"Really very little." He drew in his breath with a hiss as he addressed West, a sign of deferent politeness. "Merely that you show us what you have here. And, of course, that you should explain it all to our scientists and engineers, showing them how your equipment operates." The room got very quiet after Cuso had finished speaking. West seemed to muse. "What do you think we have here?" he said. "If I knew the answer to that question, I would not be asking such a stupid thing," Cuso answered. "Quite true," West agreed. "I was stupid to even ask such a question." "The time is here to end stupidity," Cuso said. "Again I agree," the craggy man answered. He shrugged. "Well, when and where do you want me to start?" The smile on his face was a mixture of fear and resignation. It indicated that he had given up completely. "Now you are talking the kind of words I like to hear," Cuso said emphatically. "You will start now, and show me, personally, everything that is of importance in this mountain." "Very well. Follow me." West turned and moved toward the opening that led to the chamber where the super radar was hidden. "Wait here," Cuso snapped at his lieutenant. "Shoot any person who moves." "Yes, great one," the lieutenant answered, saluting. This was the kind of order he loved to obey. Cuso and West went out of sight. Jake, Cal, and Ed stood in the middle of the room. Ed approached the lieutenant, nodded toward Nedra, and spoke earnestly to the man. The lieutenant shook his head vigorously, a gesture which seemed to indicate that Ed was being very stupid. The bantam grumbled to himself and moved away. Out of the corners of his eyes he kept watching the nurse. Nedra ignored him. She also ignored Kurt Zen. As silent as so many statues, the new people stood against the stone walls. They seemed stunned. The impossible had happened to them and they were having difficulty in adjusting to it. John was not in the room. Either he had succeeded in hiding or he had been killed. The fat youth was standing directly across the gallery from Zen. Farther down the wall, clad in pants and a bra, was a shapely blonde. When he was not watching Nedra, Ed paid attention to her. His actions seemed to irritate the lieutenant. Lifting his rifle, he fired a single shot through the head of the bantam. Ed collapsed, dead before he hit the floor. Two Asian soldiers carried the body away. "That lieutenant is hell on lovers," Zen whispered. Nedra did not answer him. Her face was pale and her breathing was shallow. A film of sweat glistened on her forehead. Glancing at her, Zen had the impression that she was listening.