"We have a means of rotating a five thousand mile sphere of their sun's core into subspace. It makes a violent variable out of it, and forces the race to migrate within a year. During migration, of course, they are helpless and they can be handled with ease." "Um," swallowed Linzete. "I see." The color of his face showed that he did see. * * * * * Once more the months rolled past. The trip was made to Terra in subspace, to save time, but when Billy arrived, his greeting to Patricia Kennebec was hungry and demanding. "You'd think it were months," she objected mildly. "For me it has been," he confessed. Another month rolled by, and it went with a peculiar time-sense, for it was both violently swift at times, and at other times it dragged like eternity. Both of them would have preferred a quick wedding, but position interfered with the process. But the month ended eventually, and after a solid round of formal affairs punctuated by less formal details, they got the right and the opportunity to take to their spaceship together. And the four months that followed drove past as swiftly as the light-years logged up on the recorder. Theirs was an ambling passage through prime space; they stopped at four or five intervening systems on their way. Their arrival at Vorgan's capitol followed the visits from Indan Ko and Linzete. Billy knew, and smiled inwardly. He'd planned it that way. "Stick around," he told her with a grin. "Females are strictly nom de something-or-other in there at present. I'll be out directly." He entered and saluted Vorgan. Lindoo was less affable than the Lord of All, who smiled. "A nice piece of work, Terran," said Vorgan. "Thank you." Vorgan turned to Lindoo. "You once told me that you would step down when your master at diplomacy came along," he twitted. Billy smiled at Lindoo. "I gather that I executed your wishes to perfection," he said. Lindoo blinked. Vorgan turned back to the Terran. "His wishes?" "Certainly. I admit that I took liberties with my orders, but I couldn't know whether settling the Sscantovian affair without losing a man included Tlembo as well, because by the time I took stock, they were allied, and we of Terra always consider that a confederate rates the same treatment as the prime contractor." "But I do not understand. Did Vorgan issue any orders?" "I am responsible to him. I am among his advisory staff. He selected me. It was his ability to select me that puts him in the position of ordering me." "Proceed," said Vorgan. "Lord of All, a responsible assistant certainly does not require a written order for every act. Not among Terrans, anyway. A good supervisor selects assistants who can anticipate and act upon his wishes. A good assistant can act as his superior would act, and knows his superior's wishes. Therefore I was but anticipating Lindoo's plan, and acting in accordance with my knowledge of his desire."