r, in the space lighter heading back for Genoa, Mayer said
speculatively, "Did you notice anything about Leonid Plekhanov?"

Kennedy was piloting. "He seems the same irascible old curmudgeon he's
always been."

"It seems to me he's become a touch power mad. Could the pressures he's
under cause his mind to slip? Obviously, all isn't peaches and cream in
that attempt of his to achieve world government on Texcoco."

"Well," Kennedy muttered, "all isn't peaches and cream with us, either.
The barons are far from licked, especially in the west." He changed the
subject. "By the way, that banking deal went through in Pola. I was able
to get control."

"Fine," Mayer chuckled. "You must be quite the richest man in the city.
There is a certain stimulation in this financial game, Jerry, isn't
there?"

"Uh huh," Jerry told him. "Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a marked
deck."

"Marked deck?" the other frowned.

"It's handy that gold is the medium of exchange on Genoa," Jerry Kennedy
said. "Especially in view of the fact that we have a machine on the ship
capable of transmuting metals."

VI.

Leonid Plekhanov, Joseph Chessman, Barry Watson, Khan Reif and several
of the Tulan army staff stood on a small knoll overlooking a valley of
several square miles. A valley dominated on all sides but the sea by
mountain ranges.

Reif and the three Earthlings were bent over a military map depicting
the area. Barry Watson traced with his finger.

"There are only two major passes into this valley. We have this one,
they dominate that."

Plekhanov was scowling, out of his element and knowing it. "How many men
has Mynor been able to get together?"

Watson avoided looking into the older man's face. "Approximately half a
million according to Hawkins' estimate. He flew over them this morning."

"Half a million!"

"Including the nomads, of course," Joe Chessman said. "The nomads fight
more like a mob than an army."

Plekhanov was shaking his massive head. "Most of them will melt away if
we continue to avoid battle. They can't feed that many men on the
countryside. The nomads in particular will return home if they don't get
a fight soon."

Watson hid his impatience. "That's the point, sir. If we don't break
their power now, in a decisive defeat, we'll have them to fight again,
later. And already they've got iron swords, the crossbow and even a few
muskets. Given time and they'll all be so armed. Then the fat'll be in
the