ld and
believed that while the situation described by the spokesman would be
true today, it should not take many years to train the populations of
Earth to run their affairs quite as efficiently as the Machine had
done, and without loss of personal and political liberties.

At any rate, the Mars Convicts and their descendants did not intend
to give up the independence they had acquired. On the other hand, they
had two vital reasons for wanting to come to an agreement with Earth.
One was that they might waste centuries in attempting to accomplish by
themselves what they could now do immediately if Earth's vast
resources were made available to them. And the other, of course, was
the obvious fact that Earth would not remain indefinitely without a
stardrive of its own. If an unfriendly government was in control when
it obtained one, the Mars Convicts would be forced either to abandon
their newly settled planets and retreat farther into the galaxy or
submit to Earth's superior strength.

Meanwhile, however, they had developed the principles of Oneness.
Oneness was in essence a philosophy, but it had many practical
applications; and it was in such practical applications that he,
Rainbolt, was a trained specialist. He had, therefore, been dispatched
to Earth to introduce the principles, which would in time bring about
the orderly disintegration of the system of the Machine, to be
followed by the establishment of an Earth government with which the
Mars Convicts could deal without detriment to themselves.

Menesee had listened with a sense of growing angry incredulity. The
fellow couldn't be as much of a fool as he seemed! Therefore, he had
devised this hoax after he realised he would be captured, to cover up
his real purpose which could only be that of a spy. Menesee saw that
Administrator Bradshaw was saying something in a low voice to the
spokesman, his face stony. Dorn glanced over at him, then looked back
at the prisoner and said impassively, "So the goal of your missionary
work here is the disintegration of the Machine?"

Rainbolt nodded, with an air almost of eagerness. "Yes, sir, it is!
And if I will now be permitted to--"

"I am afraid you will be permitted to do nothing," Spokesman Dorn said
dryly, "except, of course, to answer the number of questions we intend
to ask you."

Rainbolt checked himself, looking startled. The spokesman's hand had
moved very slightly on the desk before him and Rainbolt had just had