saluted the general. "They're
coming, sir," he said.

"Who's coming?... My God, man," the general spluttered angrily, "be
specific. Who the hell are 'they'?"

"Why, George and Sergeant Matthews, sir. You remember, the sergeant who
volunteered to go into Brentwood--"

"Oh, _them_. Well, all I have to say is this is a hell of a war. I
haven't figured out what I am going to say yet."

"Shall I have them wait, sir?"

"Hell, no. Let's get this over with. I'll find out what George has to
say and maybe that'll give me a lead."

Before George entered the Council chamber, he already knew the mind of
each man. He saw the room through their eyes. He knew everything about
them, what they were wearing, what they were thinking. All had guns, yet
none of them would kill him, although at least one man, Maj. Gen. Pitt,
would have liked to.

They were going to talk appeasement, George knew, but he could also see
that the general didn't know what line the conversation would take or
what concessions he could make on behalf of his people.

Wait--there was one man among the twenty-three who had an odd thought.
It was a soldier he had seen looking through a window at him. This man
was thinking about eleven o'clock, for George could see in the man's
mind various symbols for fifteen minutes from then--the hands of a
clock, a watch, the numerals 11. But George could not see any
significance to the thought.

When he entered the room with the sergeant, he was ushered to a table.
He sat down with Maj. Gen. Pitt, who glowered at him. Letting his mind
roam the room, George picked up the numerals again and identified the
man thinking them as the officer behind and a little to the right of the
general.

What was going to happen at eleven? The man had no conscious thought of
harm to anyone, yet the idea kept obtruding and seemed so out of keeping
with his other thoughts George assigned several of his circuits to the
man. The fact that the lieutenant looked at his watch and saw that it
was 10:50 steeled George still more. If there was to be trouble, it
would come from this one man.

[Illustration]

"I'm General Pitt," the general said drily. "You're George, of course. I
have been instructed to ask you what, exactly, your intentions are
toward the United States and the world in general, with a view toward
reaching some sort of agreement with you and others of your kind, who
will, as you say invade the Earth."

"Invade, General Pitt," Geo