolishness.</p> - -<p>"Terra writhes under the energies poured out by more ships than we have -men! Gone and lost are our hopes, and our peaceful future. Our secret -weapon? Our secret weapon will be successful—and from then on Terra -must ever be alert and on guard. Think you the Loard-vogh will bow to -us? Our secret weapon must be used from now on, every day, every minute -of every day from the time we unleash it to the end of eternity.</p> - -<p>"And if you hadn't stirred us to it, peace would reign on Terra for -another three thousand years."</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu stepped back a pace, but faced the angry Terran firmly. "And -your children's children, three thousand years removed would have this -fight to make."</p> - -<p>"So what? Does that bother me? Can I grow anxious over the certain -knowledge that the Universe may end ten to fifty years from now? -Who can predict? Perhaps three thousand years more of evolution and -science would bring forth a weapon far superior to their best. And if -we remained in mental ignorance, well—is the worm unhappy? Does the -beetle miss the trappings of civilization? Does the ant know of Earth -moving machinery? Does the bee employ electricity?</p> - -<p>"So we fight another race's lost battle for them, brought about by -them, hurled upon our shoulders by them, and you, their representative, -question my motives. The secret weapon will be unleashed in time."</p> - -<p>"Be careful lest you cut the line too fine," warned Hotang Lu. "You are -my mental superior in capability, but not in training."</p> - -<p>"Showing the fallacy of your actions," snapped Thompson. "Had you been -wiser, you would have known that the untrained ability to be a genius -is less important than a normal man working at high intensity. Question -your own judgment, Hotang Lu. And worry—in retrospect!"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XVI.</p> - - -<p>The Loard-vogh expanded their sphere. And like the attack upon Procyon -IV, another globe of Loard-vogh dropped upon the planet. The power -distribution center fought against itself and sapped power dangerously -to drive off this new invasion.</p> - -<p>A third invasion turned the trick. Power distribution failed; fell -apart despite attempts to hold the network together.</p> - -<p>"Your secret!" screamed Hotang Lu to Thompson.</p> - -<p>Billy shook his head. "It is not yet time."</p> - -<p>The Tlemban appealed to Kennebec.</p> - -<p>The Co-ordinator of the Solar Combine agreed with Billy. "You still do -not understand," he told Hotang Lu.</p> - -<p>He faced Lane and Downing. "They will conquer us!"</p> - -<p>Lane spoke for the pair of them. "You needn't appeal to us. I had -partial foresight before—you said so. He had the ability to make -lightning plans." He turned to Downing. "Or was it the other way -around?"</p> - -<p>"No matter," answered Stellor Downing. "Foresight is no good when -planning is a part of the psyche. Instinctive and impetuous action -do not match well with a planning nature. Since the transformation, -we have both been slower—and quite bewildered, most of the time. -No, Hotang Lu, all you can get from us is resentment over losing our -ability to lead. Now, we no longer decide anything for ourselves. We -cannot make up our minds."</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu went to Patricia. "And you?"</p> - -<p>"I am not a ruling voice."</p> - -<p>"Prevail upon them."</p> - -<p>"It is not my place. Besides, you do not understand."</p> - -<p>"I understand this!" exploded Hotang Lu. "You are invaded. You will be -conquered. You will join the slaves of the Loard-vogh. They will strip -you from your homes and make you work for them. You will be driven and -killed, for they have no compassion. They have no need of frugality in -slaves. Terra will die."</p> - -<p>"It is not yet time."</p> - -<p>"Your judgment is faulty!" shouted Hotang Lu.</p> - -<p>He hurled himself from the house and into his tiny spacecraft. He -paused for only an instant to view the grave of Toralen Ki on the broad -green lawn, and then he drove upward in superdrive. His size and his -speed got him through, and Hotang Lu headed for Tlembo—alone and a -beaten man.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Lindoo picked up the communicator and spoke to the operator. The -connection beamed across the light-years and found Vorgan.</p> - -<p>"Lord of All, it is going well."</p> - -<p>"Give me the details. I was afraid of their secret weapon."</p> - -<p>"Lord of All, the phrase 'secret weapon' is an old Solarian trick. It -is meaningless."</p> - -<p>"Go on."</p> - -<p>"We landed on the isthmus that connects the two areas of land on the -Second Hemisphere of Terra. The going was very hard, Vorgan. They drew -power out of their sun like a torrent and we caught it all. It was -terrible, and it was glorious. Our brave men died like flies—and not -even the rock itself could stand against the energy turned loose. But -we outnumbered them. We invaded again and again, and divided their -power. Now we are screening the sun to run down their power intake. The -globe expands, and we are holding most of the southern Land Area. From -the northern pole, an invasion circle is spreading to meet the one on -the isthmus."</p> - -<p>"The other planets?"</p> - -<p>"All taken."</p> - -<p>"Terra is about through," breathed Vorgan.</p> - -<p>"They are."</p> - -<p>"I was deeply afraid," admitted Vorgan. "They are a vicious threat."</p> - -<p>"Once conquered, though, they will be most useful."</p> - -<p>"Yes, indeed. A race with the will to live is far superior to a race -with a will like a bunch of cattle. They will rise high."</p> - -<p>"Vorgan, you may have my throat for this, but I feel that it is a shame -that we could not have them as equals."</p> - -<p>"That would never work."</p> - -<p>"I know it wouldn't. But it is a shame. I feared the landing here, -Vorgan. The place is rife with spores, fungi, and bacterial death. But -their weapons scoured the area."</p> - -<p>"The fools."</p> - -<p>"I know—but we are safe now. Terra is conquered."</p> - -<p>"Then as soon as possible, bring me the ones I want."</p> - -<p>"Lord of All, you will have them."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The air above Terra grew less turbulent, the energy died. Loard-vogh -ships found less opposition as they landed at will on the former Planet -of Terror. By hundreds and by thousands they landed—and by thousands -they died as they tried to flip back their helmets and breathe the -air of Terra. They turned black, they fell down, and the growths of -ravaging microscopic life raced and built into horrid green mold and -whispy hair as the growths of fungus found absolutely no opposition.</p> - -<p>But with better direction, the Loard-vogh roamed the planet without -death, though fungus-spores drifted freely. Their suits grew cultures, -and the lubricants teemed with growing life—and if the inhabitant -stayed too long in the suit, he died as fungi grew in the lubricant -and was carried inside of the suit by mere action.</p> - -<p>Air-tight to seventy pounds they were, those spacesuits. Seventy pounds -inside or outside—and yet the insidious growths slipped inside and -killed them.</p> - -<p>But their numbers! As they died, so they were replaced. And the -roadways thundered to the treads of their portables; the sky roared -with the passing of their planes; and the cities echoed and re-echoed -to the tramp of their feet. The sky was dark with their light spacers, -landing, and the air was roiled mechanically with the landing craft -that dropped from the spacecraft in never-ending streams.</p> - -<p>Lindoo, arrayed as a conquering hero of the Loard-vogh should, awaited -in the grand spacecraft of the Loard-vogh at Panama. The area had been -scourged by fire and by sheer energy. Yet the tropical climate seemed -to spawn trouble for the Loard-vogh.</p> - -<p>Behind a triple sheet of reflectionless glass, Lindoo sat, outwardly -triumphant, but inwardly afraid. He hoped that the powerful, color-less -antiseptic mixtures between the sheets of glass would keep him safe.</p> - -<p>Hurled in to the other side of the room were Kennebec and his daughter. -Thompson followed, and Lane and Downing were hurled in lastly. They -stood up defiantly.</p> - -<p>Kennebec faced Lindoo. "You are the emissary of the Loard-vogh?"</p> - -<p>"You know me—and my language?"</p> - -<p>"Why not?" asked Kennebec. "Your speech is not difficult."</p> - -<p>"No matter. You have this ability with all alien tongues?"</p> - -<p>Downing smiled. "I spent one month among your planets, mingling with -your people. They did not suspect."</p> - -<p>"All alien tongues?" insisted Lindoo.</p> - -<p>"Any, and all, can be learned by us in a matter of hours."</p> - -<p>"Your race will be useful. Do you now accept defeat?"</p> - -<p>"It was forced upon us?"</p> - -<p>"Accept it!" exploded Lindoo, "or die!"</p> - -<p>"A dead slave is useless," reminded Kennebec.</p> - -<p>"And a dead malcontent is no trouble," snapped Lindoo. "Do you accept -defeat?"</p> - -<p>"As I said, defeat was forced upon us. Yes, we must accept defeat."</p> - -<p>"Then broadcast the order to cease firing. Order Terra to drop its arms -and submit."</p> - -<p>"Will the integrity of our people be preserved?"</p> - -<p>"Unconditional surrender does not permit terms."</p> - -<p>"I will surrender unconditionally—but I demand the right to be treated -as a worthy opponent."</p> - -<p>"Your defeat at our hands was inevitable."</p> - -<p>"We know that."</p> - -<p>"Then why did you fight?"</p> - -<p>"Only to gain your respect as an enemy."</p> - -<p>Lindoo bowed his head briefly. "You have our respect. You have had our -respect enough to cause a major change in the Master Plan. You will not -be treated with contempt. There will be no looting, no pillage. Not if -you will submit without further fight."</p> - -<p>"Your terms I accept."</p> - -<p>And Kennebec picked up the communicator and snapped the switch to -General Broadcast.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>And on Procyon IV, four survivors clustered around a crude, haywired -receiver picked up the message. When it was through, they left their -hidden cave full of Loard-vogh souvenirs. Openly they walked to the -nearest encampment and knocked on the stockade.</p> - -<p>And across the Galaxy to Vorgan, Lord of All, went the final word:</p> - -<p>"The Solarian Sector is complete. All Solarians are being tested -for adaptability, and upon completion will be trans-shipped to the -proper situations in the Loard-vogh empire. Terra, Sol, and the entire -Mutation Area will be left devoid of life."</p> - -<p>Within hours, Lindoo was working on the problem of displacement. -He—and all of the Loard-vogh—worked madly to complete this project. -For all of them wanted to leave, forever, the former Planet of Terror.</p> - -<p>Terra—conquered, completely!</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illusc3.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XVII.</p> - - -<p>Lindoo's return from the Solar Sector was that of a conqueror. There -were speeches and parades, and public demonstrations; and the hours -wore by interminably. Lindoo knew just how important his victory had -been, and yet how obvious had been his chances of winning. Even the -Head of Strategy of a proud and tyrannical race could feel within -him the seeds of discontent. He suffered the publicity because such -propaganda was necessary, and as soon as he could, he sought private -audience with Vorgan.</p> - -<p>"Hail the conquering hero," greeted Vorgan, as Lindoo entered. The tone -was slightly sarcastic.</p> - -<p>Lindoo was not hurt. "How many know?" he asked the Lord of All.</p> - -<p>"Very few—thanks to a pleased fate."</p> - -<p>"But we know," said Lindoo bitterly. "What a victory. A bulldozer -crushing an ant hill; a pile driver smashing eggs; an elephant warding -off mosquitoes."</p> - -<p>"And yet," Vorgan told him, "unlimited freedom would build the ant hill -beyond the ability of the bulldozer, and the mosquitoes could smother -the elephant if their numbers filled the atmosphere. It was necessary."</p> - -<p>Lindoo nodded. "We lost seventeen million of our first-line fighting -men. They were bitter opponents."</p> - -<p>"Think of what might have happened if they'd expanded for another two -thousand years."</p> - -<p>"That would be double their scientific history, I think," agreed -Lindoo. "They've been expanding on a high order exponential curve. -Another two thousand years would have put a barrier across the -Galaxy with the Solar Sector at the center, and the Loard-vogh might -never complete their plan. We acted rightly, Vorgan. But in spite of -seventeen million men lost, and in spite of the danger to our plans, -I feel that there is something strictly awry. They are an intelligent -race. They must have known their inability to win—yet they fought like -demons. We could well afford to lose seventeen million expendables. -They could not, yet—?"</p> - -<p>"Did they?"</p> - -<p>"They must have. Our forces may have been overeager. An attacking force -usually loses more than the defending force. Our fighter psychology -is more battle-minded than theirs, for our soldiers are trained to -think only in terms of battle. But even so, Vorgan, the tacticians and -statisticians estimate that we could have lost no more than two to one. -And granting that, it means a loss of eight and one half million men -lost from the Solar Sector."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Vorgan thought that over. "They could ill afford to lose that many of -their prime citizens."</p> - -<p>"And knowing that, and knowing that they are of a high order of -intelligence, I ask again: Why did they fight?"</p> - -<p>"Could it have been sheer desperation?"</p> - -<p>"There was calculated strategy in their battle plan. There was a -purpose, I tell you. It is obscure to me, but there was a definite -plan, and no plan is executed without a purpose."</p> - -<p>"Could they have hoped to hold us off?"</p> - -<p>"Never. They knew our strength. They knew our plan. They understood our -purpose, and they recognized our determination. Does the weakling, -knowing all factors, fight against his superior?"</p> - -<p>"It might have been the determination—knowing they must lose—to take -as many enemies with them as possible."</p> - -<p>"The cornered rat technique?"</p> - -<p>"It has been done before," observed Vorgan.</p> - -<p>Lindoo agreed. "You were not there," he told the Lord of All. "Their -plan bore the stamp of a superior strategist who had some purpose in -mind. A purpose that required him to fight a losing battle for other -reasons than the cornered rat technique. You see, Vorgan, the cornered -rat technique presents a rather peculiar psychological problem. It -is a suicide-fighter's psychology. And suicide fighters operate in -a vastly different manner than a man who is fighting for something -beyond the abstract concepts of a victory for his contemporaries and -his descendants. Even the most vicious and well-trained of suicide -fighters is inferior to a reasonably well trained man wrested from his -home and impressed for service. The psychology of the suicide fighter -evolves into a seeking-for-death technique, which lessens his survival -factor over a man fighting to preserve his integrity—and fighting to -get the battle over with so that he can go home and resume his daily -life. We know that. That is why the Loard-vogh fighter is supreme. -He is no suicide fighter. He is vicious because he has been wrested -from his home and family, and his tenure of service depends upon his -ability. Since a victorious soldier is mustered out of arms and sent -home sooner than a lax one, it urges all men to perform great deeds, -act in a superior manner, and to be victorious in the shortest time so -that he may return to his daily life. The Terrans are far from suicide -fighters, Lord of All. Their theories of warfare are similar to ours. -In fact," smiled Lindoo thoughtfully, "every race that offers us a -stiff resistance seems to have come to that conclusion."