"If so it shall wear off. But you may be assured, Lisa, there is nothing to fear. These people are at least a century behind us, generally speaking. Sociologically, they are where we were before the formation of the Prelatinate--purely a case of arrested development dating from antiquity. Technologically they are very little behind us--perhaps only decades. I am not as yet familiar with the manifold details of which the causes are comprised, but the effects in themselves are starkly obvious. There are wars, for one thing. They are the end effect of all the other contributory effects. I am in a position to inaugurate the proper political maneuvers to eliminate this end effect--and I shall. The problem of changing these people should be quite simple, and because of their terrible desperation, it should take astonishingly little time. They are slow-moving when it comes to governmental function for the direct benefit of the individual, but in their present state--as I say, almost unbelievably confused and hazardous--I am quite sure that they can be relied on to favor any possible solution to the curtailment of crisis after crisis." "You mean--you mean the games, don't you, Douglas?..." "Why of course! What else would I mean?" "They have space travel, I suppose--" "No--no, oddly, they're highly skeptical of it--it's still relegated to colorful pamphlets for amusement purposes and to a few rather well done pieces of fiction with all too limited circulation. But of course, when the time comes, the Sahara will serve well enough--that is where we started. Ordinarily, it would take years with people such as these to convince them to adopt our game system. I shall work through their weak spots--their fear, their desperation, their willingness to follow beliefs unfounded in fact. Perhaps even within months ... Lisa, you're not listening!" "Yes. Yes I am, Douglas." "I see. You think that because they're rank amateurs in the philosophy of political mechanics, I will meet insurmountable stumbling blocks. It is true they are quite backward in economic theory, and of course that has its manifestation throughout government as well as the governed. But fortunately, their motives are transparent to anyone except themselves--that will help at least in gaining a toehold. Before I begin, I want a few hours careful study of the notes the boys are compiling. They've been industrious, I hope and not too taken with all this." She did not answer him. "You are to be highly credited, my dear," he said. He knew her mood would pass. It had, before.... "They are fine sons. I shall see to it, as long as we must remain in this time-phase, that the only arms they shall ever carry will be in the war games which I feel confident I can inaugurate. They're in the den? After you, my dear...." He did not notice the sudden tightening of the little lines at the edges of her mouth. * * * * *