sects living in and below the Grass were growing ever larger and more
numerous. Expeditions had found worms the size of snakes and bugs big as
birds, happy in their environment. The oceans, they announced, were
drying up, due to the retention of moisture in the soil by the Grass,
and added complacently that in a million years or so, assuming the Grass
in the meantime covered the earth, there would be no bodies of water
left. Climates were equalizing themselves, the polar icecaps were
melting and spots previously too cold for _Cynodon dactylon_ were now
covered. I felt it to be a clear case of embezzlement that they had used
my money, paid for a specific purpose, to make these useless, if
possibly interesting, deductions.

For while they dawdled and read learned papers to each other, the Grass
touched the Persian Gulf and the Caspian, paused before Lake Balkash and
reached the Yenisei at the Arctic Circle. Far to the south it jumped
from India to the Maldives, from the Maldives to the Seychelles and from
the Seychelles on to the great island of Madagascar. I hammered the
theme of "Time, time" at Miss Francis, but her only response was a
helpless sneer at my impatience.

At intervals Burlet inquired of me what progress was being made with his
plan for cities of refuge. I could only answer him truthfully that as
far as I knew the World Government had it under consideration.

"But--if you will excuse my saying so, sir--in the meantime those people
are dying."

"Quite so, Burlet, but there is nothing you or I can do about it."

For the first time since he entered my service I caught him looking
almost impertinently at me. I faced him back and he dropped his eyes.
"Very good, sir. Thank you."

He had made an understatement when he talked about "those people" dying.
Europe was a madhouse. In selfdefense all strangers were instantly put
to death and in retaliation the invading throngs spared no native.
Peasants feared to stay their ground in terror of the oncoming Orientals
and equally dared not move westward where certain killing awaited them
at the hands of those who yesterday had been their neighbors. In an
effort to cling to life they formed small bands and fought impartially
both the static and dynamic forces. Farming was practically abandoned
and the swollen population lived entirely on wild growth or upon human
flesh.

In Africa the situation was little better. Internecine wars and slavery
made their reappearance