"Your Excellency, I am pleased to report that I have developed some new plastics in the beryl-nickeloid series, which can be charged with the Ronferth-Madderhern dissonances so heavily that the rays form a tangible structure in themselves, which takes the shape of the plastic, and can be forced into the next loop of time and drawn back again. A cage or cell so composed and charged can be used to entrap your desire, and transport her to us, but the apparatus is still primitive, and has proved fatal to life and destructive to material, that has been tested. I am working without rest with my assistants to correct the difficulties, but the field is new, and progress necessarily slow. We are in hourly hope of finding the right path to success, and hope that your Excellency will not lose patience with our efforts." "Will you be able to move this cage of rays in space as well as time, so as to pick her up wherever she may be?" "No, your Excellency. We must set up the plastic mold in our space so as to project the vibration screen to some point upon her lawn. This screen should have no palpable existence in her time, but if she steps within it, we can draw her to us." And now, suddenly, a cunning idea uncoiled itself like a snake in the depths of Heidkamp's mind. His tone was colorless and submissive as he asked, "Perhaps your Excellency himself would care to enter the cage and go backward through time, in order to invite this woman to enter your world of wonders as your favorite?" The Master started and the cords on his forehead bulged with rage. "Heidkamp! Are you a traitor or are you a fool? You would pay dearly for this treacherous proposal if I did not need your brain to carry forward this work!" Heidkamp's bow was humble. "But, your Excellency, forgive me--I do not understand." "Stupid!" shrilled the Master. "Can you not see that in that old time, where all my power is undreamed of, I would be cut off from my robots, my Guard, my police and my armies? In that village all my power would be naught, and even the mention of it would close me in a madhouse!" At the mere thought the Master's voice grew high and thin with terror. Almost he abandoned the whole project; yet the thought of the girl with golden hair and fearless eyes returned to him, filling him with eagerness and desire which, jaded by absolute power, he had thought never to feel again. "Lure her to the trap!" he cried. "But if she comes to any harm, you shall repent it in the longest, keenest agony my torturers can devise."