</p> - -<p>"Then what was their purpose? Seems to me that they must have been -fighting for something."</p> - -<p>"I don't know. They will fight if outnumbered, of course. The entire -Solar Sector is composed of forms of life with a bitterly high value of -survival factor. That, coupled with high intelligence, should indicate -that surrender offers the greater number of survivals."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps you do not understand their psychology."</p> - -<p>Lindoo admitted this. "I have with me their mental leader—the former -susceptible Billy Thompson. Perhaps we may get some idea by questioning -him."</p> - -<p>"Have him brought in," agreed Vorgan.</p> - -<p>He pressed a button.</p> - -<p>A crack opened in the ceiling, and down from above there dropped a -reflection-free sheet of perfect glass. It slid in fitted slides, and -sealed off the room into two sections.</p> - -<p>The section occupied by Lindoo and his emperor was large and roomy, -but the other section was small, a sort of cove, off of the main room. -A man-at-arms moved an ornate chair that stopped the descent of the -glass, and when the sheet of glass reached the floor, men-at-arms -went around the edges and sealed it with a gluey mixture that came -from portable pressure-guns. This was done on both sides, and as -those on the small side left the room through the tiny square door, -one of them snapped a button on the wall. The invisible and soundless -atomizer-vents in the ceiling filled the air with a gentle spray of the -best bactericide known to the Loard-vogh.</p> - -<p>The tiny door opened again, and Billy Thompson entered, leaving his -glass case attached to the door frame on the other side.</p> - -<p>His nose wrinkled at the smell of the bactericide, but he grinned at -the precautions. He, the vanquished, still held sway over their fears.</p> - -<p>Thompson advanced and saluted. Then he waited.</p> - -<p>"Arrogant, to boot," snapped Vorgan to Lindoo. His voice came to Billy -out of the speaker in the ceiling, and Thompson stifled the natural -impulse to face the position from which came the voice. He faced Vorgan.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus14.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Not arrogant," he said quietly. "I merely request the respect shown to -a vanquished, but adequate adversary."</p> - -<p>"Our adversaries are always vanquished," snapped Lindoo. "And they -become our slaves."</p> - -<p>"A slave you may consider me," nodded Billy. "That I can not change. -But the self-respect I have for having been vanquished only after a -bitter fight requires me to consider myself more than a voiceless -slave. You can not change that."</p> - -<p>Vorgan looked at Lindoo. "Was that your reason for fighting?" asked the -Lord of All.</p> - -<p>"The basic reason for all strife," said Billy, "is to impose your will -upon your adversaries."</p> - -<p>Vorgan and Lindoo nodded impatiently.</p> - -<p>"We fought to impose our will upon you. Our will is that we of the -Solar Sector gain your respect, slaves though we must be."</p> - -<p>"And you were willing to lose eight and one half million men to gain -that respect?"</p> - -<p>"Your estimate is wrong. We lost but seven thousand souls—five -thousand of which were civilians caught in the backwash and splash-over -from our fighting."</p> - -<p>"Seven thous—" exploded Vorgan, visibly shaken.</p> - -<p>"Seventeen million—" cried Lindoo hoarsely.</p> - -<p>"Your losses?" asked Billy of Lindoo.</p> - -<p>The Head of Strategy nodded.</p> - -<p>"It is deplorable. I am sorry—"</p> - -<p>"How dare you!" thundered Vorgan. "How dare you, a slave, to feel sorry -for your masters?"</p> - -<p>Thompson smiled wanly. "Would I get better treatment if I claimed to be -glad of your losses?"</p> - -<p>"I'll have your throat—"</p> - -<p>"Careful, Lord of All, you are not being fair. I am damned for being -sorry and equally damned if I feel glad. Do you prefer my sympathy or -my hatred?"</p> - -<p>"You brazen, arrogant—"</p> - -<p>"Vorgan, I and all of the Solar Sector are at your mercy. We fought -you to prove our ability, and to gain your respect. Had we surrendered -without a fight, we would have gained your contempt. Also," smiled -Thompson, "it is foreign to our psychology to give up easily. But the -main reason for fighting was to extract from you a modicum of respect. -That we have done."</p> - -<p>"You assume—"</p> - -<p>"I know. You are puzzled by my temerity, amused by my position, and -completely baffled by my purpose. Were it not so, I would be dead -instead of here, behind this protecting glass. For otherwise you -wouldn't bother with a race so dangerous to your very lives. Am I -correct?"</p> - -<p>"Assume so. And proceed."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"The thing that makes us dangerous to you is the same thing that will -make us useful to you."</p> - -<p>"A moment. At this point I can wait no longer," said Lindoo. "Before -this bold Terran leads us too far from the subject, I must know: How -did you preserve your forces in that bitter fighting where your ships -fell like hail?"</p> - -<p>"We ran out of ships, not men," smiled Thompson. "We adapted a phase -of the snatcher beam to personnel-protection. Each man carried a -focal attractor in his clothing. Ship-destruction triggered a fast -time-constant multi-driver circuit that inclosed each man in the -incompressible spheres of the atomic crusher principle. They were -withdrawn from the stricken ship while it was still exploding and -brought back safely to a redistributing station where they re-entered -the battle in a new ship."</p> - -<p>"We'll make a note of that," rumbled Vorgan. Lindoo looked a bit -ashamed of himself for not having thought of it before.</p> - -<p>"Now, Terran," said Lindoo, "there was talk of a secret weapon. What -was it and why was it not used?"</p> - -<p>"As a means of destruction," explained Thompson, "nothing of that -nature exists. Terra's secret weapon in this case lies within your -own minds. We were fighting for survival, and the retention of our -integrity. Our secret weapon is the respect we extracted from you in -fighting valiantly and losing necessarily. Our secret weapon is our -minds and our ability to employ logic and data to a problem and come -up with an answer. The personnel snatcher is but one phase of this -weapon we possess. You admire it. It is, of course, yours by right of -conquest. Other developments will be yours, also. But they would be -lost if we had been merely trampled over and our interesting facets -ignored by the high councils of the Loard-vogh. You have a horde of -problems, Lord of All. A myriad of problems that we of Terra may solve. -I offer you the Solar Sector as a research area!"</p> - -<p>"You offer?" asked Vorgan, puzzled. "You infer that we have not taken?"</p> - -<p>"Permit us our integrity. Sol is our home. Sol is unfit for you, and -Terrans are not well liked in your empire because of the living death -we carry. Permit us to remain in the Solar Sector and we will be your -research area."</p> - -<p>"And free to breed discontent?" asked Lindoo.</p> - -<p>"Are we fools? Our battle was to impress you with our ability to -be recognized as worthy. Another fight would prove our lack of -intellectual grasp of the truth. Permit us to live as we were, and you -will have all of the benefits of our rather harsh environment to aid -you in your plan. Were you of another psychology, I'd offer alliance, -but being what you are I can but offer allegiance."</p> - -<p>"Offers!" scorned Vorgan impatiently. "We demand."</p> - -<p>"You cannot force mental activity," reminded Thompson. "You can drive a -slave to fetch and carry, to become agricultural, to be menial. But you -can never drive a man into mental activity. The subconscious mind will -block. The subconscious mind will divert, and will work against those -who drive, and the result will be complete loss of Sol's children and -the benefits of a violent heredity. Permit us to remain as we are. Put -overseers there, communications offices. We will solve your problems."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Lindoo whispered to Vorgan for a moment. The Lord of All snapped off -the communicator, and he and the Head of Strategy spoke for an hour -while Billy waited in silence, wondering what they had in mind. Finally -Vorgan turned the communicator on again and said:</p> - -<p>"Terran, if what you say is true, you are correct in your assumption -that Sol will be of value as she is. I offer you a chance to prove -it. Sscantoo is against all forms of alliance. Sscantoo will ally -herself with any other race temporarily to fight us. The entire Galaxy -may spring against us if Sscantoo can not be subdued. We must attack -Sscantoo in the due course of time.</p> - -<p>"There is one difficulty, however. The Sscantovians are not a -gregarious race. Eventually we shall have the same trouble with -Sscantoo as we have had with Tlembo. The catmen will seek a worthy -adversary, and cause us to attack some sector long before our plan -calls for it. Your premature battle was but one in several caused by -Tlembo, all of which bring the Loard-vogh out of line and off balance -like a runner careening downhill. Numberless though we may seem, we -cannot overrun the Galaxy until our numbers permit it. It must be taken -slowly and with definite pattern.</p> - -<p>"Now, Terran, we can wait one year before we hit Sscantoo. I'll give -you that one year, Terran. In that year, you must devise a means of -gathering Sscantoo into the Loard-vogh empire. It must be done without -battle. It must be done without losing a man—no, that is expecting -too much," smiled the Lord of All nastily, "it must be done without -losing more than one hundred men! That does not include Sscantovians, -of course."</p> - -<p>"Within one year," said Billy Thompson, "we will hand you Sscantoo -as a willing part of the Loard-vogh empire. It will be done without -battle, without losing more than one hundred men in the process. What -will happen to the Sscantovians I will not presume to care, but I shall -destroy as few as possible. During that year, of course, we will be -free to work?"</p> - -<p>"I will countermand the order displacing all Solar Persons save a small -percentage willing to act as data clerks and research co-ordinators," -said Vorgan. "That is my will."</p> - -<p>"You will be more than amply repaid," said Thompson. "And one research -we will make to provide the Galaxy with adequate protection against -visiting Terrans, and protection for those visiting the Solar Sector. -That, too, is a promise."</p> - -<p>Within an hour, Thompson was on his way back to Terra. A year, he had. -And four months would be gone ere he landed on Terra, and another long -period of time would pass before he could get to Sscantoo. All in all, -Billy felt that he had too little time.</p> - -<p>Yet he smiled. For even in defeat, Terra would not lose her integrity. -And how bad is slavery when the master prefixes his request with -"Please"?</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XVIII.</p> - - -<p>Billy Thompson fretted for four long months in the confines of the -returning spacecraft. He was not idle. Daily he spent his time in the -communications room, talking and conferring with his laboratory staff -on Terra.</p> - -<p>The order freeing the Solar Sector of its displacement of peoples took -about ten days to clear, and another ten days to settle. It was swift; -no Loard-vogh wanted to remain in that section of the Galaxy anyway. -And though most of the worlds were cleaning up the shambles of the -bitter struggle, the laboratory staff and research organizations went -to work with a will. Let the others clean up the mess; it was their -job to make the cleaning worth while by coming up with the answer to -Billy's problem.</p> - -<p>For only the right answer would leave Terrans around to inhabit a -cleaned-up Terra.</p> - -<p>So Billy fretted because he had to confer by voice alone. It did not -matter that the secondary radiation from his subtransmitter, exciting -bands in the electromagnetic spectrum near forty megacycles, would -not reach Sol for hundreds of years, and that relative to his ship, -the beams were hurled out backwards instead of coming forward toward -Sol. But the four months were not entirely wasted. By the time that -Billy landed, conferred with Kennebec on the future, discussed the -major problem with a few Terran scientists, and then took off and -finally arrived at the stellar laboratory on VanMaanen's Star's only, -God-forsaken planet, they knew several hundred things that would not -work.</p> - -<p>Hendricks, the chief of staff, smiled wearily as Billy entered the -safety dome and flipped back his space helmet.</p> - -<p>"Hi, Billy. I hope you have a few new ideas."</p> - -<p>"Nope. Not right now. I've been busier than the devil for the past -seventy hours."</p> - -<p>"So've we, on the last seventeen suggestions. We ran out of ideas when -you ran into Terra. Now what?"</p> - -<p>Billy grinned. "I'd like to see the quake area."</p> - -<p>Hendricks blinked, blanched briefly, and then smiled wanly. "I thought -so. Nothing to see, though. We do have a slow-action movie of the -debacle. Reminds me of something out of a superthriller, shot in -miniature. We had the sphere beam set up in duplex, one taking power -out of the star, supplying the other beam which was clutching about -five thousand miles of the star's core. The projectors were anchored to -the crust of Brimstone, here, and we started pulling. We pulled like -a dentist working on an impacted wisdom tooth. Unlike the dentist, -the tooth stayed. We broke several beams, each one doing a bit of -crust-cracking when the pressure let up. Then we took a big bite and -heaved for all we were worth. A slab of crust about seven miles square -heaved up, tilted like a poorly-trimmed raft in a heavy sea, and slid -sidewise into the semi-plastic inner core of Brimstone."</p> - -<p>"I'll bet it was bad, huh?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"We all got away. The planet heaved and gurgled for a week before it -settled down. But Brimstone is less strained than Terra and aside from -a few scattered quakes now and then, she's quiet. Made a mess of that -district, though. Horrible roaring, clouds of boiling steam, and all -the trimmings out of a 'Birth of Terra' animated moving picture."</p> - -<p>"Try it with an anchor set in the planet's core?"</p> - -<p>"Yeah, but that's too much like anchoring a towline in a cup of -custard. Too plastic. We might do it if stars weren't so confounded far -apart. Beams get awfully thin on that projection even if we could make -it, which I doubt."</p> - -<p>"And if we could," said Billy, "we'd have to wait a few years while the -beams got to our stars. They propagate at the speed of light, you know."</p> - -<p>"Wonder if we could drop a beam from close by, go into superdrive and -race for the other star, stretching—"</p> - -<p>"What causes the traction?"