t went--a planet which no Strett can peyondire--is now
abandoned. Second, the Stretts of old did not completely destroy the
humanity of the world Ardu. Third, some escapees from Ardu reached and
populated the world Ardry. Fourth, the android Omans were developed on
Ardry, by the human escapees from Ardu and their descendants. Fifth, the
Omans referred to those humans as 'Masters.' Sixth, after living on
Ardry for a very long period of time the Masters went elsewhere.
Seventh, the Omans remaining on Ardry maintained, continuously and for a
very long time, the status quo left by the Masters. Eighth, immediately
upon the arrival from Terra of these present humans, that long-existing
status was broken. Ninth, the planet called Fuel World is, for the first
time, surrounded by a screen of force. The formula of this screen is as
follows."

The brain gave it. No Strett either complained or interrupted. Each was
too busy studying that formula and examining its stunning implications
and connotations.

"Tenth, that formula is one full order of magnitude beyond anything
previously known to your science. Eleventh, it could not have been
developed by the science of Terra, nor by that of any other world whose
population I have examined."

* * * * *

The brain took the linked minds instantaneously to Terra; then to a few
thousand or so other worlds inhabited by human beings; then to a few
thousands of planets whose populations were near-human, non-human and
monstrous.

"It is therefore clear," it announced, "that this screen was computed
and produced by the race, whatever it may be, that is now dwelling on
Fuel World and asserting full ownership of it."

"Who or what _is_ that race?" Ynos demanded.

"Data insufficient."

"Theorize, then!"

"Postulate that the Masters, in many thousands of cycles of study, made
advances in science that were not reduced to practice; that the Omans
either possessed this knowledge or had access to it; and that Omans and
humans cooperated fully in sharing and in working with all the
knowledges thus available. From these three postulates the conclusion
can be drawn that there has come into existence a new race. One
combining the best qualities of both humans and Omans, but with the
weaknesses of neither."

"An unpleasant thought, truly," Ynos thought. "But you can now, I
suppose, design the generators and projectors of a force superior to
that screen."

"Data in