Mark stared at him. "Important--it's unprecedented! Much the same as finding eleven identical sets of fingerprints! But what is worse, the graphs show elements of--of--it's hard to explain. Certainly not disloyalty! Rather the opposite. An _intense_ loyalty, but governed by unreason. Their minds seem directed along a single channel, toward a definite end. And that is--the utter humbling of Perlac! Nothing else seems to matter!" Ketrik nodded. Then he asked the obvious question. "Did you employ this Scanner on yourself?" "To make the record complete--yes! Needless to say, this tenacity of purpose concerning Perlac is utterly missing from my own mental co-ordinates." "Hmm. How do you account for that?" "I can't. But this mental trend in the others seems to be _induced_. Now, you begin to see the implications?" Ketrik nodded slowly. "Yes, son, and you're right! It even begins to scare me a little. Suppose Dar Vaajo in some way has gained control of those eleven minds--is that what you mean? But why Dar Vaajo?" "There's one more item that completes the pattern, and points to Mars. During the past year, as many as four of our spacers have disappeared on the Earth-Mars route. No trace has ever been found. However, about a month ago, a life-boat from the missing _Terra III_ was found drifting near the orbit of our moon. Aboard was one survivor--Dr. Curt Ransome, the brilliant physicist and mathematician, returning from a lecture tour on Mars." "And could you learn nothing from him?" "No." Mark's voice was tragic. "We learned nothing, because--_his brilliant mind was gone_! The doctors say it's doubtful if he'll ever respond to treatment. He babbles incessantly, has the mind of a week-old infant!" Ketrik was aghast. "What has the Council done?" "Nothing, of course!" Mark laughed bitterly. "They're pre-occupied with Perlac! I've personally contacted Dar Vaajo on the Ethero-Magnum. He expresses regret and puzzlement, offers every aid in tracing the disappearing ships. But there's an under-current of evasion. As a desperate measure I sent two secret operatives to Mars." "Good," Ketrik nodded his approval. "They get through all right?" "Yes, apparently just in time. Dar Vaajo has thrown a close guard about the planet. Anyway, my operatives managed to set up a communications base in the wilds of the K'Mari Range, half a day's flight from Turibek, capital of South Mars. I've contacted them twice. They report strange activities at Turibek, something in the nature of a vast scientific experiment! And another thing. Dar Vaajo apparently has made a truce with the Rajecs." "The Rajecs! Those Martian Outlanders?" Ketrik's face was dark with real concern. This news seemed to affect him more than anything Mark had said. "We've really never learned much about those strange desert tribes," Mark went on. "But--"