stroy him. "You forced your
thoughts into my mind, then," he said as coolly as he could. "Just as
you forced decision on the rest of society."

"Now, dammit, Malone!" Burris said suddenly. "You know those bursts
take a lot of energy, and only last for a fraction of a second!"

Malone blinked. "Then you ... didn't--"

_Of course I didn't force anything on you, Kenneth. I can't. Not all
the power of the entire PRS could force anything through your shield.
But you opened it to me._

It was Luba's mental "voice." Malone opened his mouth, shut it and
then, belatedly, snapped shut the channel through which he'd contacted
her. Luba gave him a wry look, but said nothing. "You mean I'm a
telepath?" Malone asked weakly.

"Certainly," Sir Lewis snapped. "At the moment, you can only pick up
Luba--but you are certainly capable of picking up anyone, eventually.
Just as you learned to teleport, you can learn to be a telepath.
You--"

The room was whirling, but Malone tried to keep his mind steady. "Wait
a minute," he said. "If you received what I sent, then you know I've
got a question to ask."

There was a little silence.

Finally Sir Lewis looked up. "You want to know why you felt we--the
PRS--were innocent of the crimes you want to charge us with. Very
well." He paused. "We have wrecked civilization: granted. We could
have done it more smoothly: granted."

"Then--"

Sir Lewis' face was serious and steady. Malone tensed.

"Malone," Sir Lewis said, "do you think you're the only one with a
mental shield?"

Malone shook his head. "I guess stress--fixity of mind or
purpose--could develop it in anyone," he said. "At least, in some
people."

"Very well," Sir Lewis said. "Now, among the various people of the
world who have, through one necessity or another, managed to develop
such shields--"

Burris broke in impatiently. His words rang, and then echoed in the
old house.

"Some fool," he said flatly, "was going to start the Last War."

* * * * *

"So you had to stop it," Malone said after a long second. "But I still
don't see--"

"Of course you don't," Sir Lewis said. "But you've got to understand
why you don't see it first."

"Because I'm stupid," Malone said.

Luba was shaking her head. Malone turned to face her. "Not stupid,"
she said. "But some people, Kenneth, have certain talents. Others
have--other talents. There's no way of equating these talents; all are
useful, each perf