inin has the Beam too, you know."

"Because the Agronian scientists gave you the specifications!"

"That always has rankled, hasn't it?" said Sorgel.

"Yes," Dirrul admitted. "If the Vininese scientists had discovered the
Beam-reaction first they would have conquered the galaxy."

"Conquer is a nasty word, Eddie," Sorgel said softly. "Vinin makes no
conquests. Let's put it differently and say we would have used the
Beam to bring peace to the galaxy instead of splitting it in two as it
is now."

"Glenna's Plan can change all that, at least here on Agron."

"Face the facts, Eddie! A few conscientious people with ideals can't
take over a planet. The Movement has its crews trained to capture the
Beam Transmitters. You'll isolate Agron and seize the government
offices simultaneously. What happens then?"

"Our people will rise and join us," said Eddie. "We'll create a new
government modeled on Vinin's and we'll have young leaders instead of
murky thinkers like Dr. Kramer."

"That's effective propaganda for speechmaking, but--"

"Glenna pounded away at it too, Paul," said Eddie. "It was the most
telling line in winning our new crop of recruits."

"Which is precisely why the police disposed of her. But it won't work.
The people won't rise. A mob is lethargic, too willing to keep things
as they are. Here on Agron you've been coddled too long with luxuries
and easy living. You have to prod the mob awake with a shock-force, a
force coming from the outside."

"How, Paul? We haven't enough people in the Movement to put on any
real show of strength. We can't even get outside."

"Now you understand the changes I've made in Glenna's Plan. You people
in the Movement will seize the Beam Transmitters as originally
planned. Then you'll simply hold them and keep them decommissioned
long enough for a Vininese space-fleet to land. We'll set up your new
government for you."

"And the rest of the Planetary Union will go to war!"

"It hardly matters," said Paul. "Once we're here the Beams will
protect us against counterattack and every planet in the Vininese
Confederacy has the same defense. One by one we can liberate the
planets of the Union in the same way. But the timing is vital, of
course--that's why you have to go to Vinin."

"I had a vacation leave only three months ago. I can't get tourist
passage now without--"

"I've considered that. You'll have to have your own space-ship."

"Now wait a minute, Paul! It's one thin