e, is that he reached a limit and the apparatus began giving erratic
results."

Prince Travann stopped to light a cigarette. "At this point, Professor
Dandrik ordered the experiment stopped, and Professor Faress insisted on
continuing. When Dandrik ordered the apparatus dismantled, Faress became
rather emotional about it--obscenely abusive and threatening, according
to Dandrik. Dandrik complained to Khane, Khane ordered Faress to
apologize, Faress refused, and Khane dismissed Faress. Immediately, the
students went on strike. Faress confirmed the whole story, and he added
one small detail that Dandrik hadn't seen fit to mention. According to
him, when these micropositos were accelerated beyond sixteen and a
fraction times light-speed, they began registering at the target before
the source registered the emission."

"Yes, I--_What did you say_?"

Prince Travann repeated it slowly, distinctly and tonelessly.

"That was what I thought you said. Well, I'm going to insist on a
complete investigation, including a repetition of the experiment. Under
direction of Professor Faress."

"Yes, Your Majesty. And when that happens, I mean to be on hand
personally. If somebody is just before discovering time-travel, I think
Security has a very substantial interest in it."

The Prime Minister called back to confirm that First Citizen Yaggo and
King Ranulf would be at the luncheon. The Chamberlain, Count Gadvan,
called with a long and dreary problem about the protocol for the
banquet. Finally, at noon, he flashed a signal for General Dorflay,
waited five minutes, and then left his desk and went out, to find the
mad general and his wirehaired soldiers drawn up in the hall.

* * * * *

There were more Thorans on the South Upper Terrace, and after a flurry
of porting and presenting and ordering arms and hand-saluting, the Prime
Minister advanced and escorted him to where the Bench of Counselors, all
thirty of them, total age close to twenty-eight hundred years, were
drawn up in a rough crescent behind the three distinguished guests. The
King of Durendal wore a cloth-of-silver leotard and pink tights, and a
belt of gold links on which he carried a jeweled dagger only slightly
thicker than a knitting needle. He was slender and willowy, and he had
large and soulful eyes, and the royal beautician must have worked on him
for a couple of hours. Wait till Marris sees this; oh, brother!

Koreff, the Lord Mars