anded recognition, they were sending the usual routine helio
dispatches and reports, quite as though nothing had occurred. The mails
would proceed as before, they announced; the one due to leave this
afternoon for the Earth was off on time.

It was all very clever propaganda for our Earth public consumption.
Tarrano--who was visiting our Earth at present, they said--had been
chosen Master of Venus. His government desired Earth's official
recognition, and asked for our proclamation of friendliness in answer to
their own. The present Ambassadors of the Venus Central State to the
Earth--there were three of them, one each in Great London, Tokyohama and
Mombozo--this new government requested that we send them back to the
Great City as prisoners of the Tarrano forces. Other Ambassadors,
representing the new government, would be sent to the Earth.

All this occurred during the first few hours of our imprisonment in the
tower. And during the day previous, at 7 P.M. this night--70 deg. West
Meridian Time--the governments of our Earth met in Triple Conference in
Great London. Three rulers pro tem--White, Yellow and Black--to replace
the three who had been assassinated. The responsibility for the
assassinations was placed by the Council upon Tarrano. But this--from
his headquarters here in Venia--he blandly refused to accept, denying
all knowledge of the murders. Venia was the principal Venus immigrant
colony of Earth's Western Hemisphere. It had already been closed by our
Earth Council; its inhabitants interned as possible alien enemies,
pending diplomatic developments. This was the meaning of that line of
official vessels lying there to the north on guard. No one could leave
Venia, and for a day Venus refugees had been ordered into it from
everywhere.

At 8:40 this evening came from Great London our ultimatum to Tarrano. A
duplicate of it went to the Great City of Venus via the Hawaiian
Station. The Earth would not recognize the Tarrano government of Venus.
We would hold to our treaty of friendship with the Central State. We
would remain neutral for a time. But Tarrano himself we declared an
outlaw. His presence was required in Washington to stand trial for the
assassinations, and the delivery in Washington of Dr. Brende's notes and
model was demanded.

The ultimatum carried a day of grace; the alternate was a declaration of
war by the Earth, and our immediate attack upon Venia. It was the same
proposition which our War Dire