</p> - -<p>"The ... ah ... I see what you mean. It's the fact that the beam -itself is ponderable and unyielding. Superdrive or no, the beam would -propagate at speed of light and the superdriven ship would either -be held back or the beam would break because of the space between -excitation pulses. O.K., Billy, how do we jerk a hunk out of a star -core?"</p> - -<p>"We can't do the Samson Trick," said Billy, "but—"</p> - -<p>"Samson Trick?"</p> - -<p>"Samson was supposed to have brought the temple down about his ears by -taking two of the main pillars and pulling one against the other. Well, -we can't pull one star core against another, but why can't we set up a -tripod, anchored in the stellar core, and then use that as a base for -hauling with another beam? And feed power for the gadget from other -stellar intake beams right from the star itself."</p> - -<p>"In other words a sort of reflex Samson Trick? You make the star pull -itself apart, with the aid of mankind and a few thousand years of -technical development. I'll have the boys get to work."</p> - -<p>"Did you get any compression?"</p> - -<p>Hendricks shook his head.</p> - -<p>"That was a vain hope. The stellar core is under hard compression -already. O.K., Jim. Oh, Hello, Cliff."</p> - -<p>"Hi, Billy. So you sold them a bill of goods?"</p> - -<p>"Unless we get results, Lane, it'll be a bill of goods. If we come -through, we're not bad off. Where's your sidekick?"</p> - -<p>"Stellor? He'll be along directly. But look, Billy, what do you intend -to do with this dingcrank when you get it working? Tear the guts out of -the Sscantovian System?"</p> - -<p>"Nope. Just insurance."</p> - -<p>"We'll need it," grinned Lane. "You cut out a large hunk of selling -when you ask Linzete and his gang of rugged, predatory individualists -to form an alliance with the Loard-vogh."</p> - -<p>"Trouble is that 'alliance' isn't the right word. I'm offering the -grand and glorious opportunity of becoming willing subjects to the -Loard-vogh."</p> - -<p>"Huh. Never was a cat that took to being ordered around. Gosh, they're -worse than we are. We'll take orders if it will do us any good. But -Sscantovians? <i>Phoooo.</i>"</p> - -<p>"Well," said Billy, "when a lion tamer enters a cage full of cats he -gets results. But most of them are well equipped with a revolver, a -whip, and a four-legged stool. I'll walk in easily, tell the catmen to -be nice, and wave my whip. But the whip has got to be loaded. Linzete -wouldn't fall for a bluff. Cats don't. You've got to show 'em the -stuff, and then you get your answer. Well, we've a couple of other -things to try."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"We aren't licked yet," nodded Lane cheerfully. "But look, Billy, I'm -still befuddled by Downing's stinking slow, methodical way of doing -things. As I get it, Toralen Ki and Hotang Lu told us that we'd all be -increased in mental stature after the Transformation."</p> - -<p>"Sure. We are."</p> - -<p>"I don't notice anything."</p> - -<p>Thompson grinned. "You won't. You never will. No Terran ever will. -We'll all go on just the same as we were, apparently. It is a Terran -characteristic that a personal change always seems to be an opposite -change in the rest. We'll all go on as we are and the rest of the -Galaxy will appear to get stupider. The change is and has been—and -will continue—to be gradual enough so that you will believe that -you've always been possessed of a near-perfect memory. But play chess -with your pals, and you find that you are still even because the other -guy can lay just as complicated traps as you can with your increased -ability to reason. But you see, it is like that old analogy. If the -entire Galaxy and everything in it were increased by one hundred -times, you would not be able to detect the change. That's because your -yardstick changes, too."</p> - -<p>"Relativity, speaking," grinned Lane.</p> - -<p>"Classification: Pune. Definition: Pun that needs an oxygen tent. Or -better, the perpetrator a half-hour immersion in liquid helium." He -looked around and saw Stellor Downing, leaning against the door with a -half-amused expression on his face. "Hello, Stellor."</p> - -<p>"Howdedo. A nice job of selling you did on Vorgan."</p> - -<p>"Yeah, and a nice pinch he put me in."</p> - -<p>"Maybe you shouldn't have niggled him so far."</p> - -<p>"I was a little rough on him," agreed Billy. "But I pushed him right to -the limit of my safety. I applied all the traffic will bear. I had to, -to show my boldness and to intrigue his fancy, since I knew that in all -their victorious twenty thousand years of conquest they had never hit a -race that stood up and told him off, face to face."</p> - -<p>"You knew what you were doing, as usual," admitted Downing. "But I came -to tell you that Hendricks has the tripod beam and the associated junk -is set up and ready for the job of jerking the guts out of VanMaanen's -Star."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was not too impressive on the surface. Brimstone was cold and -forbidding and airless, the only planet to the runaway star known as -VanMaanen's Star. A useless system save for experiments of this nature, -but excellently adapted for such.</p> - -<p>The solar intake beams were operating efficiently. The torrents -of power they would drag out of the star and use to develop the -unthinkable pressures necessary to move the core of the star would -come into the acceptor tubes. Foot-thick superconductors connected the -intake beams to those to be used for the tearing process. And these -superconductors were maintained at the temperature of liquid helium by -a liquid-cooling system. Liquid helium needed no circulation, since its -heat-conducting properties were such that no local heating in a bath of -liquid helium is possible. Normal evaporation from the open bath at one -side kept the system cold, all the way through to the superconductors.</p> - -<p>"Good thing they don't have to use switches or breakers, otherwise -I don't know how they'd handle the energy," said Lane. "A sort of -grid-controlled intake—swell stuff. Well, fellers, let's get in the -control room and see what gives."</p> - -<p>Hendricks handed Billy a small chromium-plated case the size of a -cigarette pack.</p> - -<p>"We're putting personnel snatchers on all of us. If this blows—in fact -if the whole planet blows, we all end up a couple of thousand miles in -space, all canned up in incompressible spheres. Safety first, I say."</p> - -<p>"That's how you saved the gang in the earthquake experiment, isn't it?"</p> - -<p>"Uh-huh," admitted Hendricks.</p> - -<p>"Well, let's take off. We've got everything nailed down tight."</p> - -<p>Hendricks advanced the power. The meters read up, and the anchoring -tractors moved slightly in their gimbals and became immobile. The -projectors forming the tripod of inflexible beams took up all the -remaining slack in the beam system. Not one piece of unprotected -matter was left to form a weak link. Beams of sheer energy, efficient -to within a fraction of a percent of the ideal one hundred percent, -linked the beams invisibly. A system of inflexible energy, driven and -maintained by the energy output of a star—driven to rip the core out -of the star itself.</p> - -<p>The beams thickened as the automatic control advanced in timed -steps. Evaporation from the lake of liquid helium increased as the -superconductors warmed slightly from the terrible load.</p> - -<p>A wrenching—<i>feeling</i>—came to them.</p> - -<p>A meter indicated that one of the beams—the sphere beam clutching a -five thousand mile sphere of stellar center—indicated a movement of -point one seven four inches.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The automatic controller went up another stepless interval, and the -wrenched—<i>feeling</i>—increased.</p> - -<p>Through the viewport, the small flaming disk of VanMaanen's Star blazed -at them. It looked as though it were quite ignorant of the cosmic -forces that were tearing at its vitals. There was an air of saucy -disregard in its placid, immobile brightness.</p> - -<p>The pressure increased.</p> - -<p>"At this point we jerked up a slab of Brimstone's hard crust," remarked -Hendricks.</p> - -<p>But Brimstone was not in the link. Brimstone was not even present. The -inflexible tripod of energy would scorn to move with the planet. The -control room and the main development housing connected to the high -base of the projector network were depending upon the invisible tripod -of energy, deep in space. Brimstone was a large moon, a gibbous last -quarter, out through one side window.</p> - -<p>The automatic control went higher. And as the pressure increased -between the limbs of the tripod, even so increased the power intake -from the star itself.</p> - -<p>Did a star have within it enough energy to cause its own destruction?</p> - -<p>They did not find out.</p> - -<p>The <i>feeling</i> of a wrenching increased, and then leaped into full -being. Nausea, sheer instantaneous torture, a pulsed wave of pain, a -shattering sensation of intolerable noise, a blinding light that came -though the eyes were closed.</p> - -<p>But these things were merely the physical and mental effects caused by—</p> - -<p>By what?</p> - -<p>There had been no grinding crash. There had been no failure of the -beams.</p> - -<p>Yet the meters read zero. Both intake and output. Test power and -operation perfect registered on the string of indicators.</p> - -<p>Nothing wrong—</p> - -<p>—but the flaming disk of VanMaanen's Star was gone.</p> - -<p>Something had failed, but it hadn't been the equipment.</p> - -<p>Something had failed, but it hadn't been the star.</p> - -<p>And the station and the control room was drifting aimlessly in space. -Inspection showed that no star was close enough to be VanMaanen's Star. -There were no stars within a couple of light-years from them. Above -their heads, the projectors were idling in their slack gimbals, the -tie-beams were off. The solar intake beams were taking in no power. The -lake of helium, a twenty-foot open bath on the roof of the housing, was -lying quiescent.</p> - -<p>The entire assembly and assemblage was as it had been before the -initial surge of power, excepting that Brimstone and his bright primary -were nowhere to be seen.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XIX.</p> - - -<p>"Well, what happened?" asked Lane.</p> - -<p>"You tell me," Downing said.</p> - -<p>"Obviously something gave—but quick," remarked Billy. "The question -is: What could give?"</p> - -<p>"The star didn't. We weren't on the planet. Whatever gave—we are a -long way from where we started, at any rate." Hendricks scratched -his head in puzzlement. "You don't suppose we have gone and warped -ourselves right out of space, do you?"</p> - -<p>"That sounds like a comic book plot. I'm not taking any odds-on bets, -though. Have you got an air condenser and a resistance-capacity bridge? -Not the kind that compares a standard condenser against the unknown -in terms of the resistance ratio arms, but one of the cheap varieties -that merely compares the resistance ratio arms against the ratio of -resistance versus capacitive reactance."</p> - -<p>"Uh-huh."</p> - -<p>"Is it calibrated to within an inch of its eyebrows?"</p> - -<p>"Yup."</p> - -<p>"Well, the dielectric constant of space is calculable. Measure up your -air condenser and see if it comes out even. Get the boys to measure -the radiation resistance of this space. It should be three hundred and -seventy-seven ohms. That is—if we are still in our original space. -Also you might get the standing wave ratio on some of the microwave -transmission lines. They depend upon the characteristic impedances of -space, the permeability and dielectric constant."</p> - -<p>"O.K.," smiled Hendricks.</p> - -<p>"Why the smile, Jim?"</p> - -<p>"I was merely recalling a story like this. The hero proved it by -determining that Planck's Constant was not the same as back at home. I -was wondering how we'd measure it."</p> - -<p>"How did they do it?"</p> - -<p>"They didn't say."</p> - -<p>"Good thing. Well, I like my method better. By measuring the capacity -of an air dielectric condenser, the dielectric constant of space -will be evident—but only if it is measured on the resistance type -of bridge. Comparing it to a standard condenser would result in both -of them shifting at the same time. Whereas the resistance of a metal -wouldn't change. That does not depend upon the vector analysis factors -of space, whereas capacitive reactance does."</p> - -<p>"We might measure the speed of light, too."</p> - -<p>"Not until we get this barge to a planet so we can get a decent base -line."</p> - -<p>"We're not ill-equipped as all that," objected Hendricks. "This barge, -as you call it, is fully equipped with drivers."</p> - -<p>"Why didn't the snatchers work when we took out after the devil?" asked -Lane.</p> - -<p>"Nothing blew, in the first place," said Thompson. "And in the second -place, if we've warped ourselves out of our original space, the -snatchers might have had a tough time focusing on something heading out -of space through a warp in the continuum."</p> - -<p>"Spectral lines do not mean anything in particular," said Downing, who -had been peering through a solar spectrometer at some of the nearer -stars. "More proof."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"Well, sure. Among items like having a different set of elements and -physical laws, the impedance of space is all tied up in the speed of -light, wave length, is a function of that, and so forth. Show me one -item lying in the field pertaining to the angular vector-pattern of -this space that agrees with that back home and the rest will probably -match too, and we'll be back home but displaced by God-knows-what."</p> - -<p>"Ralph Welles claims that the radiation resistance of space is about -two hundred and seventeen ohms," reported Hendricks. "And Al Forbes -reports that the dielectric constant of space here is about twenty -micromicrofarads per meter less than back home. And the boys in -the microwave group claim that the quarterwave stubs in their pet -transmission line demand a new fundamental frequency of operation. -O.K., fellows. We started to bust up a sun and busted ourselves right -out of space and into another. Well, let's find a nice solid planet -somewhere and get there so we have solar power. Then we can start -thinking of ways to get back."</p> - -<p>"So we couldn't pull the insides out of a sun, even using the sun's own -stellar atom factory for power," smiled Thompson, "but we did manage to -pull ourselves right out of space. Sort of a case of the sun pulling -first, I guess."</p> - -<p>"Yeah," agreed Lane plaintively. "But how many different spaces are -there in the cosmos?"</p> - -<p>"Probably an infinite number infinitesimally separated," answered -Downing.</p> - -<p>"In which case," returned Lane, "how many spaces did we skip between -back home and right here?"</p> - -<p>"I doubt that the separation between different space continuums is -infinitesimally small," objected Hendricks. "More like a matter of a -sort of quanta-separation. If the separation were not reasonably large, -the energy necessary to break through would not be so great. I predict -that we are in the space next door to our own."</p> - -<p>"And if we take hold of another sun and pull—do we go one more space -away or back again?"</p> - -<p>"I dunno. There isn't a space-theorist among us. I'll tell you one -thing, though. By the time we pull ourselves back and forth a few -times, we'll know which valve to hold down in order to drive up instead -of down."</p> - -<p>Billy nodded. "If, as, and when we get back, let's see if we can devise -a method of tilting a hunk of stellar center into this space from -there. Better, probably, than just jerking it loose."