But, time went on. And there was so little time-- Toralen Ki went to his desk and took a quick drink from the tall tube, and then inhaled the aroma deeply. It had no smell to Terrans, nor taste, but Toralen Ki loved it for its powers--_not too much, Toralen Ki, you have a job to do!_ He went over and slipped the headset on. "I'm sorry," he said. "I did want this last minute--" He took up the hypo, inserted the needle in the vein of his arm, and pushed the plunger home. * * * * * Countless light-years away, Lindoo watched his meters rise higher and higher as he increased the penetration. Ever seeking, ever tuning, Lindoo strove to find another man whose mind was at balance and receptive. Given time-- And with a rush, all meters hit zero. A backlashing surge of power drove Lindoo back from his position. He turned and faced Vorgan. "As with Kregar--" he started. "Kregar died," said the Lord of All, ominously. "Kregar died of mental overload. I received no such punishment. Kregar, recall, was in charge of the mind of the Susceptible One who thought of himself as Tawmpsahn. He was forced out and away, and pursued by Tawmpsahn and the Toralen Ki himself." "So--?" "Toralen Ki is dead." "Good!" Lindoo shook his head. "He did not die in vain." Vorgan blinked. "They--?" "I have failed. I have been trying to find another one to control. Those who may be controlled were in no political position to do any good--I found several others." Vorgan nodded. "Time was short." "I did not locate one controllable among those who might have done some good. And now I never will. The Extremes have joined!" "And the shock wave?" "Has undone all the good our suppressor did for twenty thousand years." "Order the attack." "Yes, Lord of All. The logisticians indicate a short period of mobilization and preparation. The Enilode Sector is being stripped of our men--they're not too hard to handle now--and a tenth of the men in all other sectors not actively fighting are being sent to the spearhead sector. I hate time. It takes so much of it to handle thirty million men and the supplies necessary for their support." "That," grumbled Vorgan, "and the inoculations. A man undergoing them is a sick Loard-vogh for a week." "Our initial attack may be some time in coming. But it will be complete, throughout that entire sector. We'll destroy the menace immediately, and from then on, all we'll have to do is to hold that sector against any possible enemy." "A long and dismal prospect," said Vorgan. "But we must not give them time." "They will have no time to do more than plan," said Lindoo. "It takes time to put a new skill into practice. We shall conquer them!" "We shall conquer them," echoed Vorgan, the Lord of All. "And we shall have to force the catmen, too, Lord of All." "Why?" thundered the Lord of All. "Because the catmen of Sscantoo are unsympathetic to all forms of alliance." "They need never know."