city allows me to disregard
what I cannot anticipate."

"You talk riddles," answered Leithgow. "You do not explain your intended
means. What you imply you can do with brains is utterly impossible."

"Impossible? Ever a foolish word, Master. You know that the brain has
always been my special study. As much as ten years ago, I was
universally recognized as the greatest expert in my specialty. But I
tell you that my knowledge of the subject was as nothing then to what it
is now. I have been very busy these last ten years. Look!"

With a graceful sweep of a hand he indicated the four coolie-guards and
his four white-smocked assistants.

"These men of mine," he continued, "do they appear normal, would you
say? Or, rather, mechanicalized; lacking in certain things and thereby
gaining enormously in the values which can make them perfect servitors?
I have removed from their minds certain superficial qualities of
thought. The four men in white were, a few years ago, highly skilled
surgeons, three of them brain specialists and noted for exceptional
intellects and bold, pioneering thinking. I needed them and took them,
diverting them from their natural state, in which they would have
resisted me and refused my commands. Certain complicated adjustments on
their brains--and now their brains are mine, all their separate skill at
my command alone!"

* * * * *

Leithgow sat back suddenly, astonishment and horror on his face. His
lips parted as if to speak, then closed tightly together again. At last
he uttered one word.

"Murderer!"

Dr. Ku smiled. "In a sense, yes. But let me go on.

"The reshaping of these mentalities and of the mentalities of all my
coolies, were achievements, and valuable ones; but I wanted more. I
wanted much more. I wanted the great, important part of all Earth's
scientific knowledge at my fingertips, under my control. I wanted the
exceptional brains of Earth, the brains of rare genius, the brains that
lived like lonely stars, infinitely removed from the common herd. And
more than that, I wanted them _always_; I wanted them _ageless_. For I
had to seal my power!"

The Eurasian's words were coming more rapidly now, though the man's
thoughts and tone were still under control; and Carse, sitting there
silently, felt that the climax was being reached; that soon something
unthinkable, something of dread, would be revealed. The voice went on:

"These brains I wante