IX.

The Port Admiral was eminently correct in supposing that Boskone,

whoever or whatever he or it might be, was already taking action upon

what the Tellurian Lensman had done. For, even as Kinnison was at work

in the Library of Science, a meeting which was indirectly to affect him

no little was being called to order.

In the immensely distant Second Galaxy was that meeting being held;

upon the then planet Jarnevon of the Eich; within that sullen fortress

already mentioned briefly. Presiding over it was the indescribable

entity known to history as Eichlan; or, more properly, Lan of the Eich.

"Boskone is now in session," that entity announced to the eight

other like monstrosities who in some fashion indescribable to man

were stationed at the long, low, wide bench of stonelike material

which served as a table of State. "Nine days ago each of us began to

search for whatever new facts might bear upon the activities of the

as-yet-entirely-hypothetical Lensman who, Helmuth believed, was the

real force back of our recent intolerable reverses in the Tellurian

Galaxy.

"As First of Boskone I will report as to the military situation. As you

know, our positions there became untenable with the fall of our Grand

Base and all our mobile forces were withdrawn. In order to facilitate

reorganization, co-ordinating ships were sent out. Some of these ships

went to planets held in toto by us. Not one of these vessels has been

able to report any pertinent facts whatever. Ships approaching bases

of the Patrol, or encountering Patrol ships of war in space, simply

ceased communicating. Even their automatic recorders, tuned to my desk

as commander-in-chief, ceased to function without transmitting any

intelligible data, indicating complete destruction of those ships.

A cascade system, in which one ship followed another at long range

and with analytical instruments set to determine the nature of any

beam or weapon employed, was attempted. The enemy, however, threw out

blanketing zones of tremendous power; and we lost six more vessels

without obtaining the desired data. These are the facts, all negative.

Theorizing, deduction, summation, and integration will as usual, come

later. Eichmil, Second of Boskone, will now report."

"My facts are also entirely negative," the Second began. "As soon as

our operations upon the planet Radelix began to be really productive of

results, a contingent of Tellurian narcotic agents arrived; which may

or may not have included the Lensman--"

"Stick to facts for the time being," Eichlan ordered, curtly.

"Shortly thereafter a minor agent, a female instructed to wear a

thought-screen at all times, lost her usefulness by suffering a mental

disorder which incapacitated her quite seriously. Then another agent,

also a female, this time one of the third order and who had been very

useful up to that time, ceased reporting. A few days later Bominger,

the Planetary Director, failed to report, as did the Planetary

Observer; who, as you know, was entirely unknown to, and had no

connection with, the operating staff. Reports from other sources, such

as importers and shippers--these, I believe, are here admissible as

facts--indicate that our entire personnel upon Radelix has been put to

death. No unusual developments have occurred upon any other planet, nor

has any significant fact, however small, been discovered."

"Eichnor, Third of Boskone."

"Also negative. Our every source of information from within the bases

of the Patrol has been shut off. Every one of our representatives--some

of whom have been reporting regularly for many years--has been silent,

and every effort to reach any of them has failed."

"Eichsnap, Fourth of Boskone."

"Utterly negative. We have been able to find no trace whatever of the

planet Medon, or of any one of the twenty-one warships investing it at

the time of its disappearance."

And so on, through nine reports, while the tentacles of the mighty

First of Boskone played intermittently over the keys of a complex

instrument or machine before him.

"We will now reason, theorize, and draw conclusions," the First

announced, and each of the organisms fed his ideas and deductions into

the machine. It whirred briefly, then ejected a tape, which Eichlan

took up and scanned narrowly.

* * * * *

"Rejecting all conclusions having a probability of less than

ninety-five percent," he announced, "we have: First, a set of

three probabilities of a value of ninety-nine and ninety-nine

one-hundredths--virtual certainties--that some one Tellurian Lensman is

the prime mover behind what has happened; that he has acquired a mental

power heretofore unknown to his race; and that he has been in large

part responsible for the development of the Patrol's new and formidable

weapons. Second, a probability of ninety-nine percent that he and his

organization are no longer on the defensive, but have assumed the

offensive. Third, one of ninety-seven percent that it is not primarily

Tellus which is an obstacle, even though the Galactic Patrol and

Civilization did originate upon that planet, but Arisia; that Helmuth's

report was at least partially true. Fourth, one of ninety-five and

one half percent that the Lens is also concerned in the disappearance

of the planet Medon. There is a lesser probability, but still of some

ninety-four percent, that that same Lensman is involved here.