</p> - -<p>"Far better," observed Hendricks dryly. "If we can tilt ourselves into -a new space whilst pulling on a stellar core, obviously it is easier to -warp something into a new space than it is to rip the innards out of a -star."</p> - -<p>"Is this the point to suggest that we have a brand new galaxy to work -on?" suggested Downing.</p> - -<p>"Nope. We'll tell the Loard-vogh about it, though, and they may decide -to do something about it."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Perhaps never before has a stranger object traversed interstellar -space. Not by a stretch of the imagination could any race have -designed a spacecraft resembling the squat housing adorned above with -the battery of projectors. In the first place, it was all wrong for -spacecraft design, being built to sit flat on a planet where the normal -gravitic urge was down—or rather normal to the flat bottom. Spacecraft -are tall, ovoid shells that travel vertically, parallel to their long -axis, and the decking extends from side to side, at right angles to the -ship's course. And the projectors should not be all on one side. That -would leave the strange craft at the mercy of an attacking enemy from -below. Spacecraft armaments consist of one turret in the top, or nose, -one similar turret below, and several at discrete intervals about the -center of the ship for side protection.</p> - -<p>Of infinitely more trouble than the problem of traversing space in -superdrive with an engineering project instead of a spacecraft was the -decision of which way to go.</p> - -<p>Being lost in the depths of interstellar space without a star map and -with no idea of their position, and no one to call for a "fix," there -was no way of determining which of the stars were the closer. They all -stood there, twinkling against their background of stellar curtain, and -one looked as close as the next. Brightness was no criterion. Deneb, -four hundred light-years from Terra is brighter than Alpha Centaurus, -four light-years away.</p> - -<p>Yet, with superdrive, they could cross quite a bit of space in a short -time. Hitting it off in any direction might bring them to within -deciding distance of a star in a short time or it might be that the -course went between stars for many hundred light-years.</p> - -<p>It was Hendricks who solved the problem. "Get a hemisphere picture—and -we'll superdrive for one hour and take another. Superimposing them one -a-top the other should give us a reasonable parallax on the nearer -stars. One that we could see with the naked eye."</p> - -<p>With the fates obviously laughing up their sleeves, the second plate -was never exposed. At fifty-one minutes of superdrive, the stellar -detector indicated stellar radiation within one quarter light-year.</p> - -<p>Planet-locating plates were exposed as the project swept through the -star's neighborhood. There was quite an argument as to which of the -seven planets to choose, and for no other reason than sentimental -reasons—and the fact that the physical constants were right for -them—the group finally fixed their desire on the third planet.</p> - -<p>The engineering project started to head for Planet III.</p> - -<p>"Better name it, Billy," smiled Hendricks. "You found it."</p> - -<p>"I found it? O.K.," grinned Thompson, "we'll call it Eureka."</p> - -<p>"Eureka III?"</p> - -<p>"Too cumbersome. Since we'll possibly not chart the system let's just -call the planet Eureka and forget about the stellar classification."</p> - -<p>"Well, Eureka it is."</p> - -<p>Jack Rhodes opened the door. "Better call it Money," he suggested.</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"Because you fellows are going to find out that it is the hardest thing -you've ever tried to hold."</p> - -<p>"Huh?" asked Hendricks.</p> - -<p>"We're right close and there isn't the faintest shred of gravitic -field."</p> - -<p>"Oh, no. Newton's Law—"</p> - -<p>"Is valid right up to the last decimal place. 'Every object in the -universe attracts—' and we just ain't a part of this universe."</p> - -<p>"Doesn't seem right."</p> - -<p>"May be of exceptionally low density."</p> - -<p>"Must be zero then," grinned</p> - -<p>Rhodes. "And if so, how does it hold itself together?"</p> - -<p>"You answer that—it's your question."</p> - -<p>"How long before landing?" asked Hendricks.</p> - -<p>"Half hour. Look, chief, d'ye suppose we might find it to be -contraterrene matter?"</p> - -<p>"Um. What do you think, Billy?"</p> - -<p>"If the matter here is the same as the matter back home, we'd have -a fifty-fifty chance of it being contraterrene. It might even be -something that was neither terrene or contraterrene for all we know."</p> - -<p>"Interesting possibility. You mean something that is neutrally charged -so far as we're concerned, but which in this universe consists of -oppositely charged items?"</p> - -<p>Billy nodded. "We'll find out."</p> - -<p>"It has atmosphere, and the test shell didn't result in a -contraterrene indication," called the pilot of the project.</p> - -<p>"An atmosphere of what?"</p> - -<p>Rhodes grinned. "God-knows-what," he said. "If Stellor can't make head -nor tail out of the spectrograph, the chances are that the atomic stuff -here might not jibe with ours at all."</p> - -<p>"There is really no reason for our planeting at all," said Billy. "But -I'm just curious, that's all."</p> - -<p>"We'll be there soon."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The project approached the planet, and was forced to drive all the way. -By the time that they had matched the angular velocity of the planet's -rotation, the project was inverted with respect to the surface—though -to the men it seemed as if they were driving <i>up</i> to a ground-surface. -It gave them an eerie feeling.</p> - -<p>"I can see myself visiting a psychiatrist by the time we get back," -grunted Hendricks. "We're landing—<i>upward</i>—and I'm getting the -screaming terrors already from that feeling of falling upward into the -sky."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus13.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"What you're suffering from is the shattering of your basic faith in -the solidity of solid ground," remarked Billy. "Well, the project will -land upside down, and we'll take hold tight with the anchor-projectors. -Long enough, at least, to scrape a sample off of Eureka, here, to take -back and analyze."</p> - -<p>"If this whole space is made of the same stuff, I can see a minor -industry springing up, gathering metal and stuff for gravity-proof -gadgets."</p> - -<p>"Wonder—probably good for something. Well, we're as close as we can -go, all of us standing with our heads pointing at the planet and held -to the floor of our project by centrifugal force caused by the planet's -rotation. We won't stay long. None of us can stand the mental strain of -looking out of the window and seeing solid ground a few feet above our -heads and a million million miles of sky to fall down into if we step -out of the door. <i>Brrrrr.</i>"</p> - -<p>"Close the sun proof shutters and don't look," suggested Billy. "I'm -taking a nice large bromide to chill off a few screaming nerves and -then I am going out and take me a shovelful of that dirt and rock up -there. Gosh, it's going to feel funny digging <i>down</i> something that -wants to rise. Let's make it quick."</p> - -<p>Billy emerged from the lock completely clad in spacesuit. He took air -samples, and then, with the catch-knob between his shoulder blades -firmly in the focal sphere of a tractor-pressor beam, Billy was shoved -up to the surface of the planet. Reaching up over his head, Billy -pulled down a few stones and dropped them upward into the bucket he -held inverted. They fell upward to the surface of the planet, and the -bucket was held by their weight.</p> - -<p>They never did know whether there were any Eurekans, but if there -were, and the Terrans were watched, it was a strange sight they saw. -A sixty-foot rectangular building of steel, one story high, resting -upside down with the planet-side to the sky. Projectors dug into the -ground, pulled by the anchoring tractors that pulled the upside-down -building even tighter to their planet.</p> - -<p>From a spacedoor, a pale green beam was fastened to the knob on the -creature's back. He was head down, suspended on the beam, and carrying -a bucket that must have been filled with antigravity material for the -bail was free and the bucket actually hung upward!</p> - -<p>The creature was lowered, still head down, to the surface of Eureka. He -reached down below his head and lifted a few stones, dropping them into -the bucket, which he held right-side up. Naturally the bucket dropped -properly enough to the ground.</p> - -<p>Working by digging down, Billy filled the bucket and was returned down -to the door.</p> - -<p>"Cut 'em!" he said hoarsely.</p> - -<p>They cut the anchors and the project was thrown from the surface of -Eureka by centrifugal force. And as they left Eureka, and headed for -the Sun, they held a council and decided that another attempt—blind -though it would be—to warp space would be in order.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XX.</p> - - -<p>"Get every recording gadget we've got on the thing," said Billy. "Maybe -we can find out something that will give us a directional trend. And -anybody who thinks he won't be struck by lightning if he makes a -prayer, go to it. We could use a bit of Divine Assistance."</p> - -<p>The detectors were set up and the recorders started. The tripod of -anchors set themselves in the star's core. The solar intake beams -worked well and the torrents of power increased as the automatic -control slid up the scale.</p> - -<p>"The stuff may be different," observed Hendricks, "but we can still get -power from their stars."</p> - -<p>"Darned good thing, too," said Thompson. "I don't know how else we'd -swing it."</p> - -<p>Again came that feeling of wrenching. And it increased as before.</p> - -<p>"Does it feel left-handed or right-handed?" asked Lane nervously.</p> - -<p>"I don't know and if I did I wouldn't remember which way it was the -last time," grumbled Downing.</p> - -<p>And then the warp formed, and there was the impression, just before it -snapped-quick, that the stars in that universe were flowing like spots -on a watery surface.</p> - -<p>And they emerged into a space completely devoid of anything. Not a -star, not a speckle in the complete sphere of utter blackness.</p> - -<p>"Obviously went the other way again," grunted Lane.</p> - -<p>Jack Rhodes looked up from his calculations. "We had a fifty-fifty -chance, according to the Law of Probabilities. But tossing one head -does not make the next toss any better than fifty-fifty chance for -tails. In fact," mused Rhodes, "tossing a hundred coins may bring you -forty heads and sixty tails—plus or minus ten percent of the true -chance. Tossing a thousand coins may give you four hundred seventy -against five hundred thirty—a three percent error. But though the -latter is more to the true division, the numerical deviation from zero -is only ten in the first case but thirty in the second."</p> - -<p>"I hate mathematicians," grunted Downing. "They're all pessimists. So -the longer we try the more distant we get, huh?"</p> - -<p>"Unless we can get something to upset the Law of Probability."</p> - -<p>"And," added Hendricks sourly, "something to pull against. This -universe is completely devoid of anything material."</p> - -<p>"Let's put that as a matter of our being able to detect it at present. -It might be teeming with suns indigenous to this universe and -completely invisible to us."</p> - -<p>"We're wasting time," said Thompson. "What's with the detectors and -recorders?"</p> - -<p>"About the only thing I can determine from here is a definite -lengthening of the wave length that the puller-sphere propagates on."</p> - -<p>"Huh?" asked Billy.</p> - -<p>"Definitely."</p> - -<p>"When did it lengthen?"</p> - -<p>"Its wave length increased on an exponential curve to the time of -warp—"</p> - -<p>"Well, now we know—I think—how to get back."</p> - -<p>"How?"</p> - -<p>"Instead of pulling, we'll push."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Hendricks shook his head. "I think I get you, but I'm not too certain. -Has to do with the wave length-propagation factor, hasn't it?"</p> - -<p>"Sure," grinned Billy. "For a given frequency, and a given velocity -of propagation, there will be only one possible wave length to suit -the conditions. That, essentially means that a given distance will -have a definite number of wave lengths so long as the frequency and -speed of propagation is maintained. The puller-sphere we were using is -propagated on a tractor beam. The characteristics of a tractor beam are -that once established, the number of wave lengths between projector and -object remain the same. Then the projector presents a leading signal -phase, and the phase of the tractor beam moves toward the projector to -bring the two waves into zero phase difference. The projector maintains -the leading phase all the time, and thus draws the object. It is just -like turning a nut on a threaded rod, sort of. The wave length is -analogous to the distance between the threads, and the frequency is -the number of threads that pass a point when the rod is moved at the -velocity of propagation.</p> - -<p>"Now, suppose we consider the threaded rod as being fixed at the -far end, and pulling at the projector end with sufficient power to -stretch the rod. The frequency happens to be definitely fixed by the -primary standard in the control rack. The distance between remains -the same by the constants set up in the tripod and puller beams. The -wave length-factor, striving to satisfy the demands of the tractor -beam, and maintain the correct number of wave lengths as the beam -pulls, will cause the wave length to lengthen. But that tends to -change the frequency-velocity factors. Result, if I'm getting obscure -again, return to the thread analogy. A standard ten thirty-two screw -has thirty-two threads per inch. Stretch it evenly, and disregard -the distortion, and you have, say twenty-four threads per inch. -Our pulling against the sun resulted in a distortion of the wave -length-frequency-velocity factor, and we pull ourselves into the next -notch in space that fits the increased wave length-frequency-velocity -argument.</p> - -<p>"So," concluded Billy, "by pushing instead of pulling, we can cram the -wave length down again, and warp space in the other direction. Think?"</p> - -<p>"I'll buy it—if you can find something to push against," said -Hendricks.</p> - -<p>"Shucks," grinned Billy. "Shove out your tripod a short distance, but -focus them all together. Then shove against that field of focus."</p> - -<p>"Said is as good as done," said Hendricks. "Better work, too. Right now -it is raining gold coins and we're wearing a pair of boxing gloves."</p> - -<p>"And while we're on the way back—I hope—we might consider this: -Suppose we take two tractors and face them at one another, hold 'em -apart with a trio of pressors, and let the thing go to work. That's -providing that we find any use for this subspace stuff. It might—"</p> - -<p>The wrenching took place at that point. It was much as before; as -far as physical evidence went there was no means of telling whether -this again was "up" or "down." There was apparently no drift between -universes, for their subspace star was not far away.</p> - -<p>"This might not be too good," said Billy nervously. "What happens if we -land in the middle of a star?"