Lindoo entered the crystal palace proudly. Not for Lindoo was the
belly-crawling approach to the mighty Vorgan, Lord of All. Lindoo was
not a mere stripling; Lindoo was the head of the Board of Universal
Strategy, and Lindoo had not only permission, but orders to enter but
quickly, and tell but swiftly, anything that might possibly affect the
future plans of the Loard-vogh.
Vorgan lifted a hand to silence the one upon the floor, his wish was
conveyed by a man-at-arms, since the one on the floor was flat on his
face, as befitted one of the lower caste.
"Urgent?" asked Vorgan.
"Perhaps urgent, but informative at least," explained Lindoo. "Kregar
has made full contact with the Susceptible One."
"Susceptible One? Who may that be? Of what importance?"
"His thoughts are confused. His name is not pronounceable from the
mixed thought-pattern. He is important. He was sent to maintain order
between the Extremes."
"Ah--and Kregar has succeeded?"
"He has. But not without incident."
"Trouble?"
"Some. The Little Men of Tlembo have, in part, been successful. I curse
them as you do, Lord of All. Yet the Loard-vogh must prepare and be
always prepared for resistance. It is written that smooth sailing is
a vain hope. The Little Men have carried out their intent. They have
succeeded in harnessing the Extremes together--for a time. They have
succeeded in destroying the suppressor--which is why Kregar was able
to control the mind of the Susceptible One. Kregar is brilliant, Lord
of All. Kregar deserves attention."
"If Kregar earns it, he will get it. I am not unjust, nor has any
Loard-vogh been unjust. Tell me--his brilliancy?"
"Kregar learned of the rivalry through the Susceptible One. Through the
latter, Kregar was able to set one Extreme against the other, fighting
a mad duel to ascertain the better man. The intellectual apex, the
Little Man known as Toralen Ki, the key to their future, is now being
attacked by the Susceptible One, through Kregar's control."
"Excellent. And the outcome?"
"Obvious. Toralen Ki will die. So will his cohort Hotang Lu. Thus dies
those who understand their intellectual limitations and the will to
lift others above them. The Extremes, upon whom the Little Men pinned
their hopes, will be split forever. One will certainly die--perhaps
both."
"It is best. Shall we then attack the Planet of Terror?"
"It will not be necessary. Their possible danger to us is over."
Vorgan smiled, and he looked almost benign. He was a tall man, bearded,
with a full head of hair that tufted white in patches. His ancestry?
His classification? It is hard to say. He was vertebrate. He was
warm-blooded. He was intelligent and he was more than dextrous with
his hands. Both hands. He was also dextrous with his mind. The Lord of
All had not become Lord of All because of his heritage, his faith in
deity, or his sheer ruthlessness. All helped, but the Lord of All was
ruler because of his ability to rule.
"I'll witness the final act," he said.
"The reason I came--" nodded Lindoo. "Kregar is working madly, and
yet there is interest there. It will be enlightening. For even the
Susceptible One is most difficult."
* * * * *
The Loard-vogh at the instrument was sweating profusely. His hands were
clenched, and blood ran from the center of the right fist where his
fingernails had pierced his palm. His entire frame was tense, and his
eyes were half-closed.
Vorgan looked, nodded, and spoke freely to the recorder beside Kregar.
The Lord of All knew that the operative was concentrated beyond all
physical stimuli. "The details, Neckal?"
"Lord of All, the battle progresses favorably. The Extremes--they
are fighting each other. As you entered, the Susceptible One's mind
indicated that there might have been a culmination to their feud. Two
of their weapons have been discharged in a location that makes us
believe that simultaneous death may have taken place. Toralen Ki is
fighting for his life--"
Vorgan laughed. "Thirty-odd pounds against six times that mass! Lindoo,
your operator has done well."
"Naturally," said Lindoo proudly. He could afford to be proud; he had
picked Kregar.
"Yet I feel that we should do something about the Planet of Terror."
"You think--?"
"Sending out another suppressor will do no good."
"You are certain?"
"Not entirely. I just fear them. It is good sense to fear a strong
enemy, Lindoo. We, of course, shall conquer, but far better to find
them easily beaten than to lose ten billion of Loard-vogh's finest."
"The master plan does not call for invasion of that sector for
twenty-four hundred years."
"I should hate to have my ultimate offspring cast slurs at my
memory--and perhaps erect a statue to throw excrement at."
"But one cannot cover all dangers--"
"I know. Yet let us wait. It will depend upon Kregar's success."