"I will interpolate here that the vanishment of that planet is a much

more serious matter than it might appear, on the surface, to be. In

situ, it was a thing of no concern--gone, it becomes an affair of

almost vital import. To issue orders impossible of fulfillment, as

Helmuth did when he said 'Comb Trenco, inch by inch,' is easy. To comb

this Galaxy star by star for Medon would be an even more difficult and

longer task; but what can be done is being done.

"To return to the conclusions, they point out a state of things which

I do not have to tell you is really grave. This is the first major

setback which the culture of the Boskone has encountered since it began

its rise, thousands of years ago. You are familiar with that rise; how

we of the Eich took over in turn a city, a race, a planet, a solar

system, a region, a galaxy. How we extended our sway into the Tellurian

Galaxy, as a preliminary to the extension of our authority throughout

all the populated galaxies of the macro-cosmic Universe.

"You know our creed; to the victor the power. He who is strongest and

fittest shall survive and shall rule. This so-called Civilization

which is opposing us, which began upon Tellus but whose driving force

is that which dwells upon Arisia, is a soft, weak, puny-spirited

thing indeed to resist the mental and material power of our culture.

Myriads of beings upon each planet, each one striving for power and,

so striving, giving of that power to him above. Myriads of planets,

each, in return for our benevolently despotic control, delegating

and contributing power to the Eich. All this power, delegated to the

thousands of millions of the Eich of this planet, culminates in and is

wielded by the nine of us who comprise Boskone.

"Power! Our forefathers thought that control of one planet was enough.

Later it was declared that mastery of a galaxy, if realized, would

sate ambition. We of Boskone, however, now know that our power shall

be limited only by the bounds of the Material Cosmic All--every world

that exists throughout space shall and must pay homage and tribute to

Boskone! What, gentlemen, is the sense of this meeting?"

"Arisia must be visited!" There was no need of integrating this

thought; it was dominant and unanimous.

"I would advise caution, however," the Eighth of Boskone amended

his ballot. "We are an old race, it is true, and able; we have

demonstrated our superiority over every other race of our Galaxy, much

more conclusively than the Tellurians have shown their supremacy on

theirs, I cannot help but believe, however, that in Arisia there exists

an unknown quality, an 'x' which we as yet are unable to evaluate.

It must be borne in mind that Helmuth, while not of the Eich, was,

nevertheless, an able being; yet he was handled so mercilessly there

that he could not render a complete or conclusive report of his

expedition, then or ever. With these thoughts in mind I suggest that

no actual landing be made, but that the torpedo be launched from a

distance."

"The suggestion is eminently sound," the First approved. "As to

Helmuth, he was, for an oxygen-breather, fairly able. He was however,

mentally soft, as are all such. Do you, our foremost psychologist,

believe that any existent or conceivable mind could break yours, with

no application whatever of physical force or device, as Helmuth's

reports seemed to indicate that his was broken? I use the word 'seemed'

advisedly, for I do not believe that Helmuth reported the actual truth.

In fact, I was about to replace him with an Eich, however unpleasant

such an assignment would be to any of our race, because of that

weakness."

"No," agreed the Eighth. "I do not believe that there exists in the

Universe a mind of sufficient power to break mine. It is a truism that

no mental influence, however powerful, can affect a strong, definitely

and positively opposed will. For that reason I voted against the

use of thought-screens by our agents. Such screens expose them to

detection and can be of no real benefit. Physical means were--must have

been--used first, and, after physical subjugation, the screens were, of

course, useless."

