e. Nobody
knows. The main thing is that Earth is safe now. The Death Mist has
faded out of the picture."

He turned and smiled warmly at Evelyn. He was a rather horrible sight
just then, though he did not know it. He was bloody and burned and
wounded. He ignored all matters but success, however.

"I think," he said drily, "we have won the confidence of the Golden
City, Evelyn, and that there'll be no more talk of gassing Earth. As
soon as the Council meets again, we'll make sure. And then--well, I
think we can devote a certain amount of time to our personal affairs.
You are the first Earth-girl to be kissed in the Fifth Dimension.
We'll have to see if you can't distinguish yourself further."

* * * * *

Again the Council hall in the tower of government in the Golden City
of Yugna. Again the queer benches about the black wood table--though
two of the seats that had been occupied were now empty. Again the
guards behind the chairs, and the crowd of watchers--visitors,
citizens of Yugna attending the deliberations of the Council. The
audience was a queer one, this time. There were bandages here and
there. There were men who were wounded, broken, bent and crippled in
the fighting. But a warmly welcoming murmur spread through the hall as
Tommy came in, himself rather extensively patched. He was wearing the
tunic and breeches of the Golden City, because his own clothes were
hopelessly beyond repair. The bearded old Councilor gathered the eyes
of his fellows. They rose. This Council seated itself as one man.

Quiet, placid formalities. The Keeper of Foodstuffs murmured that the
ransom paid to Rahn had been recaptured after the fight. The Keeper of
Rolls reported with savage satisfaction the number of enemies who had
been slain in battle. He added that the loss to Yugna was less than
one man to ten of the enemy. And he added with still greater emphasis
that the shops being fitted with automatic controls had released
now--it had grown so much--two thousand men from the necessary
day-and-night working force, and further releases were to be expected.
The demands of the machines were lessened already beyond the memory of
man. Eyes turned to Tommy. There was an expectant pause for his reply.

* * * * *

"I have been Commander of Defense Forces," he told them slowly, "in
this fighting. I have given you weapons. My two friends have done
more. The machines will need f