"Harrell-five, your job is to serve as front runner--to find the Dimellian and engage him in conversation while the other four are getting ready to attack. Make him angry; get him concerned about what you're saying. The instant his defenses drop the other four of you jump in. All of you got that?" They nodded in unison. "Good. Meanwhile I'll make an assault on the castle and maybe I can get through with you five running interference for me." He dismissed them and they set out in different directions. He didn't want the Dimellian to find out what was up; if the alien saw the strategy and had time to create duplicates of its own the conflict would end in stalemate again. Harrell waited, while his five duplicates went into action. Through the mental link with Harrell-five, he listened as his duplicates said, "The time has come to finish you off, alien. I'm glad I found you. That acid trick almost got me but not quite." "A pity," the alien replied. "I was hoping the ruse would finish you. It's becoming quite irritating, having you in here. You're starting to bore me." "Just you wait, you overstuffed wart-hog. I'll have those tentacles of yours clipped soon enough." "Empty words, Earthman. You've run out of strategies; your best course is to get out of my mind and forget this entire silly affair." "Oh, no. I'll have those secrets pried out of you quicker than you think." "How?" "I'm not giving away _my_ secrets, alien. I'm here after yours." Harrell readied himself. He gave the signal: _now_. Harrell-one and Harrell-three appeared. Harrell-one loosed a bombardment of mental force that shook the alien; Harrell-three dashed forward, wielding a machete. Harrell-two and Harrell-four went into action, Harrell-two following up with a second mental bolt, Harrell-four firing a blaster. The bedeviled alien looked from side to side, not knowing where to defend himself first. The scenery began to rock. The alien was going down. Harrell took to the air. Levitating easily above the jungle, he found the castle and zeroed in on it. As he dropped downward it changed--from a vaulting proud collection of spires and battlements to a blocky square building and from that into an armored box with a padlock. The Dimellian stood before it, struggling with the five duplicate Harrells. Harrell stepped past--_through_--the writhing group. The Dimellian's defenses were down. The secrets were unguarded. He wrenched the padlock off with a contemptuous twist of his hand. The box sprang open. Inside lay documents, neatly typed, ready for his eye. The alien uttered a mighty howl. The forest dissolved; the universe swirled around Harrell's head. * * * * * He woke. It seemed to be months later. Dr. Phelps stood by his side. Harrell took two or three deep breaths, clearing his head. He grinned. "I've got them," he said. "Information on troop movements, plan of battle, even the line of journey across space."