As they sat, his eyes swept from one to the next in unhesitating succession. The woman, next to him, was clothed as Dot had been. He had seen many less attractive. Of the men, three obviously outranked the remaining six, who would have looked, were it not for the too-serious set of their faces, like college athletes. Their three superiors, he judged, were nearer his own age. The markings at the collars of their blue cloaks were identical with his own, with the exception that they were executed in red rather than in white. Four identical insignia--four identical commands then. The term Quadrate was at once self-explanatory. Somewhere, there were four great armies.... And he, apparently, held power of decision over them all. What colossal thing surged one way or the other at his order? And--who or what, in turn, ordered him? Now they were seated, waiting. _You should've run, you should've run.... What'd you think it was, just a dream with the label "Impossible" stuck on it? How long did you think you could deny the reality of what you knew was real? How deep do you have to get into a mess before you're convinced you don't come equipped with a guardian angel, a $64 miracle that'll just take you over and bail you out when the going gets rough enough? Charms and such went out with the Dark Ages, mister.... Or didn't anybody ever tell you?_ "... Gentlemen, you of course know why you're here...." _That's the idea! After all, you learned the old double-talk technique a long time ago--Congressman._ "Therefore perhaps it will be best to reverse the usual question and answer procedure; I shall hear your questions and opinions on the matter first, then present my own. Proceed...." The girl was writing. The others seemed to be swallowing it.