cting
out of something very close to desperation. They have gained no
essential advantage through their trick, and we must assume they made
the mistake of underestimating us. This gentleman they sent to Earth
has been given thorough physical examinations. They show him to be in
excellent health. He is also younger by many years than most of us.

"So he will be confined to quarters where he will be comfortable and
provided with whatever he wishes ... but where he will not be provided
with any way of doing harm to himself. And then, I believe, we can
simply forget about him. He will receive the best of attention,
including medical care. Under such circumstances, we can expect his
natural life span to exceed our own.

"Meanwhile, we shall continue our program of developing our own
spacedrive. As the Mars Convicts themselves foresee, we'll gain it
eventually and will then be more than a match for them. Until then the
defense fields around Earth will remain closed. No ship will leave
Earth and no ship will be admitted to it. And in the long run we will
win."

The spokesman paused, added, "If there are no other suggestions, this
man will now be conducted to the hospital of the Machine where he is
to be detained for the remainder of his days."

Across the hall from Menesee, a figure arose deliberately in one of
the boxes. A heavy voice said, "Spokesman Dorn, I very definitely do
have a suggestion."

Dorn looked over, nodded warily. "Go ahead, Director Squires!"

Menesee grimaced in distaste. He had no liking for Squires, a harsh,
arrogant man, notorious for his relentless persecution of any director
or officer who, in Squires' opinion, had become slack in his duties to
the Machine. But he had a large following in the upper echelons, and
his words carried weight.

Squires folded his arms, said unhurriedly as if savoring each word,
"As you pointed out, Spokesman Dorn, we cannot hurt the person of this
prisoner. His immediate accomplices also remain beyond our reach at
present. However, our hands are not--as you seem to imply--so
completely tied that we cannot strike back at these rascals at once.
There are camps on Earth filled with people of the same political
stripe--potential supporters of the Mars Convicts who would be in
fullest sympathy with their goals if they learned of them.

"I suggest that these people serve now as an object lesson to show the
Mars Convicts the full measure of our determination to submit to