Then he said, "A god must have power of life ... and death."
The screen was on again and, once more, it was Commissioner Brullar. He was almost frantic.
"Commander Gray! Have you acted yet? The captain says that we are being screened out. Only this special set can get through—and only to you!" He gulped, mopping at his forehead. "Commander, I have my entire family aboard this ship! I—I know that you...." His voice faltered for an instant. "Can't you get through to the Command?"
Then, nervously, without waiting for a reply, he plunged on. "The Captain of the Stella says he believes there is an Interstellar Command cruiser within four hours or so. Can't you get it here? It could escort us through the edge of the Beolin system in safety! Commander Gray, I in—"
The Commander cut Brullar off.
"Kina," he asked, "what do you think the effect of a Beolin massacre would be on the Command?"
"Roughly estimating, Commander, considerably more than the effect of an unleashed power beam on inert matter."
"Yes," said the Commander. "Yes. Kina, at least ten thousand human lives have been lost on ships that I know have been captured by the Beolins. Unless the Command takes action—now—there will never be a check on Krraula and his successors. And only a shocking catastrophe would stir up the Sirius Command Headquarter. A certain kind of catastrophe."
"The sacrifice justifies itself," said Kina Staun. "The moral laws, the very framework of civilization itself, is now of a shape incredible to the person of two or three hundred years ago."
"My orders, then, should be...?"