u know?" When he remained silent, she said, "I suppose you've
already tried to warn them about us."

"I--I said _you_ had nothing to do with the plot."

"That was good of you." She continued in a warmer tone: "How many
Belphins did you warn, then?"

"Just one. When you tell one something, you tell them all. You know
that. Everyone knows that."

"That's just theory," she said. "It's never been proven. All we do know
is that they have some sort of central clearing house of information,
presumably The Belphin of Belphins. But we don't know that they are
incapable of thinking or acting individually. We don't really know much
about them at all; they're very secretive."

"Aloof," he corrected her, "as befits a ruling race. But always
affable."

"You must warn as many Belphins as you can."

"And if none listens to me?"

"Then," she said dramatically, "you must approach The Belphin of
Belphins himself."

"But no human being has ever come near him!" he said plaintively. "You
know that all those who have tried perished. And that can't be a rumor,
because your grandfather said----"

"But they came to _attack_ The Belphin. You're coming to _warn_ him!
That makes a big difference. Ludovick...." She took his hands in hers;
in the darkness, the jewel swung madly on her presumably heaving bosom.
"This is bigger than both of us. It's for Earth."

He knew it was his patriotic duty to do as she said; still, he had
enjoyed life so much. "Corisande, wouldn't it be much simpler if we
just destroyed your uncle's secret weapon?"

"He'd only make another. Don't you see, Ludovick, this is our only
chance to save the Belphins, to save humanity.... But, of course, I
don't have the right to send you. I'll go myself."

"No, Corisande," he sighed. "I can't let you go. I'll do it."

* * * * *

Next morning, he set out to warn Belphins. He knew it wasn't much use,
but it was all he could do. The first half dozen responded in much the
same way the Belphin he had warned the previous day had done, by
courteously acknowledging his solicitude and assuring him there was no
need for alarm; they knew all about the Flockharts and everything would
be all right.

After that, they started to get increasingly huffy--which would, he
thought, substantiate the theory that they were all part of one vast
coordinate network of identity. Especially since each Belphin behaved
as if Ludovick had been repeatedly a