sure the rest
of the destruction was thoroughly carried out. He glanced out of a
window and saw the other ministries. From their chimneys thick smoke
poured out--the criminal records were being incinerated in the Ministry
of Police. Tax records were burning in the Ministry of Finance.
Educational information about Kandarian citizens flamed and smoked in
the Ministry of Education. Even voting and vehicle-registry lists were
being wiped out of existence by flames and the crushing of ashes at
appropriate agencies. The planet's banks were completing the
distribution of coin and currency, with promissory notes to those
depositors they could not pay in full, and the real-estate registers
were open so individuals could remove and hide or destroy their titles
to property. The stockholders' books of corporations were being burned.
Small ships parted with their wares and took promises of payment in
return. The planet Kandar, in fact, made ready to receive its
conquerors.

It was not conquered yet, but there could be no hope.

Bors was in the act of brushing off his hands again, in a sort of
symbolic gesture of completion, when a ground-car stopped before the
Ministry. A stout man got out. A rather startlingly pretty girl
followed. They advanced to the door of the Ministry.

Presently, Captain Bors received the two visitors. His once-jaunty
uniform looked like a dustman's. He was much more grim than anybody his
age should ever be.

"Your name is Morgan," he said formidably to the stout man. "You have a
letter for the Minister. He's not here. He's gathering up his family. If
anyone's in charge, I am."

The stout man cheerfully handed over a very official envelope.

Bors said caustically, "I don't ask you to sit down because everything's
covered with ash-dust. Excuse me."

He tore open the envelope and read its contents. His impatience
increased.

"In normal times," he said, "I'm sure this would be most interesting.
But these are not normal times. I'm afraid--"

"I know! I know!" said the stout man exuberantly. "If times were normal
I wouldn't be here! I'm president and executive director of Talents,
Incorporated. From that letter you'll see that we've done very
remarkable things for different governments and businesses. I'd like to
talk to someone with the authority to make a policy decision. I want to
show what we can do for you."

"It's too late to do anything for us," said Bors. "Much too late. We
expect the Mekin