f the gods, with luck! They won't face a force of
twenty-first century scientists. They haven't got it, they just haven't
got it."

"But they'll discover that you lied," said Nirea. "They'll get the
thrower, sooner or later, and then we're at their mercy again."

"I didn't lie, girl. All over this hemisphere there are caves like the
one I came from, with scientists held in suspension, plenty of machines
from our time, and knowledge that will bring your world out of these
Dark Ages into another Renaissance! I have the locations in the papers
that were interred in the casket under me, and we'll send parties out
today to find 'em. This is a new world dawning this morning." He leaned
over and kissed her enthusiastically, and Revel, who would have split
another man down the brisket for that, did not mind at all. "Your globes
are done, Mink. The gentry and the priests will be easy prey. You can
probably scare them into surrender after last night."

Jerran said, "Here be men on horses, Mink." Revel turned and saw a great
cavalcade of stallioned men sweep down the valley, and in a moment of
great joy saw that they were all ruckers, carrying dead gods on pikes
and singing the Ballad of the Mink as they came.

The Lady Nirea was in his arms, kissing his lips that were caked with
three kinds of blood; and Revel the Mink forgot the pain in his torn
body, the utter weariness of brain and muscle, and everything else
except what was good and sweet and wonderful.

* * * * *

Three months had passed, and the leaders of the successful rebellion of
Earth were sitting in a drinking-house (legal now) downing toasts to
various people and events. Revel and his wife Nirea sat at the head of
the board, and down the sides ranged their friends and lieutenants: the
giant Rack and the tiny Jerran, Dawvys and a dozen others, with John
Klapham at the foot.

"To the end of the globes," said John, his tongue a trifle thick by now.
"By gad, you brew potent stuff in these times! To the gods' finish!"

They drank that standing, roaring it out gleefully.

Revel said, "It was a sight to see, that--thousands upon thousands of
buttons, all sweeping into the sky and vanishing into dots and then
nothing ... and here's to the gentry they took with 'em!"

"How many went?" asked Nirea, though she knew as well as he.

"Seven thousand and four hundred and ten, squires and their ladies,
electing to travel out of the world fo