structure dancing itself madly to death in seconds. A lot of the Underground have tried it. In the last one we—we developed, we’d built up resistance that let him into the field about a hundred meters. That was all. But we’ve learned. You can make it.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“We’re not,” said Berti laconically. “You might die. Afraid? Frances didn’t think you would be. I don’t know. We did our best with you.”

“I’m not afraid, Berti. But I’m going back after Frances first!”

“You’re our only hope, man! Don’t hand yourself to those dissectors.”

“Dissectors?” choked Roland.

“They analyze us. They’re curious; they think humans a low form of mammal because of their insane record of self-destruction. The Martians work out of their observatories and laboratories on the Moon. They want to learn all they can about humans in case they have to destroy humanity.”

“Why don’t we destroy them? Now.” Roland’s voice trembled.

“The Underground is the only Earth agency that knows the Martians even exist. And we can’t act against them anyway until World Brain is destroyed. Atomic energy is locked behind impenetrable shields as long as World Brain rules. Violence or conflict of any kind is forbidden by the fixed laws of World Brain. The Martians are persistent. Only a few of us left. They know if they can wipe out the Underground, World Brain will keep on its fixed orbit, and then they won’t have to destroy Earth because humanity won’t be able to use atomic power against them, and eventually humanity will peter out.”

“Why don’t the Martians destroy Earth, Underground and all, if they’re so afraid of World Brain being destroyed and atomic power returning as a threat?”

“Because,” said Berti dryly, “their planet’s old and exhausted. They want to colonize Earth. But not while the Underground’s here.”

“I don’t care about any of this confusion,” yelled Roland. “All I care about is saving Frances. Maybe it isn’t right according to the way you’ve conditioned me. But I’ve got to!”

He thought he saw a thin smile on Berti’s dour face as he turned and ran back down the black corridor. About the instant that he realized he had no conception of how to get back to the first cubicle, he ran hard into a pair of arms and a 

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