less it's
absolutely necessary, are _not_ expendable!"

"Oh, but we are, sir. You don't quite understand. We Kedys are not
merely similar, but are in fact identical. Thus we are not independent
entities. All of us together make up the actual Kedy--that which is
meant when we say 'I'. That is, I am the sum total of all Kedys
everywhere, not merely this individual that you call Kedy One."

"You mean you're _all_ talking to me?"

"Exactly, sir. Thus, no one element of the Kedy has any need of, or any
desire for, self-preservation. The destruction of one element, or of
thousands of elements, would be of no more consequence to the Kedy than
... well, they are strictly analogous to the severed ends of the hairs,
every time you get a haircut."

"My God!" Hilton stared at Sawtelle. Sawtelle stared back. "I'm
beginning to see ... maybe ... I hope. What control that would be! But
just in case we _should_ have to use the boosters...." Hilton's voice
died away. Scowling in concentration, he clasped his hands behind his
back and began to pace the floor.

"Better give up, Jarve. Kedy's got the same mind you have," Sawtelle
began, to Hilton's oblivious back; but Kedy silenced the thought almost
in the moment of its inception.

"By no means, sir," he contradicted. "I have the brain only. The _mind_
is entirely different."

"Link up, Kedy, and see what you think of this," Hilton broke in. There
ensued an interchange of thought so fast and so deeply mathematical that
Sawtelle was lost in seconds. "Do you think it'll work?"

"I don't see how it can fail, sir. At what point in the action should it
be put into effect? And will you call the time of initiation, or shall
I?"

"Not until all their reserves are in action. Or, at worst, all of ours
except that one task-force. Since you'll know a lot more about the
status of the battle than either Sawtelle or I will, you give the signal
and I'll start things going."

"What are you two talking about?" Sawtelle demanded.

"It's a long story, chum. Kedy can tell you about it better than I can.
Besides, it's getting late and Dark Lady and Larry both give me hell
every time I hold supper on plus time unless there's a mighty good
reason for it. So, so long, guys."

XIII

For many weeks the production of Ardan warships and missiles had been
spiraling upward.

Half a mountain range of solid rock had been converted into fabricated
super-steel and armament. Superdreadnoughts Were