ere had been any unevenness in the concentration each gave to the
exercise tonight, this materialization simply could not have occurred!
And that fact forces me now to a very important decision."

He went over to the prop table, took the suitcase from it. "Mavis," he
said gravely, "you may put away these other devices. We will have no
further need for them in this group! Dexter, move the table to the
center of the room for me, please."

He waited while his instructions were hastily carried out, then laid
the suitcase on the table, drew up a chair and sat down. The buzz of
excited conversation among the students hushed. They stared at him in
anticipatory silence. It appeared that the evening's surprises were
not yet over--and they were ready for _anything_ now!

* * * * *

"There is a point," Dr. Ormond began in a solemn voice, riveting their
eager attention on him, "a point in the orderly advance towards Total
Insight at which further progress becomes greatly simplified and
accelerated, because the student has now developed the capability to
augment his personal efforts by the use of certain instruments."

Cavender thoughtfully reached inside his coat, brought out a cigarette
case, opened it and slowly put a cigarette to his lips. About to flick
on a lighter, he saw Ruben Jeffries watching him with an expression of
disapproval from across the aisle. Jeffries shook his head, indicated
the NO SMOKING sign on the wall. Cavender nodded, smiling a rueful
apology for his absent-mindedness, and returned the cigarette to its
case. He shoved his hands into his trousers pockets, slouched back in
the chair.

"I have told you," Ormond was saying, "that the contributions many of
you so generously made to the Institute were needed for and being
absorbed by vital research. Tonight I had intended to give you a first
inkling of what that research was accomplishing." He tapped the
suitcase on the table before him. "In there is an instrument of the
kind I have mentioned. The beneficial forces of the Cosmos are
harnessed by it, flow through it. And I believe I can say that my
efforts in recent months have produces the most effective such device
ever seen...."

"Dr. Al," Mrs. Folsom interrupted firmly, "I think you should let them
know how the instrument cured my heart condition."

Faces shifted toward her, then back to Dr. Al. The middle-aged
majority of the students pricked their ears. For each of t