officials of this somewhat vague organization I
subjected to a thorough weeding out.

The net result was chaos for a time, but, far more quickly than I had
anticipated, I had things running again. I made no radical changes except
in personnel. I attempted to do nothing that was outside the then existing
laws, and no new laws were passed. But from the very first I made it clear
that I was not one to be trifled with.

Within a few days after I was put into power I interviewed Fuero and his
scientific confreres. I found them a body of grave men who represented the
highest type of the nation. They made it plain to me at once that they
would not concern themselves in any way with government affairs. Two years
before they had recognized Tao's menace, and had been preparing for it by
the manufacture of large quantities of war material which, in case of
extreme necessity, they would turn over to the government. This armament,
as Miela had told me, they guarded themselves, not trusting it even to
their workmen.

The scientific men, I understood now, were among the richest in the
nation, owing to the widespread use of their industrial appliances. It was
only a portion of this wealth that they were expending in the manufacture
of armament.

I demanded the release to me of this war material. I explained them my
plans, and told them in detail of Tao's visit to earth. They held several
conferences over a period of two or three days, but in the end I got what
I asked for.

So much for affairs in the Great City. I recognized during these days the
possibility of an armed invasion from the Twilight Country. I was better
prepared to meet it now, should it come, and I at once took steps to be
warned as far in advance as possible. To this end I had girls patrolling
the Narrow Sea, not only on our shore, but over in the Twilight Country as
well; and I was satisfied that if Tao made any move we would be notified
at once. Simultaneously with all this, we devoted ourselves to the
unification of the nation, for in very truth it seemed about to
disintegrate. Here it was that the girls were of the greatest assistance.

We organized them into an army which consisted of fifty squads of ten
girls each, with a leader for each squad. All of these girls were armed
with the light-ray cylinders. With this "flying army" Mercer and I made a
tour of the Light Country cities. We wasted no time with formalities, but
rounded up Tao's men wherever we could