"Of course," said Sandra. "You run your machinery at low load until it is running at ten times the velocity, and then I cram on the power. Momentum will carry me through." "And if one machine goes, under that load, the entire district will go completely dead." "Oh no," said Sandra. "The closer and most powerful one will not be used. That one will be used to talk to the boys when they arrive. They'll only have a distress signal, and the details must be held until they come investigating. They can't land, and so we'll have to tell 'em the story while they're in space. We'll need that power." "Small consolation. Then Indilee will be an oasis of power in a radius of powerless country." Sandra looked Theodi in the eye and said in a cold voice: "Then go on out and die with the rest of your kind. What good will your machinery do you if you're all dead?" "This is a democracy, Sandrake. We cannot just take the machinery and the equipment of others--even to save ourselves." "How's your red tape factory?" she asked with a smile. "Meaning?" "Either you get those power plants or die. I don't care if you steal them, buy them, or borrow them. But get them--and quick." "But there is a chance to save Telfu," suggested Orfall. "Sensible fellow," smiled Sandra. In her mind she cursed the whole planet. This was a place for Sandra to undulate a bit; to turn on those two-million kilovolt-ampere eyes; to stretch one rounded arm out straight, putting the other hand below the ear and raising the elbow to a level just above those eyes and shielding the victim from the warmth in them. This showed off Sandra's svelte figure to perfection, and few men in Sol could have refused Sandra anything after that perfect performance. But they were very few. The Telfan ideal of beauty did not include Sandra Drake's perfection. She could have postured from now until galaxy's end, and they wouldn't have known her intent. Against their women, Sandra was alien--not sickeningly ugly or deformed, but alien and acceptable--and totally undesirable. Sandra sighed, told the subconscious mind not to bother with the spotlights and provocative sultriness, and tried to think her way to the mastery of these Telfans. * * * * * "Couldn't we divert the electrical supply plants across Telfu?" objected Theodi. "Seems to me--" "Not a chance," said Sandra. "You have no idea of the power required. I must shoot the works all at once. The set, the generators, and the supply lines will all go out at once. That'll give me ten minutes, I hope." "But the dissipation of such power--Where can we collect it?" "There's only one place on Telfu. That's in the power room of the _Lady Luck_. That is still intact?" "Yes. Handled, inspected, photographed, and manipulated without driving power, of course, but it is still intact."