many years ago, as time went in the Galaxy, that wall had been
a vital protection against the spears of the hill men. And now
Onzarians were in space, blasting away the power of a third of the
Galaxy. But still, the descendents of the hill men, the descendents of
the plains dweller, the city builders, were living here, underneath
him.

In the midst of their technological revolution they were still living
in their ancient superstitions. Still the old awe of the Word of the
matriarchal, matrilineal church. Still the compulsion to have their
little gold symbols of rank sanctified and made real. Still the....
Thane paused in his thoughts as he saw flames leaping into the night
sky from a blast furnace, producing some of the finest alloys in the
Galaxy. It was still the same, he hoped.

In another moment they were over the towering white shaft of the
communications center. Then they slowly let down. Thane thought that
Candar's constant suspicion, his unending compulsion for infinite
control, direct control, was playing into their hands here. The
communications center was exactly that. It controlled all electronic
communications with the capitol system, and could easily tie in with
subject systems. But how much time did they have? Thane didn't know.
With luck, they'd have a few vital moments for the voice of the Holy
Church to go out over the planets.

The anti-grav settled gently on the upper terrace. Thane helped Selan
out into the stinging cold of the Onzar night. Just inside the gloomy
passage to the grav-well a harsh voice sounded. "Halt!"

They stopped. Thane made out a uniformed man, his hand on his holster.

"We have come at the call of Astrid Reine," Thane said. "She wishes
our assistance."

"All who come for the thirteenth level must have the code word. Give
it and you will pass."

Thane's right arm went up and the side of his stiff hand flashed down,
hitting the sentry between his neck and shoulder. The man's pistol was
almost aimed at Thane when Thane hit. The guard relaxed and gently
fell into an inert heap on the deck. Thane bent and took the blaster
from the guard's inert fingers. He looked a moment and found a Stoltz.
He took that, too. He straightened up and turned to Selan. "Sorry," he
said. "We can't risk an examination now, and there's no time to lose.
He'll be all right." Thane picked up a hand-control from the ledge in
the sentry's cubicle and led Selan to the well.

They dropped gently, interm