gave allegiance by appointment, could will all his
underlings into whatever formation he desired.

As beautiful and effortless at the flight of those birds which had
vanished from the earth centuries before.

"Remember, Dalis," said Sarka, "that while the speed of the Earth in its
orbit is between eighteen and nineteen miles per second, once thrown out
of its orbit, and forced to follow a straight or nearly straight line,
the speed may be many times that-or much less!"

"The simplest facts of science," snarled Dalis, "were known to me a
thousand years before you were born! Now I shall tell the Spokesmen of
the Gens, and be sure that you second what I say!"

He paused. Then, raising his voice impressively, he spoke.

"O Spokesmen of the Gens, O Gens of Earth, hark ye to the words of Dalis
and of Sarka! The time has come to try the experiment of which Sarka
told you, and which I, Dalis, of the Gens of Dalis, have found good, and
hereby certify! See that all your Beryls are mathematically tuned to
catch every sound, every vibration, every picture, from this Beryl of
Sarka, henceforth to be known as the Master Beryl!

* * * * *

"No matter what happens, no matter what changes take place in the
temperature of your homes, no matter what storms may come, touch not
your Beryls until instructed from this laboratory! Tune your Beryls,
then leave them, and hasten faster with your preparations for war! Each
Spokesman of a Gens will at once instruct the members of his Gens that
all partitions between families shall immediately be removed, outward
from a common center in each case, until one hundred families occupy a
single dwelling place. Materials from destroyed partitions shall be
carefully hoarded, and the newer and bigger areas shall become
maneuvering places for the hundred families which will occupy each given
area!

"Facing a crisis as we are, no thought can be given to privacy, and
neighborly quarrels must be forgotten! This move is necessary because no
single dwelling place is large enough to be used as a place of
maneuver--and from now on until the command is given, maneuvers must not
be held Outside! For hark ye, O Spokesmen, O Gens of Earth, we are about
to start upon our voyage into outer space! Spokesmen, call in your
maneuvering myriads! You have five minutes!"

In five minutes not a flying man could be seen in all the cold, stormy
outside. Dalis spoke again.

"Tune your Bery