the suave, courteous
language of diplomacy, he deplored the unreasonable attitude of the
Earth leaders. Ironically, he suggested that they declare war. He would
be overwhelmed in Venia, of course. He had no means of defending himself
against their aggression. But at the first flash of hostile rays, the
Brende model would be destroyed forever. And Georg Brende--the only
living person who had the knowledge to replace the model--would die
instantly. The Brende secret would be lost irrevocably. It was
unfortunate that humanity on Earth, Venus and Mars, should be denied
their chance for immortality. Unfortunate that the Earth leaders were so
headstrong. They were enemies, in reality, of their own people--and
enemies of the peoples of Venus and Mars. But if the Earth Council
wished war with Tarrano--then war let it be.

"A bluff," I exclaimed. "He would lose everything himself. It's
suicide--"

"Not suicide," Georg said soberly. "Propaganda. Can't you see it? He
knows the Earth Council will make no move until the ultimatum time has
expired. Hours yet. And in those hours, he is working upon the publics
of the three worlds."

The announcer was silent again. Below us, in our tower, we heard a
footstep. The barrage had been lifted to admit someone, then thrown on
again. Measured footsteps were coming up our incline. We stood
motionless, breathless. A moment; then into the room came Wolfgar. He
did not speak. Advancing close to us as we stood transfixed, he jerked
an instrument from his belt. It whirred and hummed in his hand. The room
around us went black--a barrage of blackness and silence, with ourselves
and Wolfgar in a pale glow standing within it as in a cylinder. The
isolation-barrage. I had never been within one before, though upon
drastic occasion they were in official use.

Wolfgar said swiftly: "We cannot be seen or heard. I have been in charge
of the mirror observing you--I have thrown it out of use. The Princess
Maida--"

"You are--the friend?" Georg whispered tensely. Elza was trembling and I
put my arm about her.

Wolfgar's face lightened with a brief smile; then went intensely
serious. "Yes. A spy, trusted by Tarrano for years--but my heart is with
the Princess Maida. We must escape--all of us--now, or it will be too
late."

He stopped abruptly, and a look of consternation came to him. The black
silence enveloping us had without warning begun to crackle. The metal
cone in Wolfgar's hand glowed red with in