The president of Radelix and Lensman Gerrond sent message after message to Prime Base and to Klovia, imploring help. The replies to these pleas were all alike. The matter had been referred to the Galactic Council and to the Co-ordinator. Everything that could be done was being done. Neither office would say anything else, except that, with the galaxy in such a disturbed condition, each planet must do its best to solve its own problems. * * * * * The thing built up toward its atrocious finale. Gerrond invited the president to a conference in a downtown hotel room, and there, eyes glancing from moment to moment at the dials of a complete little test-kit held open upon his lap: "I have just had some startling news, sir," Gerrond said, abruptly. "Kinnison has been here on Radelix for weeks." "What? Kinnison? Where is he? Why didn't he--?" "Yes, Kinnison. Kinnison of Klovia. The Co-ordinator himself. I don't know where he is, or was. I didn't ask him." The Lensman smiled fleetingly. "One doesn't, you know. He discussed the situation with me at length. I am still amazed--" "Why doesn't he stop it, then?" the president demanded. "Or can't he stop it?" "That's what I've got to explain to you. He can, but the time won't be ripe until the last act." "Why not? I tell you, if this thing can be stopped it's _got_ to be stopped, and no matter what has to be done it's _got_ to be--" "Just a minute!" Gerrond snapped. "I know that you're out of control--I don't like to see Radelix torn apart any better than you do--but you ought to know by this time that Galactic Co-ordinator Kimball Kinnison is in a better position to know what to do than any other man in the universe. Furthermore, his word is the last word. What he says, goes." "Of course," the president apologized. "I am overwrought ... but to see our entire world pulled down around us and upon us, our institutions, the work of centuries, destroyed, millions of lives lost ... all needlessly--" "It won't come to that, he says, if we all do our parts. And you, sir, are very much in the picture." "I? How?" "Are you familiar with exactly what happened upon Antigan IV?" "Why, no. They had some trouble over there, I recall, but--" "That's it. That's why this must go on. No planet cares particularly about what happens to any other planet, but the Co-ordinator cares about them all, as a whole. If this trouble is headed off now, it will simply spread to other planets; if it is allowed to come to a climax there is a good chance that we can put an end to the whole trouble, for good." "But what has that to do with me? What can I, personally, do?" "Much. The last act upon Antigan IV, the thing that made it a planet of maniacs, was the kidnaping of Planetary President Renwood. It is supposed that he was murdered, since no trace of him has ever been found."