ed the statement automatically.

He was presented the following day, however, with arrangements to give
it personally to the members of Morgan's Caravan from the top of one of
the sound trucks. He did protest then that any flunky on the Base could
read it to the crowd as well as he. But Oglethorpe insisted he do it
personally.

With official pompousness the big, olive-green truck rolled out from the
Base. Paul rode beside the driver and Metcalf, the public relations man.
He'd not told Oglethorpe about their latest development. If this psychic
reaction to feedback proved an impenetrable barrier there'd be time
enough to give Space Command the bad news. In the meantime a Wheel would
be built, the public would be mollified, and Superman would continue
on--to what unknown ends Paul didn't know.

The massed camp of the fanatic followers of Morgan appeared in the
distance like a discarded rag on either side of the road. Then as they
approached it broke into individual knots of sand-scoured, unwashed
people clustered about their tents. Morgan hadn't given much thought to
adequate facilities before leading them out here.

The truck rolled to a halt in the center of the camp. Morgan himself, a
long, lanky figure in a dusty black suit, came at the head of a group of
his people to meet them. "I hope you have the news we are waiting for,"
he said cordially.

"We have a statement," said Metcalf. "Dr. Medick here, who has made an
important discovery that will enable all of you to return to your homes,
will read it to you."

Paul could have stayed in the cab, but he preferred to climb to the
platform atop the truck to get a look at the crowd Morgan had assembled.
He hesitated a moment with the paper in his hands, then took up the mike
and read the statement Metcalf had prepared. "The United States Space
Command wishes to announce that--"

It fell utterly flat on completely non-understanding ears. Paul looked
over the mass of faces and knew it had failed. Something far more than
this was needed. A little feedback, he thought grimly. A little feedback
of the idiocy of their present situation to correct their course and
return it to normalcy.

"Five hundred years ago there might have been a crowd of people just
like you," he said suddenly in low tones. "There was a harbor, and some
small ships, and a man who believed he could sail them over the edge of
the world. On the shore were people who thought he was a fool and a
blasphem