Alliance Council of any acts by any person, or group of persons,
suspected of overt action against the Solar Constitution or the
Universal Bill of Rights. Now, based on the report I've just read to
you, I would like an opinion from each of you."

"For what purpose, Commander?" asked Joan Dale, the young and pretty
astrophysicist.

"To decide whether it would be advisable to have a full and open
investigation of this information from the Solar Guard attache on
Venus."

"Why waste time talking?" snapped Professor Sykes, the chief of the
nucleonics laboratory. "Let's investigate. That report sounds serious."

Major Connel leveled a beady eye on the little gray-haired man.

"Professor Sykes, an investigation is serious. When it is based on a
report like this one, it is doubly serious, and needs straight and
careful thinking. We don't want to hurt innocent people."

Sykes shifted around in his chair and glared at the burly Solar Guard
officer. "Don't try to tell me anything about straight thinking, Connel.
I know more about the Solar Constitution and the rights of our citizens
than you'll know in ten thousand light years!"

"Yeah?" roared Connel. "And with all your brains you'd probably find out
these people are nothing more than a harmless bunch of colonists out on
a picnic!"

The professor shot out of his chair and waved an angry finger under
Connel's nose. "And that would be a lot more than I'm finding out right
now with that contraption of yours!" he shouted.

Connel's face turned red. "So that's how you feel about my invention!"
he snapped.

"Yes, that's the way I feel about your invention!" replied Sykes hotly.
"I know three cadets that could build that gadget in half the time it's
taken you just to figure out the theory!"

Commander Walters, Captain Strong, and Joan Dale were fighting to keep
from laughing at the hot exchange between the two veteran spacemen.

"They sound like the _Polaris_ unit," Joan whispered to Strong.

Walters stood up. "Gentlemen! Please! We're here to discuss a report on
the activities of a secret organization on Venus. I will have to ask you
to keep to the subject at hand. Dr. Dale, do you have any comments on
the report?" He turned to the young physicist who was choking off a
laugh.

"Well, Commander," she began, still smiling, "the report is rather
sketchy. I would like to see more information before any real decision
is made."

Walters turned to Strong. "Steve?"

"I t