ure a suggestion?" asked Drasnik, the First of Psychology.

"Absolutely--nothing you've said so far has been idle chatter."

"You know, of course, that there are real scientists among the
Fenachrone; and you yourself have suggested that while they cannot
penetrate the zone of force nor use fifth-order rays, yet they might
know about them in theory, might even be able to know when they were
being used--detect them, in other words. Let us assume that such a
scientist did detect your rays while you were there a short time ago.
What would he do?"

"Search me.... I bite, what would he do?"

"He might do any one of several things, but if I read their nature
aright, such a one would gather up a few men and women--as many as he
could--and migrate to another planet. For he would of course grasp
instantly the fact that you had used fifth-order rays as carrier waves,
and would be able to deduce your ability to destroy. He would also
realize that in the brief time allowed him, he could not hope to learn
to control those unknown forces; and with his terribly savage and
vengeful nature and intense pride of race, he would take every possible
step both to perpetuate his race and to obtain revenge. Am I right?"

* * * * *

Seaton swung to his controls savagely, and manipulated dials and keys
rapidly.

"Right as rain, Drasnik. There--I've thrown around them a fifth-order
detector screen, that they can't possibly neutralize. Anything that goes
out through it will have a tracer slapped onto it. But say, it's been
half an hour since war was declared--suppose we're too late? Maybe some
of them have got away already, and if one couple of 'em has beat us to
it, we'll have the whole thing to do over again a thousand years or so
from now. You've got the massive intellect, Drasnik. What can we do
about it? We can't throw a detector screen all over the Galaxy."

"I would suggest that since you have now guarded against further exodus,
it is necessary to destroy the planet for a time. Rovol and his
co-workers have the other projector nearly done. Let them project me to
the world of the Fenachrone, where I shall conduct a thorough mental
investigation. By the time you have taken care of the raiding vessels, I
believe that I shall have been able to learn everything we need to
know."

"Fine--hop to it, and may there be lots of bubbles in your think-tank.
Anybody else know of any other loop-holes I've left open?"