netary was ended ... ended
forever, for on every world, including Earth, material energy engines
were humming. The people had power to burn, to throw away, power so
cheap that it was practically worthless as a commodity, but invaluable
as a way to a new life, a greater life, a fuller life ... a broader
destiny for the human race.

Interplanetary stocks were worthless. The mighty power plants on Venus
and Mercury were idle. The only remaining tangible asset were the fleets
of spaceships used less than a month before to ship the accumulators to
the outer worlds, to bring them Sunward for recharging.

Patents protecting the rights to the material energy engines had been
obtained from every government throughout the Solar System. New
governments were being formed on the wreckage of the old. John Moore
Mallory already had been inaugurated as president of the Jovian
confederacy. The elections on Mars and Venus would be held within a
week.

Mercury, its usefulness gone with the smashing of the accumulator trade,
had been abandoned. No human foot now trod its surface. Its mighty domes
were empty. It went its way, as it had gone for billions of years, a
little burned out, worthless planet, ignored and shunned. For a brief
moment it had known the conquering tread of mankind, had played its part
in the commerce of the worlds, but now it had reverted to its former
state ... a lonely wanderer of the regions near the Sun, a pariah among
the other planets.

* * * * *

Russell Page looked across the desk at Gregory Manning. He heaved a sigh
and dug the pipe out of his jacket pocket.

"It's finished, Greg," he said.

Greg nodded solemnly, watching Russ fill the bowl and apply the match.

Except for the small crew, they were alone in the _Invincible_. John
Moore Mallory and the others were on their own worlds, forming their own
governments, carrying out the dictates of the people, men who would go
down in solar history.

The _Invincible_ hung just off Callisto. Russ looked out at the mighty
moon, saw the lonely stretches of its ice-bound surface, saw the silvery
spot that was the dome of Ranthoor.

"All done," said Greg, "except for one thing."

"Go out and get Chambers and the others," said Russ, puffing at the
pipe.

Greg nodded. "We may as well get started."

Russ rose slowly, went to the wall cabinet and lifted out a box, the
mechanical shadow with its tiny space field surrounding the f