"We gave them their choice of emigrating to a brand-new world, with only such women as chose to go with them, or of being wiped out. They chose to emigrate. So half the technical men on Ades have been busy supervising their emigration." "Not to here?" asked the Colony Organizer in alarm. "We can't feed ourselves, yet!" "No, not to here," said Kim drily. "They went to a place we scouted accidentally in the _Starshine_. They're not likely to come back. I left a matter-receiver there, and when they've all gone through it--all the men from twenty planets, with what women want to go with them--we'll smash that receiver and they'll be on their own. "They're quite a long way off. Three hundred billion light-years, more or less. They're not likely to come in contact with our descendants for several million years yet. By that time they'll either be civilized or else." The Colony Organizer asked questions in a worried tone. Kim answered them. "But twenty-one planets with no men on them," said the Organizer worriedly, "These women will all want to come here!" "Not quite all. There were ten men on Ades for every woman. A lot of them will settle on the twenty planets where the proportion is reversed. A surprising lot will want to move on to the Second Galaxy, though." "But--" "We'll be ready for them," said Kim. "We've space-ships enough for exploration now. The Mayor of Steadheim wants a planet for each of his four sons to colonize. They picked up wives on Khiv Five and want to get away from the old chap and indulge in a little domesticity. "And there'll be plenty of others." He added, "We've some big war-craft to bring over too, in case there's any dangerous animals or--entities here." "But--" said the Colony Organizer again. "We're sending ships through the First Galaxy, too," said Kim, "to do a little missionary work. After all, twenty-one planets are without men! "So the _Starshine's_ sister-ships will drop down secretly on one planet after another to start whisperings that a man who's sent to Ades is a pretty lucky man. If he has courage and brains he's better off than living as a human sheep under kings or technarchs who'll clap the Disciplinary Circuit on him if he thinks for himself. "There'll be more criminals and rebels than usual from now on. The flow of men who are not quite sheep will increase. With three hundred million planets to draw from and the way whispers pass from world to world, the adventurous spirits will start getting themselves sent to Ades. "There'll be planets for them to move to and women to marry and a leaven of hardy souls to teach them that being a free man is pretty good fun. We won't make an empire of those twenty-one planets--just a refuge for every man with backbone in all the Galaxy." The Colony Organizer looked worried. "But there are Terranova and the Second Galaxy waiting to be explored and colonized. Maybe they'll be satisfied to stay there." Kim laughed. When he ceased to laugh he chuckled.