Thebold strode down the center of the midway, wearing his soft aviator's helmet with the goggles pushed up on his forehead and his silk scarf fluttering behind him. A group of small boys followed him, imitating his self-confident walk and scrambling occasionally for the Thebold buttons he threw to them. The Senator went into the Gripe Room. "Looks as if Ed has wangled an interview with the great man himself," Alis said. "You didn't say anything to Clark about our talk with the Gizl, did you?" "I did mention it to him," Alis said. "Was that bad?" "Half an hour ago I would have said no. Now I'm not so sure." * * * * * A speaker's platform had been erected on the Senator's side of Reilly Street, and now canned but stirring band music was blaring out of a loudspeaker. Thebold came out of the Gripe Room and mounted the platform. A fair-sized crowd was waiting to hear him. Thebold raised his arms as if he were stilling a tumult. The music died away and Thebold spoke. "My good friends and fellow Americans," the Senator began. Then a Hectorite sound-apparatus started to blare directly across the street. The sound of hammering added to the disruption as workmen began to set up a rival speaker's platform. Then the music on the north side of Reilly Street became a triumphal march and Hector I made his entrance. Thebold spoke on doggedly. Don heard an occasional phrase through the din. "... reunion with the U. S. A. ... end this un-American, this literal partition ..." But many in the crowd had turned to watch Hector, who was magnificent and warm-looking in his ermine robe. "Loyal subjects of Superior, I exhort you not to listen to this outsider who has come to meddle in our affairs," Hector said. "What can he offer that your king has not provided? You have security, inexhaustible food supplies and, above all, independence!" Thebold increased his volume and boomed: "Ah, but _do_ you have independence, my friends? Ask your puppet king who provides this food--and for what price? And how secure _do_ you feel as you whip through the atmosphere like an unguided missile? You're over the Atlantic now. Who knows at what second the controls may break down and dump us all into the freezing water?" Hector pushed his crown back on his head as if it were a derby hat. "Who asked the Senator here? Let me remind you that he does not even represent our former--and I emphasize _former_--State of Ohio. We all know him as a political adventurer, but never before has he attempted to meddle in the affairs of another country!"