</p> - -<p>"We have a far better chance of landing in the royal middle of -intergalactic space," observed Hendricks. "We may have been in that -position in the sub-subspace. Well, Billy, it is obvious that you hit -the right answer. Shall we take hold of Eureka's sun there and shove?"</p> - -<p>"Why bother. Let's be independent."</p> - -<p>Rhodes nodded. "The thing is still set up."</p> - -<p>"Well, give it the works."</p> - -<p>The space warp started again, and again the project was wrenched -through the barrier.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"VanMaanen's Star must be that one back there," observed Hendricks. -"Hard to say, but we hit it up about that far to get to Eureka."</p> - -<p>Rhodes looked up from the sub-radio. "That's them," he said. "And they -want to know how in the name of the seven devils we got out here so far -in such a short time."</p> - -<p>"Short time? Nonsense. They flew in subspace for an hour, it took us a -half hour to land on Eureka, and Billy spent another half hour digging -pay-dirt. After which we raced off for, say a half hour or maybe an -hour before we went into space two. Our stay in space two was about -fifteen minutes, and the passage through space one was made in less -than a minute. Call it a total of three hours."</p> - -<p>Rhodes checked his chronometer. "We've been gone about three hours," he -said into the set. The answer came back immediately, for all to hear. -"Like the devil. You've been fifteen minutes since you fastened on to -the star and were jerked off of VMS I."</p> - -<p>"What's your nav-chronometer say?" asked Billy.</p> - -<p>"Seventeen-forty-three."</p> - -<p>"And we left the scene about seventeen twenty-eight?"</p> - -<p>"Approximately."</p> - -<p>"Well, chew this over. Our nav-chron says twenty fifty-one."</p> - -<p>"Snap on the differential timer," suggested Hendricks.</p> - -<p>Microsecond pulse signals crossed space, both ways. The timer started -counting. Three hours and twenty-three minutes and eleven seconds went -by before the timers stopped. There Hendricks and Thompson went into -another conference.</p> - -<p>"We have the following observations regarding subspace: One is that -the matter is unlike Terrene matter. The other is that there is a -differential in time passage. The latter may be quite useful. We'll -have the gang check everything possible, of course, and probably even -set up a laboratory in the lower spaces. This lack of gravity—has me -stopped cold," said Hendricks.</p> - -<p>"Excepting for the observation that Newton's Law mentioned every -particle in the universe—"</p> - -<p>"I don't think Newton was trying to be snobbily semantic," laughed -Hendricks. "Besides, his Law is a translation from the Latin, and at -that time they weren't even sure of space, let alone subspace and space -two, et cetera."</p> - -<p>"I've always wondered about the conservation of energy and the -problem of how gravitic attraction couples into that. It could be, -of course, that the universal attraction comes from the fact that -all the universe was once a single body that exploded because of its -own mass-warp. Energy driving the mass apart during the formation of -the universe—which is still expanding—and because it took work to -separate one body from another, the conservation of energy dictates -that they undo that work to get them back together. Since our project -was not a part of subspace, no expanding work had been done on it, and -therefore no potential energy had been stored which would be released -by gravity taking place."</p> - -<p>Hendricks smiled. "It's as good a theory as the next," he said. "But is -it solving the Sscantovian problem?"</p> - -<p>"No, but I have an idea that may. We can set up our warping beam and -transfer the resultant forces in the same manner as we transmit other -energy. We can't jerk the insides out of a star, nor can we compress -the matter there. But there is nothing that says that we cannot change -the physical constants prevailing in a certain sphere of influence, and -thus warp anything within that sphere into subspace."</p> - -<p>"Sounds good. So instead of pulling the middle out of a star we'll just -rotate the middle into subspace. Well we have our work cut out for us," -smiled Hendricks. "I'll get a corps of techs on subspace, and a gang -working on the space two. We'll run up a couple of spaces, too, just -in case. I'll have a crew go to work on the subspace matter, and we'll -eventually have a crew working on admixtures of extra spatial matter -with spatial matter. We have enough work for ten lifetimes. Y'know, -Billy, I'm going to set a slew of brand new college kids to tinkering -with the subspace problem under the direction of a hand-picked crew of -elders. They've got a field that isn't over-crowded, anyway."</p> - -<p>Billy scratched his head. "Look, Jim, I have an idea. Superdrive -is fine stuff for batting around the Solar Sector. A run of fifty -light-years, though, is a reasonable jaunt, and Sscantoo is off about a -hundred and fifty light-years. Now if this time-difference in subspace -is workable, we might be able to get to Sscantoo in jig time."</p> - -<p>"I suppose so. But remember that this jig time you speak of is real -time to you. To someone in space, you'll make the hop in record time, -but to someone on the ship with you, the same time of a spatial trip -will ensue."</p> - -<p>"It's no great advantage as goes time or power," agreed Billy, "but -when you're fighting a time limit, as we are, time in this space is -what counts and if we have to go into subspace and study until we are -a hundred years old before we find the answer, to come back with only -a year gone, that's it. So see what you can do about tacking a warper -into a spaceship, will you? And take another swing at the core of -VanMaanen's Star. As soon as you have something, drop everything and -bring it to Terra. I've got to get back, but quick."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Hotang Lu's return to Tlembo was hailed with silence. It was the -silence of defeat, the sympathetic attitude for one who has tried, -succeeded in his attempt, and found that his attempt lacked a vital -factor. Hotang Lu had done his part. It was Terra that failed. Tlembo -had guessed wrong. Yet Tlembo must try again and again until they -became successful. The Little People were tenacious. They wanted their -liberty, not slavery to the Loard-vogh.</p> - -<p>And they would fight to the last Tlemban for it.</p> - -<p>Not for Hotang Lu were parades and hordes of people to cheer him on -his march up the broad avenue of his home city. He was whisked to the -temple of government almost invisibly, yet the mental rapport of all -Tlembans told them that Hotang Lu had returned—unsuccessfully.</p> - -<p>Indan Ko, their ruler, gave Hotang Lu immediate audience.</p> - -<p>"I've mentioned none of our plans," said the ruler, "because I fear -interception."</p> - -<p>"Plans?" asked Hotang Lu bitterly. "With success in our grasp, they -throw it away. What more can we ask?"</p> - -<p>"Your tone is that of defeat. We must not admit it, even to ourselves."</p> - -<p>"Self-delusion," spat Hotang Lu.</p> - -<p>"Not at all. We know a set-back when we see one. But we must not dwell -upon it, lest we become single-minded and believe that our cause is -doomed."</p> - -<p>"Is there a better bet in the Galaxy than Terra?"</p> - -<p>"There must be. Terra seemed a best bet. Yet perhaps their survival -factor was so great that they prefer slavery to extermination. Is that -rational?"</p> - -<p>Hotang Lu nodded dumbly.</p> - -<p>"We have Sscantoo."</p> - -<p>"But they are almost at the pinnacle of their culture," objected the -emissary. "We cannot energize their minds."</p> - -<p>"Agreed. But they are an ungregarious race. They cling together -only because civilization demands tribe-protection. They are fierce -fighters. They hate every alien being. They dislike even contact -between themselves, yet prefer that to traffic with an alien culture. -Go to Sscantoo, Hotang Lu, and convince Linzete that his race is in -danger of slavery at the hands of the Loard-vogh. Tell him, if he does -not know already, that the Loard-vogh have conquered Terra. Perhaps -Linzete knows what Terra's secret weapon is. Was it ever disclosed?"</p> - -<p>"The end came too soon. It was never used. Nor—and I cannot -understand—did I see anything of its manufacture."</p> - -<p>"Linzete has most of Terra's secrets by mutual agreement. Perhaps he -has also that secret."</p> - -<p>"Again I fight time," growled Hotang Lu. "Time—and I feel, the -inevitable."</p> - -<p>"I'd suggest a consultation with Norvan Ge, the psychiatrist. He will -enable you to conquer that defeatist attitude of yours."</p> - -<p>"I shall see him," said Hotang Lu. "I admit that the shock of being -plunged all the way from almost-certain victory to utter defeat in a -few short minutes has shaken my faith in even myself. I shall see him. -Then I shall go to Sscantoo."</p> - -<p>"Tell me," said Indan Ko, "what was the Terran attitude?"</p> - -<p>"They accepted defeat as the inevitable. Their statement was that they -fought to gain the respect of the Loard-vogh only; they did not hope -to win. This I cannot understand. If you know that you cannot win, why -fight?"</p> - -<p>Indan Ko shook his head.</p> - -<p>"It is my belief that they are rationalizing. No one accepts defeat. -They have forced themselves into the belief that since victory is -impossible for them, they must bow to the Loard-vogh or die."</p> - -<p>"They may have some deep-seated purpose."</p> - -<p>"Name it."</p> - -<p>"Visit your psychiatrist," smiled Indan Ko. "Then consider. You were -once their mental superior. It is hard to admit inferiority to one -that was one time inferior to you. Accept their mental superiority and -consider that they may have some plan."</p> - -<p>"Plan?" asked Hotang Lu bitterly. "How can they plan? How can they -execute any plan? Planning and building is for a free race, without -the shackles of an overseer on their people or the restrictions placed -upon a servile race. Could they build a modine without the Loard-vogh -knowing? Could they hope to instigate a ten thousand year plan of -expansion to eventually crowd the Loard-vogh out of the Galaxy?"</p> - -<p>"I admit your point. I was hoping against hope. Clutching at straws. -Perhaps we should both go to Norvan Ge. Tlembo will stop counting on -Terra and fix our hopes on Sscantoo."</p> - -<p>"I will be in Sscantoo within seven months. It will take that long -in constant flight—and with your permission I shall take Norvan Ge -with me. In seven months, the psychiatrist can aid me, and give me the -self-confidence necessary to convince Linzete of his danger."</p> - -<p>"Seven months," muttered Indan Ko. "And I will wager that Vorgan has -his fleet poised for a blow at Sscantoo right now."</p> - -<p>"So long as any Tlemban lives," said Hotang Lu, with a momentary return -of his determination, "we will never stop hoping and fighting to -preserve ourselves and all the Galaxy from the conquering hordes of -the Loard-vogh. I curse them, their name, and what they represent."</p> - -<p>"I'll join you in that curse."</p> - -<p>They lifted the slender tubes, inhaled deeply, and sipped the fluid. -Indan Ko waved Hotang Lu farewell. "Go in haste and good fortune," -said the ruler of Tlembo—the fourteenth Tlembo since the start of the -Loard-vogh conquest.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XXI.</p> - - -<p>Vorgan scowled at Lindoo. "Dead, you say?"</p> - -<p>"Starvation."</p> - -<p>"Come now," said Vorgan derisively. "Sezare would hardly die of -starvation. Assassination, yes. Overindulgence, without a doubt. Even -sheer boredom I will admit. But starvation? Never."</p> - -<p>"Deny your own medical corps, then."</p> - -<p>"I admit it," snapped Vorgan. "But I am perplexed."</p> - -<p>"There were no drugs."</p> - -<p>"That I know. But look, Lindoo, Sezare was a fool, a stinking -voluptuary if ever a Loard-vogh was. As sector overseer his palace -rivaled mine. He carried on with a high hand. I recall my last visit. -Frankly, I was slightly abashed. If Sezare had not been profitable, -I'd have dropped him. He produced, therefore the lush palace and life -he led were none of my business. I am not chicken-hearted, Lindoo, but -to select the favorites of the home race as personal servitors to his -own idea of sensuality seemed too self-indulgent. Select his choice, -certainly. I can understand that." Vorgan's hard eyes softened at the -memory. "But the concept that any that served him were then exalted, -and must not be touched by a member of the slave race again—that was -feudal."</p> - -<p>"How did he enforce that?"</p> - -<p>"There was seldom a need. Sezare was a voluptuary, almost a sadist. No -servitor he ever had lived in health after the year he demanded. Broken -in mind and in spirit and in body, they were disposed of as merciful -terminations. His final act of vanity was to peacefully end the -victim's life, giving the first rest in a year. Starvation, you say?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Sezare's palace ran red with wine, and the pillars groaned with the -richest food that the sector bore. Overindulgence I will understand. -Gout, autointoxication, acute alcoholism, drugs, or anything that comes -of living in the lush manner. But starvation—how?"</p> - -<p>"He was in complete starvation. He had dropped from three hundred and -seven pounds to a scant sixty-three. He had locked himself in his suite -and was constantly under the influence of a machine devised by ... by—"</p> - -<p>"Oho!" exploded Vorgan. "A machine! Devised by—?"</p> - -<p>"A Terran."</p> - -<p>"A Terran! Is he here?"</p> - -<p>"Yes—he and his machine. Partially destroyed."</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"Terror."</p> - -<p>"Bring in the Terran. I'll see him. And if he cannot explain to -perfection, I'll see him burn!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The prisoner entered. No glass separated them, for the Terran was -sterile. He was forced to his knees, but if terror wracked the man, it -was not evident.</p> - -<p>"Your name?" thundered Vorgan.</p> - -<p>"Edward Lincoln."</p> - -<p>"Your trade?"</p> - -<p>"Technician. Research co-ordinator for His Exalted Highness, Sezare."</p> - -<p>"Sezare died of starvation."</p> - -<p>"I know—it was deplorable. I fear that I was his unwitting murderer."</p> - -<p>"You admit it?"</p> - -<p>"I must. It is true. Had I but known—"</p> - -<p>"Explain. Your life depends upon it."</p> - -<p>"Sezare the Exalted directed me to devise for him a means of gaining -greater sensual stimuli. Apparently the law of diminishing returns—you -permit my personal opinions and observations?"</p> - -<p>"Proceed. As you will."</p> - -<p>Lindoo nodded and whispered: "His observations are a measure of his -attitude. It is his attitude that will save or kill him, not his words."</p> - -<p>The technician continued. "Sezare had indulged himself in every sensual -manner. He was constantly on the search for something new, something -more searing, something more thrilling. He directed me to devise some -means of satisfying his demand for greater pleasure. That was most -difficult, Lord of All, for Sezare had the entire resources of a -galactic sector to provide his voluptuous demands.