"Oh, _that_!" Practically identical thoughts of complete dismissal came in unison, and Karen followed through: "The only thing about that is that, since you knew what to expect, we marvel that you ever managed to go in at all--no one else could have, possibly. Or, once in, and seeing what was really there, that you didn't flit right out again. Believe me, brother of mine, you qualify!" Kit choked. This was too much: but it made him feel good all over. These kids ... the Universe's best-- As he thought, a partial block came unconsciously into being. For not one of those gorgeous, those utterly splendid creatures suspected, even now, that which he so surely knew--that each one of them was very shortly to be wrought and tempered as he himself had been. And, worse, he would have to stand aside and watch them, one by one, walk into it. Was there anything he could do to ward off, or even to soften, what was coming to them? There was not. With his present power, he could step in, of course--at what awful cost to Civilization only he, Christopher Kinnison, of all Civilization, really knew. No. That was out. Definitely. He could come in afterwards to ease their hurts, as each had come to him, but that was all--and there was a difference. They hadn't known about it in advance. It was tough. Could he do _anything_? He could not. * * * * * And on clammy, noisome Eddore, the Arisian attackers having been beaten off and normality restored, a meeting of the Highest Command was held. No two of those entities were alike in form; some were changing from one horrible shape into another; all were starkly, indescribably monstrous. All were concentrating upon the problem which had been so suddenly thrust upon them; each of them thought at and with each of the others. To do justice to the complexity or the cogency of that maze of intertwined thoughts is impossible; the best that can be done is to pick out a high point here and there. "This explains the Star A Star whom the Ploorans and the Kalonians so fear." "And the failure of our operator on Thrale, and its fall." "Also our recent quite serious reverses." "Those stupid--those utterly brainless underlings!" "We should have been called in at the start!" "Could you analyze, or even perceive, its pattern save in small part?" "No." "Nor could I--an astounding and highly revealing circumstance." "An Arisian; or, rather, an Arisian development, certainly. No other entity of Civilization could possibly do what was done here. Nor could any Arisian as we know or deduce them." "They have developed something very recently which we had not visualized." "Kinnison's son? Bah! Think they to deceive us by the old device of energizing a form of ordinary flesh?" "Kinnison--his son--Nadreck--Worsel--Tregonsee--what matters it?" "Or, as we now know, the completely imaginary Star A Star."