TEDRIC _By E. E. SMITH, Ph. D._ _Illustrated by J. Allen St. John_ [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Other Worlds March 1953. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] Aided by Llosir, his strange, new god, Tedric enters into battle with Sarpedion, the sacrifice-demanding god of Lomarr in this story of science and swash-buckling adventure which marks the return of "Doc" Smith, author of the Skylark series, Lensman series, etc. "_The critical point in time of mankind's whole existence is there--RIGHT THERE!" Prime Physicist Skandos slashed his red pencil across the black trace of the chronoviagram. "WHY must man be so stupid? Anyone with three brain cells working should know that for the strength of an individual he should be fed; not bled; that for the strength of a race its virgins should be bred, not sacrificed to propitiate figmental deities. And it would be so easy to straighten things out--nowhere in all reachable time does any other one man occupy such a tremendously--such a uniquely--key-stone position!_" _"Easy, yes," his assistant Furmin agreed. "It_ is _a shame to let Tedric die with not one of his tremendous potentialities realized. It would be easy and simple to have him discover carburization and the necessary techniques of heat-treating. That freak meteorite need not lie there unsmelted for another seventy years. However, simple carburization was not actually discovered until two generations later, by another smith in another nation; and you know, Skandos, that there can be no such thing as a minor interference with the physical events of the past. Any such, however small-seeming, is bound to be catastrophically major."_ _"I know that." Skandos scowled blackly. "We don't know enough about time. We don't know what would happen. We have known how to do it for a hundred years, but have been afraid to act because in all that time no progress whatever has been made on the theory."_ _He paused, then went on savagely: "But which is better, to have our entire time-track snapped painlessly out of existence--if the extremists are right--or to sit helplessly on our fat rumps wringing our hands while we watch civilization build up to its own total destruction by lithium-tritiide bombs? Look at the slope of that curve--ultimate catastrophe is only one hundred eighty seven years away!"_ "_But the Council would not permit it. Nor would the School._" "_I know that, too. That is why I am not going to ask them. Instead, I am asking you. We two know more of time than any others. Over the years I have found your judgment good. With your approval I will act now. Without it, we will continue our futile testing--number eight hundred eleven is running now, I believe?--and our aimless drifting._" "_You are throwing the entire weight of such a decision on_ me?"