he parleying began.

The Satorian delegation asked for absolutely unreasonable terms. They
demanded fleet bases on Nansal; they demanded an unreasonable rate of
exchange between the two powers, one which would be highly favorable to
Sator; they wanted to impose fantastic restrictions on Nansalian travel
and none whatsoever on their own.

Month followed month and months became years as the diplomats of Nansal
tried, patiently and logically, to show the Satorians how unreasonable
their demands were.

Not once did they suspect that the Satorians had no intention of trying
to get the conditions they asked for. Their sole purpose was to drag the
parleying on and on, bickering, quarreling, demanding, and conceding
just enough to give the Nansalians hope that a treaty might eventually
be consummated.

And during all that time, the factories of Sator were working furiously
to build the greatest fleet that had ever crossed the space between the
two planets!

When they were ready to attack, the Satorian delegation told Nansal
frankly that they would not treaty with them. The day the delegation
left, the Satorian fleet swept down upon Nansal!

The Nansalians were again beaten back into their cities, safe behind
their magnetic screens, but unable to attack. But the forces of Sator
had not won easily--they had, in fact, not won at all. Their supply line
was too long and their fleet had suffered greatly at the hands of the
defenders of Nansal.

For a long while, the balance of power was so nearly equal that neither
side dared attack.

Then the balance again swung toward Nansal. A Nansalian scientist
discovered a compact method of storing power. Oddly enough, it was
similar to the method Dr. Richard Arcot had discovered a hundred
thousand light centuries away! It did not store nearly the power, and
was inefficient, but it was a great improvement over their older method
of generating energy in the ship itself.

The Nansalian ships could be made smaller, and lighter, and more
maneuverable, and at the same time could be equipped with heavier, more
powerful magnetic beam generators.

Very shortly, the Satorians were again at the mercy of Nansal. They
could not fight the faster, more powerful ships of the Nansalians, and
again they went down in defeat.

And again they sued for peace.

This time, Nansal knew better; they went right on developing their fleet
while the diplomats of Sator argued.

But the Satorians weren't fo