"Well, if that were the case, then the Ancients wouldn't have to be destroyed, sent back to their dimension forever. You'd be suited by the status quo. Alien beings on Mars would just be alien beings on a Mars which you still controlled. So there's got to be something more that you want. You have all the power I know of, right now. So there can be only one thing left for you to want: some power I don't know of." "I must congratulate you on your perspicacity," he said. "Yes, there is something more, Mister Delvin. That much I will tell you. But as to what it is--" He spread his hands. "I don't see that it's your concern." "You--" I said, then paused. His insouciance was not in keeping with his situation. Therefore, the situation was not the one which I thought it was. "You're pretty chipper," I said, "for a man held at collapser-point." "Oh? Am I being chipper?" he said, all raised eyebrows and facetious wonder. "I hadn't noticed." "You fool," I said softly. Baxter's amiable smile vanished and a hard light came into his eyes. "What do you mean?" he said, through clenched teeth. "I mean," I said gently, but with deadly earnest, "that the Brain back on Earth selected me because of my mental abilities. I mean, Baxter, that I can figure things out faster than you can dream them up." "The Brain picked you," he said coldly, "because it was rigged by the Ancients. And for no other reason." I nodded. "And the Ancients rigged it to pick the man most likely to succeed in your destruction." Baxter was suddenly silent. He watched me intently. I lounged against the wall, waving the muzzle of the collapser up and down slowly. "Let me clue you in to my reasoning, Baxter old man," I grinned. "This is a collapser. It is in working order. You do not fear it. Ergo, you have some protection from it. I would deduce that you are at present wearing a shield of some sort. A shield which you have kept secret from everyone but yourself and the inventor, who is probably long since dead, if I know your approach to things." Charlie and Foster turned and looked at him, their eyes bugging out in surprise. Till that moment, they'd thought their weapon invincible against anything. "You astound me," Baxter said, admiringly. "But there's something you don't know about the shield. It protects not by _de_flection, but by _re_flection." "I could have gotten that part figured out, too, if I just allowed my mind to wander a bit through the paths yours seems to prefer. Nice work. Not only are you protected, but your assailant is himself destroyed." "And so, Mister Delvin," Baxter smiled, starting to get up from his chair to come and disarm me. "And so," I said, "nothing!" Baxter stopped on hearing the easy confidence of my voice. He hesitated, looked at me.