"I'll play these," the colonel said in what he intended to be a convincing tone. "Check blind to the pat," Kram heard himself saying. "Umm. Five thousand should be enough." Kram edged his hand open, and now it was his turn to up-ship or not. The two twos and the joker had been somewhat disgustingly joined by a six and a seven. Yes, Xenthl had been very nice about it all, but then, in his position with only a few thousand followers, how else could he have been? Conquest and occupation, even with superior weapons, would at any time have been unthinkable; force of numbers alone would have told as long as Earthmen had cannon and aircraft. And mass-murder of Earth's people prior to the planet's methodical examination would have left an immense, empty planet with only a few thousand of the newcomers to work it. Xenthl had wanted not only a planet, but slaves to work it as well. So he couldn't kill 'em off, reasoned Kram in the back of his mind for the millionth time. The thing was to use strategy, not arms, and Xenthl could have his cake and eat it. Which, in six months' time, unless somebody, probably himself, figured out a way to stop him, he would have. "Hmm," grunted Kram, knitting his sleek brows in final appraisal of his hand. "Your five and my-y-y--seven-fifty." Smoothly he pushed a pile of whites into the center of the polished Marswood table--not too quickly, and not too hesitantly. Timed just right. Just the way Xenthl had timed things. A firm toe-hold on Earth. That was first ... the promise that, if allowed to colonize all the deserts of the planet, his people would within a few years' time make garden spots of them through their vastly developed science of hydroponics. They had come, they explained, seeking refuge from their own drying planet of Iaaro--they were all that were left. All they wanted was a home, and they would, in turn, give to the men of Earth the advantages of their advanced learning. And see? No weapons! And that was true. They had dismantled every defensive weapon they had carried in the disc-shaped spacecraft; had turned the parts and blueprints over to earth scientists for study. And they had turned the deserts of the planet into garden spots, save for a few patches left barren for laboratory construction. And they had improved the lot of Earthmen in countless ways--philosophically, governmentally, politically, educationally, religiously, scientifically, technically, and so on. Nice kids. Until they had sprung the G-ray and shown their true colors, and by that time it was a little too late, even for the men of Earth to cuss themselves out for having been the most gullible jays in the Universe, fourth dimension included. While telecrooners were dripping songs about the delirious gal from Sirius and housewives were listening to the adventures of the young widow from Iaaro, Xenthl was quietly setting about to take over the planet. And, he was doing that, too.