* * * * *

"I am not sure that I agree with you entirely," the Ninth put in. "We

have here cogent evidence that there have been employed mental forces

of a type or pattern with which we are entirely unfamiliar. While it is

the consensus of opinion that the importance of Helmuth's report should

be minimized, it seems to me that we have enough corroborative evidence

to indicate that this mentality may be able to operate without material

aid. If so, rigid screening should be retained, as offering the only

possible safeguard from such force."

"Sound in theory, but in practice dubious," the psychologist countered.

"If there were any evidence whatever that the screens had done any

good I would agree with you. But have they? Screening failed to save

Helmuth or his base; and there is nothing to indicate that the screens

impeded, even momentarily, the progress of the suppositious Lensman

upon Radelix. You speak of 'rigid' screening. The term is meaningless.

Perfectly effective screening is impossible. If, as we seem to be

doing, we postulate the ability of one mind to control another

without physical, bodily contact--or is the idea at all far fetched,

considering what I myself have done to the minds of many of our

agents?--the Lensman can work through any unshielded mentality whatever

to attain his ends. As you know, Helmuth deduced, too late, that it

must have been through the mind of a dog that the Lensman invaded Grand

Base."

"Poppycock!" snorted the Seventh. "Or, if not, we can kill the dogs--or

screen their minds, too," he sneered.

"Admitted," the psychologist returned, unmoved. "You might conceivably

kill all the animals that run and all the birds that fly. You cannot,

however, destroy all life in any locality at all extended, clear

down to the worms in their burrows and the termites in their hidden

retreats; and the mind has not yet existed which is keen enough to draw

a line of demarcation and say 'here begins intelligent life.'"

"This discussion is interesting, but futile," put in Eichlan,

forestalling a scornful reply. "It is more to the point, I think, to

discuss that which must be done; or, rather, who is to do it, since the

thing itself admits of only one solution--an atomic bomb of sufficient

power to destroy every trace of life upon that accursed planet. Shall

we send someone, or shall some of us ourselves go? To overestimate a

foe is at worst only an unnecessary precaution; to underestimate this

one may well be fatal. Therefore, it seems to me, that the decision in

this matter should lie with our psychologist. I will, however, if you

prefer, integrate our various conclusions."

Recourse to the machine was unnecessary; it was agreed by all that

Eichamp, the Eighth of Boskone, should decide.

"My decision will be evident," that worthy said, measuredly, "when I

say that I myself, for one, am going. The situation is admittedly a

serious one. Moreover, I believe, to a greater extent than do the rest

of you, that there is a certain amount of truth in Helmuth's version of

his experiences. My mind is the only one in existence of whose power

I am absolutely certain; the only one which I definitely _know_ will

not give way before any conceivable mental force, whatever its amount

or whatever its method of application. I want none with me save of the

Eich, and even those I will examine carefully before permitting them

aboard ship with me."

"You decide as I thought," said the First. "I also shall go. My mind

will hold, I think."

"It will hold--in your case examination is unnecessary," agreed the

psychologist.

"And I! And I!" arose what amounted to a chorus.

"No," came curt denial from the First. "Two are enough to operate all

machinery and weapons. To take any more of the Boskone would weaken us

here injudiciously; well you know how many are working, and in what

fashions, for seats at this table. To take any weaker mind, even of

the Eich, might conceivably be to court disaster. We two should be

safe; I because I have proven repeatedly my right to hold the title of

First of this Council, the rulers and masters of the dominant race of

the Universe; Eichamp because of his unparalleled knowledge, of all

intelligence. Our vessel is ready. We go."

* * * * *

As has been indicated, none of the Eich were, or ever had been,

cowards. Tyrants they were, it is true, and dictators of the harshest,

sternest, and most soulless kind; callous and merciless they were;

cold as the rocks of their frigid world and as utterly ruthless and

remorseless as the fabled Juggernaut; but they were as logical as they

were hard. He, who of them all was best fitted to do anything, did it

unquestioningly and, as a matter of course; did it with the calmly

emotionless efficiency of the machine which in actual fact he was.

Therefore, it was the First and the Eighth of Boskone who went.

