"I see," said Barden angrily. "Then we have you to thank? And you," he said to Lanthar, "knowing that this was done, tried to protect us?"
"Not basically," apologized the man from Procyon. "You see, we did not know you—nor even where you were in the galaxy. You meant nothing to us at all then, except as a consulting service for our enemy—completely hidden and quite safe. We did not want you to go into nova because that would have warned them. We knew that after a period of time, with no sign of failure, they'd try it!"
"A fine pair of stinkers," sneered Barden. "Well," he said with a laugh. "Now you'll co-operate with us all, or else! But Lanthar, how can you be certain that nova will occur?"
Lanthar of Procyon stood up and smiled tolerantly. "Me—?" he said. "I know only what I've been told about it. Strangely enough, it came to me in a dream, too!"
Somewhere in the galaxy, two scientists consulted their time-predictions. They agreed silently that sufficient time had been permitted, and that their detectors had shown no warping of the magneto-gravitic continuum. Despite the questionable value of negative evidence, they felt safe.
"I doubt all new arts," said one of them, thrusting the switch home, "especially when I know not the source."
THE END