nd space are curved, due to the
distortion of mass on surrounding space and time. The exact equation for
this curvature had to be determined.

"We knew beforehand that it had to be a cubic equation. Each cubic
equation has three roots for every value of the independent variable,
which is in space. It also has three roots for every value of the time.
Basically, that means that if any primal unit exists in our space, it
exists in three forms, the positive, the negative and the neutral. These
units are the positron, the negatron, and the neutron. Those three are
the three solutions in space to the co-ordinates of the existential
primal point.

"But also there must be two other universes co-existent with ours in
space, but separated sideways in time. They would be impossible to find
with the machine without solving the cubic equation of the curvature of
our time line."

"So you have solved that and contacted one of the other two universes,"
Hute Hitle broke in impatiently.

"Exactly," Carl Grinch said.

"Take me to it," Hute ordered. "I want to see for myself."

"Yes, my Leader," Carl said, clicking his heels again and bowing. The
bow was lower than usual to hide the gleam of triumph that rose unbidden
in the scientist's eyes.

* * * * *

The Leader stood with military stiffness, looking curiously at the
square of glowing force. It was set flush with the wooden floor of the
room, and seemed to be nothing more than a square carpet of luminosity.

Near it was a tripod with a telescope attached. The telescope went up to
the edge of the space above the square place and seemed to end there,--a
tube with no lens in the end.

"The telescope is pointed into one of the other two worlds," Carl was
explaining. "Without a physical solid connecting the two there is no
contact."

"What is the nature of that?" Hute asked, pointing at the glowing square
surface.

"It's difficult to explain it," Carl answered, "I'll put it this way.
Two attracting bodies that are close enough together will revolve around
each other, like the sun and our planet, Amba. The material of this slab
is what I have named tri-matter. It consists of matter from all three
universes of our time equation, blended into one solid. Before I was
able to contact these other two universes it was necessary to use the
machine, which took incredible power to operate for a few brief moments,
and had to be so delicately controlled tha