using force or trickery where
necessary, and managed to condition a number of doctors and nurses.
Conditioning simply means injecting Nebel's compound and then giving the
post-hypnotic command to be unquestioningly loyal to the Supremists. We
created the Supremists, of course. In order for us to take over it will
be necessary to have another war, and to conquer Venus. That can be done
if Earth strikes quickly. Within the next few days I think there'll be
enough Supremist influence to get this war started."

Pell stared back, open-mouthed. To hear it coldly and calmly like this
was shock, cold-water shock. "Let me get this straight now. Your group
made Supremists of doctors and nurses and they in turn made new members
by installing this hypnosis stuff whenever anybody came for a hypodermic
injection of any kind, is that it?"

"That's it."

"But how does this stuff work? Does it knock you out, or what?"

"You'll be finding that out at first hand very shortly."

Pell stiffened, made fists and unconsciously lifted them and looked
around him, warily.

Larkin laughed. "It won't do you much good to put up a fight. I'm
sending a couple of my assistants in there. They specialize in people
who want to make a struggle. And there's no reason to feel unhappy about
it, Pell: once you're conditioned you'll simply be unable to do anything
against the Supremist cause. You'll be happier, in fact, having such a
cause. Ask your wife if that isn't so."

Pell trembled with anger. "How did you get to her? How did you make her
do what she did?"

"You mean luring you into our little trap on the terrace, so to speak?
You mustn't blame Ciel for that. She couldn't help herself; she had to
obey, after all. You see she was conditioned in Augea on the moon by Dr.
Wilcox, one of our very loyal men. He simply dropped in when you were at
the Post Office, pretended that Ciel needed a routine injection and she,
not at all suspicious, allowed him to do it. He gave her the command of
loyalty, and also cautioned her not to say anything about it. So you
see, Ciel's been one of us for several days. It was just a little
precaution of mine, in case you should become troublesome. I had to
assign somebody to the investigation, of course, because Rysland and his
crowd would have been too suspicious if I hadn't complied with their
request."

"You're stark crazy, Larkin! You ought to be in a mental hospital!"

"You'll be over that idea in a minute or so.