</p> - -<p>"I succeeded in devising a machine that would give him dreams as he -slept. Then, you see, when asleep he could indulge in his sensuous -pleasures. That removed the necessity of stopping his round of -pleasure to gain needed sleep; his round of lush living could go on -continuously. I requisitioned the finest of artists, writers, and -weavers of song to record the pleasures of life from the most fertile -imaginations of the sector. Sezare, Lord of All, was imaginative, but -not originally so. Soft living had made him lazy in thought, as well, -and he preferred that any pleasurable thoughts be provided for him. -So in having the most imaginative writers weave his dreams for him, I -gave him a sensual pleasure far greater than the flesh was capable of -enjoying. The power of the mind is greater than the flesh, Lord of All, -and in my ambition to please Sezare, I overdid it."</p> - -<p>"Overdid it? How?"</p> - -<p>"I overlooked the fact that Sezare might find more pleasure in sleeping -and dreaming than he would in waking and doing. He closeted himself -with the machine. I ... was nearly destroyed because I breached his -chamber and tried to turn the machine off."</p> - -<p>"True?" asked Vorgan.</p> - -<p>"True," nodded Lindoo.</p> - -<p>"He spent all of his time under the influence of the dream machine," -said Lincoln plaintively. "He scorned the best efforts of his cooking -staff, and he scourged the collectors of his—women. None of them could -provide for his pleasure like the machine. He retired to it, and in his -strange acceptance of its pleasures, came to feel that sleep, under -the machine, was real, whereas life, with its disappointments, must be -sleep with bad dreams. Since the dream machine could provide only dream -food, Sezare starved—his body starved, but his mind was content."</p> - -<p>"Continue."</p> - -<p>"Continue? There is no more. I had been trying to turn off the machine -for weeks. I was denied, even threatened. Finally imprisoned so that I -could not appeal for help. Sezare died, and I was sent here. In terror -that some other of the Loard-vogh might fall victim, I have ruined the -machine, and I shall die before I rebuild it. It ... is worse ... than -the most entangling of drugs."</p> - -<p>"Dismissed," said Vorgan dryly. The technician was led away, not guilty.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"Lindoo, what of Sezare's sector?"</p> - -<p>"In charge of Sezare's underling, Narolla. Narolla has full control and -he is competent. Narolla is not a voluptuary; he has seen too much of -the dissolution of Sezare. And, Vorgan, it may be interesting to note -that Narolla's productive output has increased."</p> - -<p>"Already?"</p> - -<p>"Sezare has been on the trail of starvation for weeks. Narolla took -charge as of Sezare's withdrawal into dream-seclusion. Regardless of -the Terran's act, or motive, the Loard-vogh benefits by the change."</p> - -<p>"I agree. That is why I freed him."</p> - -<p>"I am beginning to feel that Terrans can be trusted," said Lindoo.</p> - -<p>"It all depends. It will not do to trust them too far in spite of their -apparent willingness to help. Until we can be sure, we must be wary. -Thompson's success in selling an antisocial culture on the proposition -of complete co-operation will go a long way—if he succeeds."</p> - -<p>"We could, perhaps, harden his job," observed Lindoo. "Suppose we let -Sscantoo know that the integrity of Terra depends upon Sscantoo's -acceptance of defeat without resistance?"</p> - -<p>Vorgan laughed cheerfully. "Terra would not be liked in Sscantoo. No -man can do anything but hate another man who is willing to sacrifice a -former ally for his own skin. Under the face of that, if Terra can sell -her bill of goods, she would certainly be working for her integrity."</p> - -<p>"Well?"</p> - -<p>"Relax," laughed Vorgan. "I happen to have one tiny bit of information -that you have not. Hotang Lu went to Sscantoo as a last resort. He -hopes to stir up trouble for us."</p> - -<p>"I think you should erect that statue to the dishonor of Mangare. He -should have destroyed Tlembo."</p> - -<p>"He should have—and I shall have to. It seems to me that the proper -plan of action is to find the present Tlembo and get the little men in -line before we take on anything else."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Indan Ko, the ruler of the fourteenth Tlembo since the Loard-vogh -conquest blinked in amazement as the aide announced the formal visitor. -"Thompson, the Terran?" he asked in surprise. "He who spat upon our -future? What can he want with me?"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus15.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Billy Thompson entered the reception room uncomfortably. Indan Ko's -presidential residence was built on a slightly more heroic mold than -the normal housing plan of Tlembo, but still it left much to be -desired. Tlembans stood an average of thirty-four inches high, and -their lives and edifices were built upon that proportion. A Tlemban -ceiling proportional to a comfortable ten-foot six Terran ceiling gave -five feet three inches of clearance. That missed Billy Thompson's -altitude by exactly ten inches. The formal residence of the ruler of -Tlembo was of palatial build, with full seven-foot ceilings. It cleared -the top of Billy's head by eleven inches.</p> - -<p>An excellent building in which to contract claustrophobia.</p> - -<p>And so Billy waited in the reception room uncomfortably. A large room -to Tlemban thinking, its dimensions were proportionally small, and the -thirty by forty feet—Tlemban—shrunk to fifteen by twenty, Terran.</p> - -<p>The formal "court" was of more ample proportions. The proscenium -arched forty feet high and the entire room was a full hundred feet in -diameter. A vast room to Tlemban standards, but not much larger than a -very tiny theater to the hulking Terran that had tripped over a table -in one of the minute corridors.</p> - -<p>Billy had been equally hard on the ceiling fixtures, and the doors -had been somewhat of a pinch, too. But he was now in where he could -take a full breath without fracturing the plaster on both sides of the -room, and he took one, in relief. He felt very much like making a few -pleasantries about his difficulties, but he realized that the little -man on the dais before him would not appreciate any inference to size.</p> - -<p>So Billy merely saluted formally and waited for the tiny monarch to -speak first.</p> - -<p>"You are Billy Thompson of Terra."</p> - -<p>"I am."</p> - -<p>"You are the man who directed the Battle for Sol?"</p> - -<p>"I am."</p> - -<p>"And the man responsible for the destruction of all hope for -civilization."</p> - -<p>"That I deny."</p> - -<p>"You refused to use your secret weapon."</p> - -<p>"It is that factor that I am here about," said Billy. "But first I wish -to reach an agreement with you."</p> - -<p>"An agreement? What agreement can we possibly reach? Tlembo has devoted -her life to the job of stopping the Loard-vogh. Terra, when she had -victory within her power, threw it away."</p> - -<p>"I have come to tell you that Tlembo has failed in her mission in life. -That Tlembo will always fail. That Tlembo will be better off if she -recognizes that fact and accepts the inevitable."</p> - -<p>"Get out!" snapped Indan Ko. "You dare to force yourself into my -presence and insult me!"</p> - -<p>"Before you make any rash motions," said Billy calmly, "such as having -me shot on sight—yes, I perceive the modine-ports in the walls—I wish -to warn you and all of Tlembo that primates are gregarious and resent -the destruction of one of their band. Kill me and Terra will descend in -all of her power. We, who you claim could have been victorious over the -Loard-vogh will find little difficulty in wiping Tlembo right out of -the universe itself!"</p> - -<p>"Providing that you have the support of your fellows—those whom your -defeatist practice must have betrayed. Will those you failed now come -to your rescue?"</p> - -<p>"Hotang Lu is quite familiar with the Terran action," said Billy. "Did -he report one single cry—from any Terran—for me to order retaliation?"</p> - -<p>"You claim that the entire Solar Sector was in agreement with your -surrender-policy?"</p> - -<p>"I do."</p> - -<p>"Then I understand our defeat. Terra has not the honor nor the -willingness to fight for the freedom that is her right."</p> - -<p>"Terra retains her integrity."</p> - -<p>"At the will of a conquering race."</p> - -<p>"We are leaving the subject," said Billy. "I made a statement to the -fact that Tlembo has failed and will never be able to do otherwise. You -are the one that can not face facts, Indan Ko."</p> - -<p>"We shall fight to the last."</p> - -<p>"To the last gullible alien," snapped Thompson. "Indan Ko, how can you -possibly delude yourself into the belief that you will some day be -victorious?"</p> - -<p>"Because it is our belief that slavery and conquest are evil. -And I define 'evil' as any factor working against the advance of -civilization."</p> - -<p>"Can you view both sides of a personal question dispassionately?</p> - -<p>"I have that belief."</p> - -<p>"Then view the Loard-vogh dispassionately. Civilization throughout the -Galaxy will be nothing unless the worlds are united. Stellar empires, -discreet and belligerent, will result in chaos. Sectors such as -Terra controlled would be embattled against sectors such as Sscantoo -controls, and there would be a never-ending flurry of pacts and -agreements and aggressions between one sector and others, against still -others. That is chaos, Indan Ko."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps you are right. But is the right to rule because of might a -proper answer?"</p> - -<p>"No. It is not. But I want you to understand that the Loard-vogh -mental strategy is entirely selfish. The only thing that kept the -Loard-vogh from sweeping through the Galaxy five thousand years ago, or -next year, is the fact that they cannot conquer and hold any system -until there are enough of them to control it. They expand through the -Galaxy in direct proportion to their birth rate. Since they enslave -those systems conquered, and become high lords of creation in their -conquered territory, there is nothing for them to do except procreate. -The factors that inhibit racial expansion on any democratic world are -numerous, but most of them stem from financial insecurity. Since the -Loard-vogh have no financial insecurity, and a family with a horde of -children are as well educated, well fed, and well clothed as a family -with none, why not? Especially when there are slaves to tend and care, -feed and provide. The system has its advantages, Indan Ko, which I am -pointing out to you. Its disadvantages are also there, too. Those we -know. They include lack of personal responsibility and a complete and -utter disregard of the rights of another race to live as it wishes to -live."</p> - -<p>"Granted. But where is this leading us?"</p> - -<p>"Merely to the acceptance of the statement that the Galaxy must be -united. The Loard-vogh are uniting the Galaxy, and as such are doing -the right thing. They are going about it in a rough-shod manner, but it -is far swifter than the treaty-join-and-wrangle method. The Galaxy must -be united!"</p> - -<p>"Go on. I accept that but reject the Loard-vogh as racial saviors."</p> - -<p>"My visit with you, Indan Ko, is to impress upon your mind that you -are doing harm to the Galaxy."</p> - -<p>"A matter of opinion," snapped the little man.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps. You've heard my statements to Hotang Lu. Were it not for -Tlembo, we would have lived in cheerful ignorance for another three -thousand years. Now, because of you, we are awakened, with terrific -responsibility, and must forever work like slaves to maintain that -which we did not need before. You will continue, you swear. That means -that Tlembo will go back and forth through the Galaxy, always hiding, -always keeping ahead of the Loard-vogh conquested areas, and always -seeking a race of ability, power, and freedom. Again and again you -will find them. And again and again you will set them to fighting the -Loard-vogh. And yet, to the Loard-vogh, you are nothing more than a -gnat, whipping madly about the ears of a mastodon. Annoying but far -from dangerous. How do you hope to win with such a plan?"</p> - -<p>"We will find a race with sufficient power—"</p> - -<p>"And when that race has the sufficient intelligence, that same race -will understand the true worth of conquest. Terra was no real menace."</p> - -<p>"The Loard-vogh thought so."</p> - -<p>"The Loard-vogh were ignorant of our intellect. And," smiled the Terran -cheerfully, "they were forced to collect us. Terra, in a long-time -fight, could have beaten them."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XXII.</p> - - -<p>Indan Ko scowled and thought for a moment. This huge Terran that -crowded his palace like a giant in a doll's house was not making sense.</p> - -<p>"I do not understand."</p> - -<p>"Terra is known as the Planet of Terror," said Billy, "because of the -evolutionary system caused by the hard radiation in that district. -You have seen the viciousness of our fungus, our micro-organisms, of -our life itself. Could the Loard-vogh stand up against a bombardment, -planet by planet, of fungus-spores so tenacious that they grow on -synthetic resins? Stellor Downing held a Sscantovian guinea pig in one -hand for a moment and it died a most horrible death within minutes -because of fungi that were innocuous to him. In my ship there is a -slab of rare cheese. Delicious stuff, and what Terrans call 'quite -high' because it is growing a full beard of mold. Could you—or the -Loard-vogh—spread it on a slice of bread and eat it with impunity?"</p> - -<p>"Definitely not."</p> - -<p>"Seventeen million of the Loard-vogh died in the Battle of Sol, and -more than half of them perished because Terran spores crept into chinks -in their space armor. Chinks so small that they do not permit loss of -air in space.</p> - -<p>"You see, Indan Ko, the fear of Terra that drove the Loard-vogh frantic -was because they thought that Terra would send out myriad after myriad -of tiny spacecraft, loaded to the bomb bay doors with minute spore -bombs. That we could have done. But we did not."</p> - -<p>"That was your secret weapon?"</p> - -<p>Billy shook his head. "Terra's secret weapon is her ability to grasp -opportunity. Which brings me to the point of this interview. The -Loard-vogh have a twenty-thousand year plan of conquest. No race can -hope to stop them alone. No race in the course of a year, a hundred -years, or even a thousand years could hope to defeat them alone."</p> - -<p>"Terra could."</p> - -<p>"That is not defeat. That is extermination."</p> - -<p>"The Loard-vogh should be exterminated!" thundered Indan Ko. The little -man's thunder was slightly high-pitched to the Terran and not at all -awe-inspiring. Billy merely smiled.</p> - -<p>"It is not for any race to render sterile of life one quarter of the -Galaxy. Extermination is not victory. War by proper definition is a -measure used to impose your will upon a non-co-operative government. -Even the Loard-vogh understand that a dead slave is no good. -Extermination may be <i>your</i> will, Tlemban, but you will fail in your -conquest. Therefore I ask that you use intelligence. Stop lashing out -like a hurt child. Stop shooting at the cliffs of living rock. The way -to win is to husband your strength. Roll with the punches. Take them -easy. Wait until you are set, and see the proper opening, and then -drive forward. Collect allies in your stride, and play the double-game. -Use your diplomatic ability."</p> - -<p>"You plan a long-time retaliation?"