ind as easily as I see into theirs?_

There was duty, of course. Odal was a soldier, and Kanus was the
duly-elected leader of the government. Once elected, though, he had
dissolved the government and solidified his powers as absolute
dictator of the Kerak Worlds.

There was gain to be had by performing well under Kanus. Regardless of
his political ambitions and personal tyrannies, Kanus rewarded well
when he was pleased. The medal--the Star of Kerak--carried with it an
annual pension that would nicely accommodate a family. _If I had one_,
Odal thought, sardonically.

There was power, of sorts, also. Working the dueling machine in his
special way, hammering a man into nothingness, finding the weaknesses
in his personality and exploiting them, pitting his mind against
others, turning sneering towers of pride like Dulaq into helpless
whipped dogs--that was power. And it was a power that did not go
unnoticed in the cities of the Kerak Worlds. Already Odal was easily
recognized on the streets; women especially seemed to be attracted to
him now.

"The most important factor," Kanus was saying, "and I cannot stress it
overmuch, is to build up an aura of invincibility. This is why your
work is so important, Major Odal. You must be invincible! Because
today you represent the collective will of the Kerak Worlds. To-day
you are the instrument of my own will--and you must triumph at every
turn. The fate of your people, of your government, of your chancellor
rests squarely on your shoulders each time you step into a dueling
machine. You have borne that responsibility well, major. Can you carry
it even further?"

"I can, sir," Odal answered crisply, "and I will."

Kanus beamed at him. "Good! Because your next duel--and those that
follow it--will be to the death."

IV

It took the starship two weeks to make the journey from Carinae to the
Acquataine Cluster. Dr. Leoh spent the time checking over the
Acquatainian dueling machine, by direct tri-di beam; the Acquatainian
government gave him all the technicians, time and money he needed for
the task.

Leoh spent as much of his spare time as possible with the other
passengers of the ship. He was gregarious, a fine conversationalist,
and had a nicely-balanced sense of humor. Particularly, he was a
favorite of the younger women, since he had reached the age where he
could flatter them with his attention without making them feel
endangered.

But still, there were long hours wh