the sight of blood, who
weep at the need for death. I hope, for special reasons, that you'll
make an effort to understand this before we come to the phase which will
follow my demonstration....

"Now, please allow me to show you my coordinated brains in useful
operation. Will you be seated again? You, too, Captain Carse."

* * * * *

It was Ku Sui's show: there was nothing for the two men but to obey. But
they felt, both of them, a great unnaturalness in being seated for the
demonstration to come.

"Thank you," the Eurasian said, and went to the panel flanking the case.
There, he turned and remarked: "Before we begin, I must ask you to
remember that the opinions of my brains may always be accepted as the
probable truth, and always, absolutely, are they honest and without
prejudice." He threw a small knife switch and again turned. Nothing
seemed to happen.

"I have contrived, of course, an artificial way of communicating with my
helpers. This inset grille here contains both microphone and
speaker--ear and mouth.

"The ear picks up my words and transmits them to every brain. If I have
asked a question, it is individually considered and the respective
answers sent to the master brain; they are there coordinated and the
result spoken to me by means of the mechanical mouth. When the opinions
of the individual brains do not agree, the answer is in the form of a
poll, often with brief mention of points pro and con. Sometimes their
meditations take considerable time; but simple questions always bring a
prompt and unanimous answer. Shall we try them now?"

The man's spectators did not answer; even the Hawk was for once in his
life too overcome by conflicting feelings of horror and dread, and
compelling morbid fascination. Dr. Ku paused dramatically, a slight
smile on his enigmatic lips; then turned his head and spoke into the
grille.

"Do you hear me?" he asked, easily and confidently.

The silence in the laboratory was for one brief moment almost
overpowering. Then, from the grille, came a thin metallic voice.
Inhuman, artificial, it sounded in the tense strain of the silent room,
voice from the living dead that it was.

"_I do_," were its words.

"Strange," mused the Eurasian, half aloud, "that their collective answer
is always given as 'I.' What obscure telescoping of egotisms can be the
cause of that...."

He dropped the mood of wonder at once. "Tell me," he said, loo