u disobey,
I'll ray you. You understand?"

"Yes, Magnificent," the weak-chinned man muttered hurriedly.

But the little knot reformed immediately after the guards had passed
on.

"Magnificents!" The first speaker spat viciously. "I'd like to wring
their necks."

Hilary shifted unobtrusively to another excited cluster. There the
same procedure was followed. A quiet-voiced man was talking, lauding
the exploit of the three embattled Earthmen, skillfully and subtly
enkindling enthusiasm, raising wholesome doubts as to the
invulnerability of the hated Mercutians.

Numerous patrols of guards stalked up and down the conveyors,
arrogant, manifestly itching for a pretext to ray the conquered. But
the Earthmen gave them no opportunity. The groups melted at their
approach into meek, vacuous individuals; reformed instantly as they
moved on. And there were no informers. The Earthmen had resumed their
almost forgotten Earth solidarity in fronting the invaders.

* * * * *

Hilary watched the restless shifting groups with a glow of pride. This
was his work, the spark he had kindled was being fanned into a steady
blaze. These whisperers, these exhorters, who were they? Members of an
underground organization? Possibly. Wat and Grim had both belonged to
loose circles, vague and shifting in membership. Possibly they were
coalescing now, joining up into a world-wide organization. He hoped
so. It would make his task easier, it also helped restore his pride in
being an Earthman. He had almost thought that this supine listless
race of his was not worth rescuing.

He reached the terminal in Great New York without untoward incident.
No one challenged this meek, shabby-looking Earthman. The Mercutians
gave him barely a glance; the Earthmen disregarded him when they
whispered together. Hilary was content; he was not seeking undue
notice.

The terminal was the scene of unwonted activity. The conveyors were
disgorging crowds of Earthmen, grim, determined-looking individuals.
They scattered purposefully through the various exits of the huge
building. Hilary noted with interest that there were no women, no
children, on the constantly incoming expresses.

The Mercutians were massing, too. The terminal was crowded with
guards. They stalked heavily about, shouldering their Earth slaves
rudely out of the way, sending them sprawling with sudden quick
shoves. It would take only an untoward word, a false movement,