There were terrifying flaws--the first one obvious, the second not so easily seen. Suppose Dobbs' block had inherent within it an anti-disturbance feature that might react to any interference, including hypnotism in any form? Then the result would be an immediate "short-circuit" and--disaster. Trembling with the responsibility that was upon him, Flinn forced himself into a deep concentration, an almost cataleptic trance. All details of the room faded from his consciousness. There was the familiar gray, swirling mist, and, for what seemed an intolerably long time, he fought to make contact with the sleeping man's mind. He almost sobbed aloud from the effort. Then at last he found it, entered, and gradually pushed down through the subconscious. * * * * * He was seeking now, probing for the deep-seated level of the block that he had discovered the second time he had investigated Dobbs' mind. It was very difficult with the sleeping man and, before he found it, more than once he felt himself standing on the precipice of the unknown, close to slipping away into a fright-filled nothingness. Finally, he had it, clear and cold. The strange, unhuman, inscrutable area that was in diabolical rapport with the basic stuff of one element of the atmosphere. Flinn lingered there for a while, wondering again why he could not read it completely, then forced himself on and on, deeper and deeper, until at last he felt the limit had been reached. His own warning thought intruded, telling him that this was the place. And the time for the first test was at hand. He could not afford the luxury of another pause. His resolve might crack.... The thought arced like a high-voltage spark, the preamble of the counter-suggestion: _You are to do nothing. No matter what happens, no matter what is done to you, you are to take no action whatsoever. You are not to react. You are to do nothing. You are to disregard every thought but this._ The battle had been joined. The interference had bridged the gap--yet the block remained dormant! The first hurdle had been cleared. For the better part of three hours, Flinn continued to transmit the counter-suggestion. Although he was not aware of it, sweat rolled from every pore of his body and his nerves spasmed in unfelt agony. Something happened. Flinn lost contact as a shrill of warnings welled through Dobbs' mind. A second later, the door opened and Hayes' voice hissed: "He's awake!" Flinn returned to awareness slowly. First he was conscious only of how tired he was, and then he knew that a voice was trying to reach him, and he felt a handkerchief swabbing at his face. Wilmer bent over him in the gloom. Hayes said in Flinn's ear: "Dobbs is awake. He knows something's wrong. He's moving around in there." "Then go ahead," Flinn heard his voice say. "There won't be a better time." "Maybe we should wait," Wilmer cautioned. "No! Do it now. Hurry!"