Lugert's face hardened slowly.

"You're right. I didn't call to chat. I called to tell you to get out."

"What's that?"

"I said, get out. Pack up your records and papers and clear out of the Government Building, Karson. You and all the rest of you. I'm taking over."

Karson paled. "Taking over—the government? How far do you think you can go, Lugert?"

Again the confident, cheerful, steel-hard grin that had become the Lugert trademark in such an astonishingly brief time. "How far? Why, Karson, I can go as far as I like. There isn't one of you who dares say No to anything I ask. And now I'm asking for the government. Go ahead; refuse. Get indignant. Threaten me. All this easy winning bores me, Karson."

Karson stared at the thick-featured face framed by the visiscreen. "You've won again," he said after a pause. "We can't fight you, Lugert. How much time do we have to evacuate the Government Building?"

"How much do you need?"

Karson thought for a moment. "A week, at least. Is that all right?"

"One week, no more," Lugert agreed. "My men and I will come up to take over things at noon on 7 September." He chuckled. "7 September, 2531. A day to go down in history, eh, Karson?"

He broke the contact.

Karson turned from the dead screen and looked at Speaker Darell. "Well, there's our ultimatum," he said. "One week to get out and then Lugert takes over."

"That means we'll have to move fast," said Darell. "You'd better call Dr. Lorence. Only a week...."

Karson was already busy punching out Lorence's code number on the visiphone. When the scientist appeared Karson quickly sketched out the situation as it stood. Lorence's eyes widened when Karson told of Lugert's threat. Then the Speaker went on to outline the part Lorence and his time-net would play in the attempt to defeat Lugert.

"I'll see what I can do," Lorence promised. "I'll try to find the man you're looking for."

"Can you do it in two days or less?"

"I hope so," Lorence 

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