Kingman entered the conference room of the Interplanetary Communications Commission with confidence. He knew his ground and he knew his rights, and it had been none other than Mark Kingman who managed to call this meeting together. With a bland smile, Kingman faced the members of the Commission. "I wish to state that the establishment known as Venus Equilateral has forfeited their license," he said. This was intended to be a bombshell, and it did create a goodly amount of surprise on the part of the Commission. The chairman, Lewis Hollister, shook his head in wonder. "I have this morning received a message from Mars." "It did not go through Venus Equilateral," stated Kingman. "I'm not acquainted with the present celestial positions," said Hollister. "However, there are many periods during which time the communications are made direct from planet to planet--when Terra and Mars are on line-of-sight to Venus and one another." "The celestial positions are such that relay through Venus Equilateral is necessary," said Kingman. "Indeed?" Kingman unrolled a chart showing the location of the planets of the inner solar system--Mars, Terra, Venus--and Venus Equilateral. According to the lines-of-sight drawn on the map, the use of the relay station was definitely desirable. "Conceded," said Hollister. "Now may I ask you to bring your complaint?" "The Research Services Corporation of Northern Landing, Venus, have for years been official monitors for the Interplanetary Communications Commission," explained Mark Kingman. "I happen to be a director of that corporation, which has research offices on Terra and Mars and is, of course, admirably fitted to serve as official monitor. I make this explanation because I feel it desirable to explain how I know about this. After all, an unofficial monitor is a lawbreaker for making use of confidential messages to enhance his own position. As an official monitor, I may observe and also make suggestions pertaining to the beat interests of interplanetary communications. "It has been reported along official channels that the relaying of messages through the Venus Equilateral Relay Station ceased as of twelve hundred hours Terran mean time on Twenty December." "Then where are they relaying their messages?" asked Hollister. "Or are they?" "They must," said Kingman. "Whether they use radio or the sub-electronic energy bands, they cannot drive a beam direct from Terra to Mars without coming too close to the sun. Ergo they must be relaying." "Perhaps they are using their ship-beams."