"Don't blame you," Verkan Vall agreed. "Probably the cooling system of
a breeder-pile."

They passed more swiftly, now, across the Second Level and the Third.
Once they were in the midst of a huge land battle, with great tanklike
vehicles spouting flame at one another. Another moment was spent in an
air bombardment. On any time-line, this section of East Europe was a
natural battleground. Once a great procession marched toward them,
carrying red banners and huge pictures of a coarse-faced man with a
black mustache--Verkan Vall recognized the environment as Fourth Level
Europo-American Sector. Finally, as the transposition-rate slowed,
they saw a clutter of miserable thatched huts, in the rear of a
granite wall of a Fourth Level Hulgun temple of Yat-Zar--a temple not
yet infiltrated by Transtemporal Mining Corporation agents. Finally,
they were at their destination. The dome around them became visible,
and an overhead green light flashed slowly on and off.

Verkan Vall opened the door and stepped outside, his needler drawn.
The House of Yat-Zar was just as he had seen it in the picture
photographed by the automatic reconnaissance-conveyer. The others
crowded outside after him. One of the regular priests pulled off his
miter and beard and went to the radio, putting on a headset. Verkan
Vall and Tammand Drav snapped on the visiscreen, getting a view of the
Holy of Holies outside.

There were six men there, seated at the upper-priests' banquet table,
drinking from golden goblets. Five of them wore the black robes with
green facings which marked them as priests of Muz-Azin; the sixth was
an officer of the Chuldun archers, in gilded mail and helmet.

"Why, those are the sacred vessels of the temple!" Tammand Drav cried,
scandalized. Then he laughed in self-ridicule. "I'm beginning to take
this stuff seriously, myself; time I put in for a long vacation. I was
actually shocked at the sacrilege!"

"Well, let's overtake the infidels in their sins," Verkan Vall said.
"Paralyzers will be good enough."

He picked up one of the bulb-headed weapons, and unlocked the door.
Tammand Drav and another of the priests of the Zurb temple following
and the others crowding behind, they passed out through the veils, and
burst into the Holy of Holies. Verkan Vall pointed the bulb of his
paralyzer at the six seated men and pressed the button; other
paralyzers came into action, and the whole sextet were knocked
senseless. The officer rolled