summary.

He learned that one Slavinsky, late general of Russia, had finally, forever parted company with his dictator and had declared himself master of Russia and the world. The United States was now addressed in uncompromising fashion by Slavinsky and ordered to do two things.

One, immediately to prepare a land, sea and air attack on Russia—one city in the United States or one city in Russia to pay for the first use of atom bombs by either—in order to secure the government of that nation to Slavinsky. And two, to send instantly a long list of needed supplies by one of the space-ships known to be ready in the United States. Angel knew that he was to be interested in "two."

"This situation," said the President, "is unparalleled." And with that understatement, continued, "Unless we comply we will lose all our cities and still have to obey. We are insufficiently decentralized to avoid these orders.

"Humiliated or not, we must proceed to save ourselves. Slavinsky holds the Moon and is armed with plentiful atom rockets. And he who holds the Moon, we learn too late, controls all the earth below.

"We are asking you," he continued, "to take the supplies to the Moon. We have secretly loaded a space-ship with the required items and need only one officer and two men as crew.

"The reason we send you at all is to ensure the arrival of the supplies in case of breakage on the way and, more important, in the hope that Slavinsky will let you go and you can bring back data which, if accurate enough, may possibly aide us to destroy Slavinsky and his men."

"Mr. President," said the secretary of state, "we have chosen this man not for valor but for reliability. I think it was our intention that whoever we sent should attempt no heroics which would anger Slavinsky. I think Lieutenant May should be so warned."

"Yes, yes," said the President. "This is of the utmost importance. You are only to return if Slavinsky permits it. You are to attempt no heroics. For if you failed in them we would pay the price. Am I understood in that, lieutenant?"

Angel said he was.

"Now then," said the president, "the space-ship is waiting and, when you have picked your two crewmen and Commander Dawson gives the word, you can leave. These despatches"—and he took up a sheaf of them—"are for General Slavinsky and may be 

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