n turning, but sideways. The operation would take ten minutes, and
the axis of this new turn would be aligned directly on Sol by the
computer.

The Cow's help in such a maneuver was required, because the precession
could only be accomplished by switching valves between the tanks of
the rim in such a manner that water was switched north on one side of
the wheel, and south on the opposite side of the wheel, and the points
of this switching between the tanks must remain in a stable position
relative to the spin of the wheel. The valves that accomplished this,
seventy-two of them, were spaced at intervals of five degrees around
the rim, but only two out of the seventy-two could be active at any
time; and these must be selected by the computer's controls so that
always the precessive force was properly aligned to produce the
required precession.

When the precession was finished, the rim of the wheel would be
aligned, still with the sun, but also with Project Hot Rod which had
been to their south.

As a third thought, Mike switched off the Confuser.

Having set up the necessary factors, Mike turned back to the problem
of the Security guard, or saboteur, whichever he might be, but found
this problem had already been well taken care of. Not satisfied with
simply tying the man up, Ishie had bound him with wire to somewhat the
resemblance of an Egyptian mummy, and then for added good measure,
given him two sleepy shots with his own needle gun; put electrician
tape across his mouth; and taken from him everything he could possibly
use either as a method of communication or as a weapon.

At least, Mike thought, Ishie is a thorough workman when he sets his
mind to it.

Having parked the Security man in a nearby tool locker, with the
feeling that he would keep for a while there, Ishie turned back to
Mike with a grin.

"Confusion say those who play with firearms should be cautious! Mike,
this convinces me. I've heard snatches of what's going on on Earth,
and it looks like somebody is putting over a fast one down there.
Seems like maybe our own Security boys are part of it. They would be
the ones the captain saw going out to Hot Rod. And that means they've
got a purpose out there. Is good to know they can't shoot us now, at
least in a few minutes now, without getting themselves shot back. But
they can shoot at Earth. Any ideas?"

"Well ... I thought some time ago that there was a little fallacy
involved in that project when