oad avenue to
escape from the flaming city.

"We're not in danger here," said Drengo, at his elbow. "No fire nor
bomb can reach us here--that is the result of your mighty Atlantic
Coast Barrier. Nothing more. It never was perfected in time, before
the great Eastern Invasion and the second Atomic War. That was due to
occur three years after the time-area where we visited. We were trying
to stem it, to turn it aside. We don't know yet whether we succeeded
or not."

He turned to the tall man standing at the door. "Markson, all the
calculations are prepared. The Calc is evaluating the data against the
Equation now, figuring all the variables. If our work did any good, we
should know it soon." He sighed and pointed to the Palace. "But our
fine Dictator is still alive, and the attack on Mars should be
starting any minute--If we didn't succeed, nothing in all Time will
stop him."

Roger lit a cigarette, his eyes questioning Drengo. "Dictator?"

Drengo sat down and stretched his legs. "The Dictator appeared four
years ago, a nobody, a man from the masses of people on the planet. He
rose into public favor like a sky-rocket, a remarkable man, an amazing
man--a man who could talk to you, and control your thoughts in a
single interview. There has never been a man with such personal
magnetism and power, Roger, in all the history of Earth. A man who
raised himself from nothing into absolute Dictatorship, and has
handled the world according to his whim ever since.

"He is only a young man, Roger, just 32 years of age, but an
irresistible man who can win anything from anybody. He writhed into
the presidency first, and then deliberately set about rearranging the
government to suit himself. And the people let him get away with it,
followed him like sheep. And then he was Dictator, and he began
turning the social and economic balance of the planet into a
whirlwind. And then came Mars."

Martin stretched again, and lit a cigarette, his thin face grave in
the darkened room. "The first landing was thirty years ago, and the
possibilities for rich and peaceful commerce between Earth and Mars
were clear from the first. Mars had what Earth lacked: the true
civilization, the polished culture, the lasting socio-economic
balance, the permanent peace. Mars could have taught us so much. She
could have guided us out of the mire of war and hatred that we have
been wallowing in for centuries. But the Dictator put an end to those
possibilities."