It would be simple, Alan knew. Arid Mars had depended for water which flowed in an adequate trickle from the polar caps until the coming of the Earth colony. For the past twenty years, though, water-surplus Venus supplied Mars with its water. A warp had been opened in space from the Venusian orbit to the Martian, with life-giving water flowing through from the second planet to the fourth at the rate of fifty thousand gallons per second. It had been a stupendous sub-space engineering feat, for the warp varied in length from sixty to two hundred million miles, depending upon the orbital positions of the two planets. Earth could shut the warp at any point along its vast length. Parched, arid Mars would be forced to lay down its arms in a matter of days. "Captain Haddix is taking a ship along the warp-route," Keifer said, "assuming the ultimatum is in earnest. He might be able to find the break, but I doubt if he could repair it. Would you care to go along?" "Yes," Alan said. He still didn't believe Earth would subject millions of people, its own military garrison included, to killing thirst. "Very well. I--" At that moment, a buzzer sounded on Keifer's desk. "Yes, what is it?" The voice was frantic. "This is the reservoir, sir. The water's stopped flowing. The warp is closed!" "We'll ration what we have left," Keifer said grimly. "Two quarts per person, effective immediately." Then, to Alan: "I'll make arrangements for you with Captain Haddix. They weren't fooling, Alan. They gave us exactly one hour." Alan met Captain Haddix outside, where plans were made for their flight to the space-warp route. If Earth did this, Alan thought bleakly, then maybe Keifer was right. For Earth would thereby condemn itself in the eyes of the Outworlds with such blatant disregard for human life. * * * * * "They haven't touched us so far, Dad," Laura Olmstead told her father. "Alan won't let them." "We're prisoners in this room. But I think Alan's a prisoner, too. Up here." General Olmstead tapped his head. "They've got the boy fooled, Laura, if what you told me is the truth." "I'm sure it is. I'm sure Alan wouldn't have betrayed his own father like that. You've got to trust him, Dad." General Olmstead grunted. "We don't have any choice, do we?" Laura was thinking: _Please, Alan. Please. They've got you confused. You didn't do this intentionally. Please._ The door to their prison chamber suddenly slid, with much grating and creaking, into the wall. A tall, distinguished-looking man in the uniform of a Federation colonel came into the room. "I am Colonel Bennett Keifer," he introduced himself, "second in command to Alan Tremaine here at Red Sands. How do you do, Mr. Olmstead?" "_General_ Olmstead," Laura's father said coldly. "We recognize no Earth titles here in Red Sands, Mr. Olmstead. We recognize your importance, though." "Exactly what does that mean?"