ld make billions in legitimate profits selling the
apparatus to manufacture the energy ... but you wouldn't want that. You
want to be dictator of the Solar System. And that is what I intend to
stop."

"Listen, Manning," said Chambers, "you're a reasonable man. Let's talk
this thing over without anger. What do you plan to do?"

"I could put my material engines on the market," said Greg. "That would
ruin you. You wouldn't move an accumulator after that. Your
Interplanetary stock wouldn't be worth the paper it is written on.
Material energy would wipe you out."

"You forget I have franchises on those planets," Chambers reminded him.
"I'd fight you in the courts until hell froze over."

"I'd prove convenience, economy and necessity. Any court in any land, on
any planet, would rule for me."

Chambers shook his head. "Not Martian or Jovian courts. I'd tell them to
rule for me and the courts outside of Earth do what I tell them to."

* * * * *

Greg straightened and backed from the desk. "I hate to ruin a man.
You've worked hard. You've built a great company. I would be willing, in
return for a hands-off policy on your part, to hold up any announcement
of my material energy until you had time to get out, to save what you
could."

Hard fury masked Chambers' face. "You'll never build a material energy
engine outside your laboratory. Don't worry about ruining me. I won't
allow you to stand in my way. I hope you understand."

"I understand too well. But even if you are a dictator out on Mars and
Venus, even if you do own Mercury and boss the Jovian confederacy,
you're just a man to me. A man who stands for things that I don't like."

Greg stopped and his eyes were like ice crystals.

"You talked to Stutsman today," he said. "If I were you, I wouldn't let
Stutsman do anything rash. Russ Page and I might have to fight back."

Mockery tinged Chambers' voice. "Am I to take this as a declaration of
war, Mr. Manning?"

"Take it any way you like," Greg said. "I came here to give you a
proposition, and you tell me you're going to smash me. All I have to say
to you, Chambers, is this--when you get ready to smash me, you'd better
have a deep, dark hole all picked out for yourself to hide in. Because
I'll hand you back just double anything you hand out."

_CHAPTER TEN_

"One of us will have to watch all the time," Greg told Russ. "We can't
take any chances. Stutsman will try to reach u