ays so thoughtful of your men when you sent agents back into
time? And certainly a voyage into space is less a risk than time travel.
These volunteers know what they have signed for. They will be ready----"

"Then you propose telling them about the use of Redax--what it does to a
man's mind?" countered Ashe.

"Certainly. They will receive all necessary instructions."

Ashe was not satisfied and he would have spoken again, but Kelgarries
interrupted:

"If it comes to that, none of us here has any right to make final
decisions. Waldour has already sent in his report about the snoop. We'll
have to await orders from the council."

Ruthven levered himself out of his chair, his solid bulk stretching his
uniform coveralls. "That is correct, Colonel. In the meantime I would
suggest we all check to see what can be done to speed up each one's
portion of labor." Without another word, he tramped to the door.

Waldour eyed the other two with mounting impatience. It was plain he had
work to do and wanted them to leave. But Ashe was reluctant. He had a
feeling that matters were slipping out of his control, that he was about
to face a crisis which was somehow worse than just a major security
leak. Was the enemy always on the other side of the world? Or could he
wear the same uniform, even share the same goals?

In the outer corridor he still hesitated, and Kelgarries, a step or so
in advance, looked back over his shoulder impatiently.

"There's no use fighting--our hands are tied." His words were slurred,
almost as if he wanted to disown them.

"Then you'll agree to use the Redax?" For the second time within the
hour Ashe felt as if he had taken a step only to have firm earth turn
into slippery, shifting sand underfoot.

"It isn't a matter of my agreeing. It may be a matter of getting through
or not getting through--now. If they've had eighteen months, or even
twelve...!" The colonel's fingers balled into a fist. "And _they_ won't
be delayed by any humanitarian reasoning----"

"Then you believe Ruthven will win the council's approval?"

"When you are dealing with frightened men, you're talking to ears closed
to anything but what they want to hear. After all, we can't prove that
the Redax will be harmful."

"But we've only used it under rigidly controlled conditions. To speed up
the process would mean a total disregard of those controls. Snapping a
party of men and women back into their racial past and holding them
there