wn gracefully on her long leg, forcing his
head under water. With a haughty smile, she watched the bubbles
rise....

* * * * *

In the small room where Temple's body lay in repose on a table the
white-smocked doctor looked at the psychotherapist questioningly.
"What's happening?"

"Can't tell, doctor. But--"

Suddenly Temple's still body rocked convulsively, his neck stretched,
his head shot up and back. Blood trickled from his mouth.

The doctor thrust out expert hands, examined Temple's jaw dexterously.

"Broken?" the psychotherapist demanded in a worried voice.

"No. Dislocated. He looks like he's been hit by a sledge hammer,
wherever he is now, whatever's happening. This E.C.R. is the damndest
thing."

Temple's still form shuddered convulsively. He began to gasp and
cough, obviously fighting for breath. An ugly blue swelling had by now
lumped the base of his jaw.

"What's happening?" demanded the psychotherapist.

"I can't be sure," said the doctor, shaking his head. "He seems to
have difficulty in breathing ... it's as if he were--drowning."

"Bad. Anything we can do?"

"No. We wait until this particular sequence ends." The doctor examined
Temple again. "If it doesn't end soon, this man will die of
asphyxiation."

"Call it off," the psychotherapist pleaded. "If he dies now Earth will
be represented by Russia. Call it off!"

Someone entered the room. "_I_ have the authority," he said,
selecting a hypodermic from the doctor's rack and piercing the skin
of Temple's forearm with it. "This first test has gone far enough. The
Russian entry is clearly the winner, but Temple must live if he is to
compete in another."

The wracking convulsions which shook Temple's body subsided. He ceased
his choking, began to breathe regularly. With grim swiftness, the
doctor went to work on Temple's dislocated jaw while the man who had
stopped the contest rendered artificial respiration.

The man was Alaric Arkalion.

* * * * *

The Comrade Doctor was exultant. "Jupiter training, comrade, has given
us a victory."

"How can you be sure?"

"Our entrant is unharmed, the contest has been called. Wait ... she is
coming to."

Sophia stretched, rubbed her bruised knees, sat up.

"What happened, Comrade?" the doctor demanded.

"My knees ache," said Sophia, rubbing them some more. "I--I killed
him, I think. Strange, I never dreamed it would be that real."