"The problem, Mr. President, lies in the spiritual. Every race on every inhabited planet is given the intelligence and desire to evolve upward spiritually but they do not always succeed. A time limit is set on this so that the inhabitants of each planet arrive finally at an evolutionary crisis." The President thought of nuclear fission, the atom bomb, mankind's incredible progress over the last two hundred years. "And you have come to aid us in spiritual development?" "On the contrary. You have had all the guidance necessary--far more than those on most planets--more than did your neighbors on Mars. I have come to annihilate you." The President hid his shock well. "If killing me will--" "Annihilate life on the planet. You see, Mr. President, there comes a time when each inhabited planet must join the Council--when it reaches a point at which its existence affects the great family of planets. If at that time, its state of affairs and development are negative, its population is eradicated for the greater good." "May I ask two questions?" The President said. "You may." "Thank you. First, why do you contact only me with this news? I am the titular head of only one nation on this planet. There are many others." "I would rather reserve the answer to that question." "Very well, the second. How can we affect a family of inhabited planets the existence of which we are not even aware. Planets with which we have no contact whatever?" "In a few short years you would know of their existence--you would not only be able to contact them--you would visit them and they would visit you." "And just how would we affect them adversely?" "That should be apparent. Your present state of dwarfed spirituality is made clear by your background of violence and injustice. I refer to your planet rather than to your nation. Practically all your scientific progress has come as a result of war. Nations that lose a war on your planet study and invent and discover like demons possessed for tools with which to win the next one. Do you deny that at this moment your planet is little more than an armed camp?" "No," The President said sadly. "I cannot deny this." "Then you realize why we cannot let you move out into space, carrying with you the greed, the envy, the hatred, the violence that stalks the corridors of your history." * * * * * There was no doubt in the President's mind that this remarkable man could back up his every word. His statements were not idle threats. The President said, "But your accusations are not entirely just. You make no mention of our great progress toward spiritual goals in the past hundred years--even the past fifty have seen marked changes in that direction." "I have noted that. It is what caused me to make this contact with you. Ordinarily, no such contact would have been made. I would have checked the planet, reported it to the Council, and annihilation would have been automatic."