ling the population, to the
enormous disadvantage of the older inhabitants. Ways and means must be
sought to dispose of the excess newcomers."

"It isn't fair," Barrent said.

"You'll change your mind when you become an older inhabitant," Ingemar
said. "And by your tenacity, I'm sure you'll become one."

"Maybe," Barrent said. "But what happened? The temperature must have
dropped nearly a hundred degrees in fifteen minutes."

"A hundred and eight degrees to be exact," Uncle Ingemar said. "It's
really very simple. Omega is a planet which revolves eccentrically
around a double star system. Further instability, I'm told, comes from
the planet's peculiar physical make-up--the placement of mountains and
seas. The result is a uniformly and dramatically bad climate
characterized by sudden violent temperature changes."

The assistant, a small, self-important fellow, said, "It has been
calculated that Omega is at the outer limits of the planets which can
support human life without gross artificial aids. If the fluctuations
between hot and cold were any more violent, all human life here would
be wiped out."

"It's the perfect punitive world," Uncle Ingemar said proudly.
"Experienced residents sense when a temperature change is about to take
place and get indoors."

"It's--hellish," Barrent said, at a loss for words.

"That describes it perfectly," the priest said. "It _is_ hellish, and
therefore perfect for the worship of The Black One. If you're feeling
better now, Citizen Barrent, shall we proceed with services?"

Except for a touch of frostbite on his toes and fingers, Barrent was all
right. He nodded, and followed the priest and the worshipers into the
main part of the Coven.

* * * * *

After what he had been through, the Black Mass was necessarily an
anticlimax. In his warmly heated pew, Barrent drowsed through Uncle
Ingemar's sermon on the necessary performance of everyday evil.

The worship of Evil, Uncle Ingemar said, should not be reserved solely
for Monday nights. On the contrary! The knowledge and performance of
evil should suffuse one's daily life. It was not given to everyone to be
a great sinner; but no one should be discouraged by that. Little acts of
badness performed over a lifetime accumulated into a sinful whole most
pleasing to The Black One. No one should forget that some of the
greatest sinners, even the demoniac saints themselves, often had humble
beginnings. D