</p> - -<p>"Our plans are nebulous at present. Terra fought for one thing alone, -and that was to gain the respect of a race that has only contempt for -those that bow their heads willingly. Had we invited them in instead of -fighting, they would have suspected foul play. We fought hard enough to -convince them that we meant business. After all, our planetary heritage -is such that we would be out of character if we gave in without a -fight. Ergo we fought.</p> - -<p>"Tlembo," went on Billy quietly, "has been frantic so long that she -has lost perspective. That I claim, and it is deplorable, but not so -damaging as to lose hope of repairing. Tlembo has been nicked again -and again in her effort to find a savior. Her continued defeats have -made her bitter, and ever more determined to win via the crushing -defeat route. Consider this, Indan Ko, and then tell me if you think -you are right in continuing to bring minor factors to bear against the -Loard-vogh."</p> - -<p>"And what would you suggest that we do?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"Go to Vorgan. Ask immunity and audience. Vorgan is not without honor. -He will respect your request for immunity. Then tell Vorgan that you -fear the strength of his fighting forces, and that you will cease your -constant effort to undermine the Loard-vogh. Tell him that Tlembo has -certain factors that will enhance the Loard-vogh culture—you and he -know what they are, as I do—and offer him those factors in exchange -for Tlemban integrity."</p> - -<p>"I dislike it."</p> - -<p>"Naturally. But look, Indan Ko. You will be taxed terribly. You will be -forced into handing over a certain percentage of your wealth. You will -work for them, and for little remuneration. Yet your hardships will -actually be less than the cost of fighting them. Now you must maintain -a fleet, arm your cities against invasion, and always prepare for -war. If you submit to the Loard-vogh banner you will be protected by -the Loard-vogh, and may Heaven help any race that attacks Tlembo? The -income you spend in being a nominal slave will be less than the amount -spent in being an armed free-world."</p> - -<p>"And eventual conquest?"</p> - -<p>"Console yourselves with the certain knowledge that your hardships will -all be avenged sometime. Not in your life, perhaps, but in the time -of your descendants. Submit to their hard, exacting rules in outward -abjection, but keep your mind forever on the future, when it will -no longer prevail. And as you go, and as you find other races that -are suitable, send their representatives to Terra. Terra will be the -master-control of the anti-Loard-vogh combine."</p> - -<p>"I shall think it over and discuss it with the Tlemban council. But -what of Sscantoo?"</p> - -<p>"Linzete must understand, also."</p> - -<p>"But Hotang Lu is there now."</p> - -<p>"What! Filling Linzete full of the theory of bombing the Loard-vogh -with Solar spores?"</p> - -<p>Indan Ko nodded.</p> - -<p>"Then I must go—and quickly!"</p> - -<p>"Your trip will take months," objected Indan Ko. "Meanwhile, Linzete -may set his machinery in operation."</p> - -<p>"Contact him," said Billy. "And have him smooth it down a bit. My trip -will not take months. I'll be there in days."</p> - -<p>"Days!"</p> - -<p>"Yes. We have a new mode of space travel. It will be yours as soon as -you decide to join the Loard-vogh—"</p> - -<p>"Terran, it sounds as though you were helping them."</p> - -<p>"Naturally it does. Until we are ready to strike, we must aid them -completely—and always remember that what we find and give them we will -have ourselves. No single weapon won a war, Indan Ko. But if we can -match them man for man, we will win because our wits are sharper. Now I -must waste no time in getting to Sscantoo."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Billy's exodus from the Tlemban capitol building was more arduous than -his entry. This time he was in a hurry, and moving swiftly through -corridors too small for him, brushing doll-sized furniture with his -mass, and crushing not a few of the smaller and more fragile pieces in -his haste—to say nothing of squeezing two doors from their hinges in -his passage—they all hampered him. Tlembo was going to pay well for -this visit.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus16.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Outside, Billy towered above the Tlembans as he strode up the middle -of the street, his head not more than a few inches below the trolley -wire that fed the street car system. Traffic policemen gave him -passage, for he could be seen for blocks. He turned into the spaceport -and entered his ship.</p> - -<p>He was met by Cliff Lane.</p> - -<p>"How'd it go?"</p> - -<p>"I think we got him. There'll be no more trouble from that sector."</p> - -<p>"Good. Now what?"</p> - -<p>"We whip this horse into action and head for Sscantoo. On the triple. -Hotang Lu is there, telling Linzete of his danger and urging him to get -set for conquest."</p> - -<p>"Linzete is going to be a tougher nut to crack," observed Lane. "Well, -let's get going. I've a few items to tell about Hendrick's researches -in subspace matter."</p> - -<p>Thompson's ship rose sharply, plunged into space, and then the -distorting beam in the control room started to function.</p> - -<p>"Think you can hit Sscantoo?" asked Billy.</p> - -<p>"Breeze," smiled the pilot.</p> - -<p>"But look, Tony, that's a long way off."</p> - -<p>"So's Terra," answered Tony laconically. "We hit Tlembo all right, -didn't we?"</p> - -<p>"O.K., you're the pilot. Drop me on Sscantoo, and I'll invite you to a -drink."</p> - -<p>"A deal," grinned Tony. A moment later the pressure was built up, and -the ship was wrenched into subspace. Then began the long, long journey -to Sscantoo which would take less than a few days in the universe from -which they came.</p> - -<p>"Now," said Thompson to Lane, "what's with Hendricks and his -researches?"</p> - -<p>"So far, subspace matter is enigmatic. It does not combine atomically -or chemically with normal matter. It shows other physical properties, -however. They separated the sample by the ancient method of using the -various melting points and specific masses. The stuff has no gravitic -attraction, but it has mass, you know, and they used a centrifuge on -it. They got two kinds of matter. One we'll call metal for the simple -reason that it conducts electricity. The others are nonmetals because -they do not conduct electricity. There was a small quantity of a light -blue gas that was occluded in the dirt, it boiled off early and they -caught it. Well, if nothing else, it will come in handy for surgeon's -tools, chemical hardware, and the like, since you can put anything into -it and it will not dissolve or go into chemical combinations. I betcha -we got something to hold the Universal Solvent."</p> - -<p>"Yeah," grinned Billy. "Takes something strictly out of this world to -do it, though."</p> - -<p>"Since there's no weight to it, the stuff still heads for the roof. -The gas, they say, boiled off down, since the vapor pressure and -atmospheric brownian movement drove it that way. Good stuff for -antibends atmospheres, I'd say. Mix it with twenty percent oxygen -and breathe it. It will not dissolve, at least no detectable loss is -noticed with the instruments that Hendricks has."</p> - -<p>"There's a brand new system of chemistry, nuclear physics, and -garden-variety physics out there," said Billy. "We've opened up a new -field, or maybe two. Well, we've got several months here. Let's get to -work."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Vorgan, Lord of All, smiled in a puzzled manner. "You have my word," he -said. "Your immunity is granted. Complete and absolute immunity, with -the right to speak as you wish without fear of reprisals. What is the -nature of this visit?"</p> - -<p>Indan Ko shifted nervously. He felt a great uncomfortable fear of this -vast room, that seemed to stretch endlessly. The dais upon which Vorgan -sat was like a mountain to the little man, and each step was knee-high -to Indan Ko.</p> - -<p>"Tlembo is weary," said Indan Ko. "Yet we are bitterly afraid."</p> - -<p>"Of what?"</p> - -<p>"Slavery."</p> - -<p>Vorgan shrugged. "It will come sooner or later."</p> - -<p>"Lord of All, may I offer you a bargain?"</p> - -<p>"Bargain?" grunted Vorgan.</p> - -<p>"Tlembo has been a source of discomfort to you. We have forced you -off-balance several times, have caused you to go forth and fight in -sectors where you were not ready to enter. We have been instrumental in -causing you to change your master plan."</p> - -<p>"Right."</p> - -<p>"We have never been a real menace to you," went on the little man, "but -we have been annoying. Now if I offer you our promise not to stir up -any more trouble, will you offer us less than utter and abject slavery?"</p> - -<p>Vorgan blinked. The bluntness of the offer was startling to him, and -the offer itself was a new facet to the Loard-vogh conquest. He snarled -inwardly at Mangare again, cursing the long-dead Lord of All that had -permitted the initial escape of the Tlembans. But snarling at a dead -man's mistake was not solving this problem, and Vorgan dropped it to -consider Indan Ko's startling offer.</p> - -<p>Until recently, nothing like this could have come up. Save for three or -four times in the past—before Vorgan's time—when Tlembo had created -minor riots, the Loard-vogh conquest had been lightning fast and -completely unheralded. A sector would be overrun, a star cluster at a -time, and no word would go out ahead of their plans. Races fell before -their might, and then lived in slavery. A slave has no position, and no -right nor ability to offer terms. Therefore terms were a consideration -never before handled.</p> - -<p>Terms, by themselves, offered a conflict in Vorgan's mind. Bartering -and buying among the Loard-vogh was normal, of course, but the concept -of terms from an alien race struck a snag, somehow.</p> - -<p>Yet Vorgan could see the point. A chance for the Loard-vogh to -complete their master plan without the interference of this race of -trouble-makers. True, the Loard-vogh must relinquish the right to hold -them as absolute slaves. Perhaps a single representative in the Lower -Council would suffice. At any rate, giving a little right now might -mean less loss for the future. Vorgan groaned at the thought of all -the races of the Galaxy asking terms, and getting certain conditions -of servitude. Better to give a little to this one race than to go on -trying to keep a galaxy full of races satisfied.</p> - -<p>No, he thought, not one race. That makes two! Terra had certain -advantages asked and offered. But Terra had been defeated, and only her -very brilliant ability had won her the right to a certain freedom. And, -of course, Terrans were helping the Loard-vogh on a myriad of planets, -doing things that the Loard-vogh found difficult, mentally.</p> - -<p>But to keep Tlembo from stirring up trouble might well be worth the -effort. Tlembans were not the intelligent race that the Terrans were, -but—</p> - -<p>Vorgan laughed. Let the Terrans have another job. They could possibly -use the Tlembans in some way. Let Terra keep Tlembo satisfied and -quiet and useful! Terrans were of exceedingly high intelligence, and -the results of their researches often required either that the Terrans -follow it, or that the Terrans direct a number of Loard-vogh. The -latter was not right, politically, and it had been a bother to them all.</p> - -<p>To have a large group of Terrans all running down important details -seemed better, though Vorgan admitted that it was a waste of good -brainpower to have highly trained technicians performing routine -research. Tlembans were of a high order of intelligence, though not -as high as the Loard-vogh. They might be able to handle the routine -experiments and act in tertiary capacities under Terran direction.</p> - -<p>An excellent idea.</p> - -<p>"Indan Ko, I offer you a brief period of armistice. Permit me to -consult the Grand Council. I—"</p> - -<p>Lindoo entered, hurriedly. "Lord of All, Borgara's machine is here!"</p> - -<p>"Indan Ko, I must see this immediately. Consider the armistice while I -am gone, and rest assured that I am about convinced that we can come to -terms. I shall return directly."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Vorgan followed Lindoo into the large anteroom that opened on the nave -of the reception room. There were six of the Loard-vogh Grand Council -there, grouped around a machine of amazing complexity. It was more -amazing because it did not appear to make good sense. Vorgan thought -that perhaps it would make sense after it started to run.</p> - -<p>And the thing that made Vorgan catch his breath was the Terran sitting -in the corner with folded arms.</p> - -<p>"Well," said Vorgan shortly, "what does it do?"</p> - -<p>Lindoo stepped forward and snapped the switch on the base. The Terran -leaped to his feet and snapped it off.</p> - -<p>"Don't!" he warned.</p> - -<p>"That was a rash thing to do," snapped Vorgan.</p> - -<p>"I may be rash," admitted the Terran. "But lese-majesty is permissible -when a life is in danger."</p> - -<p>"Lindoo, give me the details."</p> - -<p>"Borgara went crazy."</p> - -<p>"Crazy? How?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know. But it was tied up in this machine, somehow."</p> - -<p>Vorgan turned to the Terran. "Every time we have something out of line -going on here, we find Terra mixed in it. What is your name, Terran?"</p> - -<p>"Edward Atkins."</p> - -<p>"Position, Atkins?"</p> - -<p>"Technician."</p> - -<p>"And what is this machine?"</p> - -<p>"A device I made at Borgara's direction."</p> - -<p>"Borgara went crazy. Why?"</p> - -<p>"Because he used this machine. I insist that it remain dormant. -Otherwise the rest of you will be caught in the same unfortunate trap -that befell Borgara the Powerful."</p> - -<p>"No doubt deplorable," observed Vorgan dryly.</p> - -<p>"Quite. I did his bidding, and he became enmeshed in it."</p> - -<p>"I'm not too surprised," snapped Vorgan. "So give me your side of the -details. About one more like this and I am going to wipe Terra out."</p> - -<p>"Forgive me if I seem to slur a member of your race," said Atkins -earnestly, "but Borgara was a bitter tyrant. He held his rule by sheer -force and violence. He maintained his productive output by torture. -He cared little for pleasure or ease, and he drove the people in his -sector unmercifully. On one planet, Borgara set up a rule that any man -who did not produce a given amount would find one member of his family -entering the Grand Torture Chamber. Torture threats against a person -are far less demanding than threats against a member of the immediate -family. And, Lord of All, he set the minimum limit slightly above the -average output, and kept it rising.</p> - -<p>"Borgara found his pleasure in watching people in torture. The trouble -was that the more satisfying kind of torture didn't leave a victim -alive too long. So Borgara directed me to devise a means of torture -that would be most terrible and yet would not kill too soon. I did—and -it is this machine."</p> - -<p>"Yet it drove Borgara insane."</p> - -<p>"Correct. Permit me to remove a few important parts?"</p> - -<p>"To demonstrate without danger?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>Atkins stepped forward and removed two tiny wheels and a glistening -sphere. "Now start it," he said. "The danger is gone."