y deep. Very, _very_ deep. Atlantis
would not be harmed.

It might have been better, however, if Phryges had died with Kinnexa on
Norgrad Field; in which case the continent would probably have endured.
As it was, while that one missile did not reach the city, its frightful
atomic charge exploded under six hundred fathoms of water, ten scant
miles from Atlantis' harbor, and very close to an ancient geological
fault.

Artomenes, as Phryges had surmised, had had time in which to act, and he
knew much more than Phryges did about what was coming toward Atlantis.
Too late, he knew that not one missile, but seven, had been launched
from Norheim, and at least five from Uighar. The retaliatory rockets
which were to wipe out Norgrad, Uigharstoy, and thousands of square
miles of environs were on their way long before either bomb or
earthquake destroyed all of the Atlantean launching ramps.

But when equilibrium was at last restored, the ocean rolled serenely
where a minor continent had been.

CHAPTER 3

THE FALL OF ROME

1. EDDORE

Like two high executives of a Tellurian corporation discussing business
affairs during a chance meeting at one of their clubs, Eddore's All
Highest and Gharlane, his second in command, were having the Eddorian
equivalent of an after-business-hours chat.

"You did a nice job on Tellus," the All-Highest commended. "On the other
three, too, of course, but Tellus was so far and away the worst of the
lot that the excellence of the work stands out. When the Atlantean
nations destroyed each other so thoroughly I thought that this thing
called 'democracy' was done away with forever, but it seems to be mighty
hard to kill. However, I take it that you have this Rome situation
entirely under control?"

"Definitely. Mithradates of Pontus was mine. So were both Sulla and
Marius. Through them and others I killed practically all of the brains
and ability of Rome, and reduced that so-called 'democracy' to a
howling, aimless mob. My Nero will end it. Rome will go on by
momentum--outwardly, will even appear to grow--for a few generations,
but what Nero will do can never be undone."

"Good. A difficult task, truly."

"Not difficult, exactly ... but it's so damned _steady_." Gharlane's
thought was bitter. "But that's the hell of working with such
short-lived races. Since each creature lives only a minute or so, they
change so fast that a man can't take his mind off of them for a second.
I've been wa