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Lindoo snapped the switch again. The myriad of levers began to -reciprocate. Tiny flashing wheels started to turn, and pencils of -light flickered through the facets of the rotating spheres. It was a -fascinating machine, utterly fascinating. It increased in speed, and -the flickering, flashing, interwoven motion flowed with a noiseless -violence. In and out, through and through in a mad pattern went the -parts. And as they watched it, the machine lost its mechanical shape, -apparently, and became an almost living thing that breathed and -was—shapeless. The individual motions became one master writhing.</p> - -<p>And the Loard-vogh stared at the machine with horror on their faces. -There was sheer and utter horror there, but they could not move away, -nor could they speak. They began to writhe a bit, as something in their -mental attitude caused the onset of physical pain, and the writhing -grew more violent.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus17.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Atkins stepped forward and turned the machine off.</p> - -<p>Vorgan stormed.</p> - -<p>"I thought there was no danger!" he shouted, rubbing a muscle that had -cramped.</p> - -<p>"No danger," said the Terran with a faint smile. "You see, when I -removed these parts I protected myself so that I could turn the machine -off before it became really dangerous to you. I wanted you to see and -feel for yourselves just what Borgara thought excellent."</p> - -<p>"But we were going insane and were aware of it!"</p> - -<p>"As a means of torture, can you think of any better?" asked Atkins. "To -sit there, watching the machine, knowing that it is driving you insane, -and that the machine is causing you physical pain, and that there is -nothing that you can do about either—that, Lord of All, is the supreme -torture."</p> - -<p>"And Borgara got caught, is that it?"</p> - -<p>"Unfortunately for Borgara, he used it once too often. He got tired of -watching the victim, and watched the machine. Since he was alone in the -torture chamber, it—got him. I beg of you, destroy it. I'd not care to -be responsible for more trouble."</p> - -<p>Lindoo opened a drawer in the chest, took out a high-power modine, and -blasted the machine to ribbons. "Atkins, too?"</p> - -<p>Vorgan shook his head. "He was only doing what he was told. Borgara's -Sector is in good hands, they tell me, and the new overseer has -released forty million fighting men that Borgara needed to control -his sector. No, I think ... dismissed, Atkins ... that once again the -Terrans have done us a favor."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Vorgan returned to Indan Ko. "Tlemban, tell me something. Was Terra -behind your decision?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," admitted Indan Ko. "Terra pointed out that the Galaxy must be -united and that the Loard-vogh were doing just that. Terra does not -grant that the means you are using are correct to their ideals, but -they admit that you are doing it quickly and efficiently. And they -point out that we can never hope to win, ergo we should make the best -of defeat. So—"</p> - -<p>Vorgan groaned. "Terra—what next?"</p> - -<p>And then he straightened his face again, and said: "Your terms are -granted. Your instructions are to report to Terra as assistant -operators. Your immunity becomes eternal, Indan Ko, and your integrity -is maintained as well as it can be when you are taking orders from -Terra. And," he smiled, "perhaps it will keep Terra out of my hair."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">XXIII.</p> - - -<p>Billy Thompson faced the catman in spite of Linzete's hiss of -disapproval.</p> - -<p>"I know of our danger," snapped the ruler of Sscantoo. "Few know -it better than I. I was on Terra just before trouble struck, and I -know and appreciate the mass against me. And you tell me to submit -willingly."</p> - -<p>"Might as well," said Billy. "It's inevitable."</p> - -<p>"Sscantoo has one chance," said Linzete. "And that is to use Terra's -secret weapon."</p> - -<p>"You haven't got it," said Billy flatly. "And if you mean -spore-bombing, don't be an idiot."</p> - -<p>"Idiot?" snarled Linzete. "Better an idiot than a turncoat that is now -fighting his conquerors' battles for them. You commanded a certain -amount of respect, Thompson. But that debt was canceled on the day that -you started to curry favor. Go back and fawn upon the Loard-vogh; do -you think that I don't know what's in your mind? You'll willingly sell -Sscantoo into slavery in order to gain a little more voice in your -plaintive wailing cry to Vorgan."</p> - -<p>"I—"</p> - -<p>"As you sold Tlembo to the Loard-vogh."</p> - -<p>"I've sold no—"</p> - -<p>"Where have you been?" snarled Linzete.</p> - -<p>"Coming from Tlembo," admitted Billy with a laugh. "And there has been -no communication because we have been traveling in subspace. It took us -four days to cross space from Tlembo to here. We've been out of touch -with the Universe for months, as far as we're concerned. Now if Tlembo -is being sold, I don't know about it."</p> - -<p>"Hotang Lu left three days ago because he was withdrawn. His statement -was that Indan Ko was taking the trip to Vorgan's capitol in order to -offer terms of surrender. Explain that!"</p> - -<p>"Indan Ko was intelligent enough to understand the implications behind -fighting. Look, Linzete, I sold Tlembo a theory of operations. You -cannot hope to win alone."</p> - -<p>"We can exterminate them."</p> - -<p>"And in doing so, render unfit for life a quarter of the Galaxy? That -I will not permit. And, Linzete, any extermination you perform will be -strictly post-mortem. Granted that you have the ships and the men and -the spores all grown or collected and packed into bombs. From a single -bombing of a Loard-vogh planet to extermination of life on that planet -will be a matter of six months to a year. Meanwhile, the Loard-vogh -will have attacked and conquered you. Think Terra didn't think of it? -We did and we considered it well. But Linzete, we like to remain alive. -We destroyed seventeen million of the first-line fighting men. That was -war, and the men were expendable. A nice nasty term. Terra lost seven -thousand because Terra does not consider any man really expendable. The -situation is about even. But consider their utter hatred and violence -to find a single planet bombed into lifelessness ever afterwards by -filling it with sheer death-rot."</p> - -<p>"I see the point, but if we're to lose, let's lose honorably, die -fighting, and take as many with us as we can."</p> - -<p>"A poor attitude. You must fight to win and to live, Linzete. War is -a means of forcing your will upon an enemy, Linzete. That means there -are a number of different kinds of war. War per se is usually the last -resort. There are social wars and economic wars, and people do not -consider them too violent. But a shooting war gets everybody all worked -up.</p> - -<p>"There has been a lot of talk about Terra's secret weapon, Linzete. -It has been explained again and again. Terra's secret weapon is the -intelligence to recognize fact, even though obscured. If you had your -choice, Linzete, which would you rather be, the nominal ruler of a -sector or the man whose advice is taken on every decision—who, in -fact, tells the ruler what to do?"</p> - -<p>"Lacking the right to be both acknowledged ruler and factual ruler, I— -That is a problem that has never occurred to me."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Billy said, very patiently, "Terra knows. Terra will win this war. -Our will—to be imposed upon the Loard-vogh—is that they take their -decisions from our advice. As such, we have the rule of the Galaxy. -I tell you this because Sscantoo has too much to gain by absolute -co-operation with Terra. Eventually the Loard-vogh will be seeking our -advice. I have sent them Indan Ko, the ruler of a race that has caused -them no end of trouble. Indan Ko will not arrive there for months, yet -I can predict that Vorgan and Lindoo will place the Tlembans directly -under Terran supervision for divers reasons, not the least of which is -the fact that Vorgan will prefer to place under Terra any intelligent -race who are more than conquered slaves. Allies, in a sense. That's -because the Loard-vogh have never yet experienced any allying. Their -past is devoid of practice. So it will be with Sscantoo. You will come -under our jurisdiction."</p> - -<p>Linzete shrugged. "Win, lose, or draw, Sscantoo seems doomed."</p> - -<p>"Nonsense! Sscantoo will reap the benefits of a Galaxy-wide culture. -Sscantoo will reap the benefits created by Terra, and without the -battle scars that Terra will bear forever. Fight them, and you will -die. There is little sense in being dead, Linzete. Never again will the -Loard-vogh conquer and enslave. From now on in, they will find their -selected victims prepared and allying with them, offering them facts -and facets of culture, and sponsored by Terra. Terrans are already high -in the councils of the Loard-vogh as technical advisors. They calculate -and they advise, and they will advise terms for this system and for -that system, and the end-product will be to weld the entire Galaxy into -one solid culture.</p> - -<p>"Fight them?" laughed Billy. "Why fight them when we can outmaneuver -them before the logisticians can cover their first page of trial -equations."</p> - -<p>"Trouble is," said Linzete, "that Sscantovians are a rather belligerent -race, and entirely individualistic. And the Loard-vogh are extreme -militarists."</p> - -<p>"Sscantoo's job is clear. Sscantovians like isolation and lone-wolfing. -That's why I am here pleading with you." Billy pointed out of the -overhead dome into the bright sky. "Out there, somewhere, there must be -another culture that really needs extermination. More than half of the -Galaxy lies out there. Linzete, take your lifetime and your planet's -resources and go out and find for me a whipping post to keep the -Loard-vogh in fighting trim. It's precious little warfare they'll get -at home from now on in."</p> - -<p>Linzete purred. "You seem to have solved our problem and theirs all in -one plan. Terran, it is a deal."</p> - -<p>"Sscantoo will not be sorry," promised Billy.</p> - -<p>Linzete nodded, and poured a drink from the carafe at his elbow. "To -a united Galaxy," he said. They drank. "Tell me, Billy, what happens -when you meet a race that will not listen to reason, having planetary -defenses too powerful to attack?"</p> - -<p>"We have a means of rotating a five thousand mile sphere of their -sun's core into subspace. It makes a violent variable out of it, and -forces the race to migrate within a year. During migration, of course, -they are helpless and they can be handled with ease."</p> - -<p>"Um," swallowed Linzete. "I see."</p> - -<p>The color of his face showed that he did see.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Once more the months rolled past. The trip was made to Terra in -subspace, to save time, but when Billy arrived, his greeting to -Patricia Kennebec was hungry and demanding.</p> - -<p>"You'd think it were months," she objected mildly.</p> - -<p>"For me it has been," he confessed.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus18.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Another month rolled by, and it went with a peculiar time-sense, for -it was both violently swift at times, and at other times it dragged -like eternity. Both of them would have preferred a quick wedding, but -position interfered with the process. But the month ended eventually, -and after a solid round of formal affairs punctuated by less formal -details, they got the right and the opportunity to take to their -spaceship together.</p> - -<p>And the four months that followed drove past as swiftly as the -light-years logged up on the recorder. Theirs was an ambling passage -through prime space; they stopped at four or five intervening systems -on their way.</p> - -<p>Their arrival at Vorgan's capitol followed the visits from Indan Ko and -Linzete. Billy knew, and smiled inwardly. He'd planned it that way.</p> - -<p>"Stick around," he told her with a grin. "Females are strictly nom de -something-or-other in there at present. I'll be out directly."</p> - -<p>He entered and saluted Vorgan. Lindoo was less affable than the Lord of -All, who smiled.</p> - -<p>"A nice piece of work, Terran," said Vorgan.</p> - -<p>"Thank you."</p> - -<p>Vorgan turned to Lindoo. "You once told me that you would step down -when your master at diplomacy came along," he twitted.</p> - -<p>Billy smiled at Lindoo. "I gather that I executed your wishes to -perfection," he said.</p> - -<p>Lindoo blinked.</p> - -<p>Vorgan turned back to the Terran. "His wishes?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly. I admit that I took liberties with my orders, but I -couldn't know whether settling the Sscantovian affair without losing -a man included Tlembo as well, because by the time I took stock, they -were allied, and we of Terra always consider that a confederate rates -the same treatment as the prime contractor."</p> - -<p>"But I do not understand. Did Vorgan issue any orders?"</p> - -<p>"I am responsible to him. I am among his advisory staff. He selected -me. It was his ability to select me that puts him in the position of -ordering me."</p> - -<p>"Proceed," said Vorgan.</p> - -<p>"Lord of All, a responsible assistant certainly does not require -a written order for every act. Not among Terrans, anyway. A good -supervisor selects assistants who can anticipate and act upon his -wishes. A good assistant can act as his superior would act, and knows -his superior's wishes. Therefore I was but anticipating Lindoo's plan, -and acting in accordance with my knowledge of his desire."</p> - -<p>Lindoo blinked, and the storm cloud of his face cleared. Vorgan smiled -slightly. "Keep him," he said. "He will do a lot for you."</p> - -<p>Lindoo would require a bit more soothing, Billy knew, but that could -come easily and soon enough.</p> - -<p>He was dismissed and as he left, Billy smiled inwardly. Let them rule. -He and his cohorts would rule the rulers. He had a fairly complete -picture right now. They had rid themselves of Sezare the dissolute -voluptuary, and Borgara, the tyrant, and there was a sector not too far -away where one Terran had convinced the overseer that an experiment -in offering the slaves better living quarters and a better future -might pay off. It would, for the downtrodden sector against which the -model project was stacked knew of the "race" in production and were -taking it easy. The model project's output might even be double. And -several sectors were combing close to locate intelligent assistants -and specialists to aid the Terrans—the research sector. And Terrans -in large groups were roaming the galactic front, using their ability -to speak and communicate with any race. They could enter any system -that used a reasonable facsimile of Terran air for an atmosphere, and -disease and death did not touch them. Their arguments were brilliant, -and they achieved without fighting that which the Loard-vogh could not -do. If the Loard-vogh felt that things were moving too fast, they had -but to inspect their birth records. With less fighting, there was less -absence of the fighting men—</p> - -<p>It would be a long, hard-driven road to travel, but it would lead to a -united Galaxy. Meanwhile, Billy would be happy without fretting about -his position. He was satisfied to advise Lindoo.</p> - -<p>Vorgan, Emperor of the Loard-vogh, Lord of All, and his race fought -for the unity of the Galaxy. They still thought they ruled it as they -would—</p> - - -<p class="ph1">THE END.</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PATTERN FOR CONQUEST ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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