Through the star-studded purlieus of the Second Galaxy the black,

airless, lightless vessel sped; through the reaches, vaster and more

tenuous far, of intergalactic space; into the Tellurian Galaxy; up to a

solar system shunned then as now, by all uninvited intelligences--dread

and dreaded Arisia.

Not close to the planet did even the two of Boskone venture; but

stopped at the greatest distance at which a torpedo could be directed

surely against the target. But even so the vessel of the Eich had

punctured a screen of mental force; and as Eichlan extended a tentacle

toward the firing mechanism of the missiles, watched in as much

suspense as they were capable of feeling by the planet-bound seven of

Boskone, a thought as penetrant as a needle and yet as binding as a

cable tempered steel drove into his brain.

"Hold!" That thought commanded, and Eichlan held, as did also his

fellow Boskonian.

Both remained rigid, unable to move any single voluntary muscle; while

the other seven of the Council looked on in uncomprehending amazement.

Their instruments remained dead--since those mechanisms were not

sensitive to thought, to them nothing at all was occurring. Those

seven leaders of the Eich knew that something was happening; something

dreadful, something untoward, something very decidedly not upon the

program they had helped to plan. They, however, could do nothing about

it; they could only watch and wait.

"Ah, 'tis Lan and Amp of the Eich," the thought resounded within the

minds of the helpless twain. "Truly, the Elders are correct. My mind is

not yet competent, for, although I have had many facts instead of but

a single one upon which to cogitate, and no dearth of time in which to

do so, I now perceive that I have erred grievously in my visualization

of the Cosmic All. You do, however, fit nicely into the now enlarged

Scheme, and I am really grateful to you for furnishing new material

with which for many cycles of time to come, I shall continue to build.

"Indeed, I believe that I shall permit you to return unharmed to your

own planet. You know the warning we gave Helmuth, your minion, hence

your lives are forfeit for violating knowingly the privacy of Arisia;

but wanton or unnecessary destruction is not conducive to mental

growth. You are, therefore, at liberty to depart. I repeat to you the

instructions given your underling: do not return, either in person or

by any form whatever of proxy."

The Arisian had as yet exerted scarcely a fraction of his power;

although the bodies of the two invaders were practically paralyzed,

their minds had not been punished. Therefore the psychologist said,

coldly:

"You are not now dealing with Helmuth, nor with any other weak,

mindless oxygen-breather, but with the _Eich_," and, by sheer effort of

will, he moved toward the controls.

"What boots it?" the Arisian compressed upon the Eighth's brain a

searing force which sent shrieking waves of pain throughout all nearby

space. Then, taking over the psychologist's mind, he forced him to move

to the communicator panel, upon whose plate could be seen the other

seven of Boskone, gazing in wonder.

"Set up planetary coverage," he directed, through Eichamp's organs of

speech, "so that each individual member of the entire race of the Eich

can understand what I am about to transmit." There was a brief pause,

then the deep, measured voice rolled on:

* * * * *

"I am Eukonidor of Arisia, speaking to you through this mass

of undead flesh which was once your chief psychologist, Eichamp, the

Eighth of that high council which you call Boskone. I had intended to

spare the lives of these two simple creatures, but I perceive that

such action would be useless. Their minds and the minds of all you who

listen to me are warped, perverted, incapable of reason. They and you

would have misinterpreted the gesture completely; would have believed

that I did not slay them only because I could not do so. Some of you

would have offended again and again, until you were so slain; you can

be convinced of such a fact only by an unmistakable demonstration of

superior force. Force is the only thing you are able to understand.

Your one aim in life is to gain material power; greed, corruption, and

crime are your chosen implements.

"You consider yourselves hard and merciless. In a sense, and according

to your abilities you are, although your minds are too callow to

realize that there are depths of cruelty and of depravity which you

cannot even faintly envision.

"You love and worship power. Why? To any thinking mind it should be

clear that such a lust intrinsically is, and forever must by its

very nature be, futile. For, even if any one of you could command

the entire material Universe, what good would it do him? None. What

would he have? Nothing. Not even the satisfaction of accomplishment,

for that lust is in fact insatiable--it would then turn upon itself

and feed upon itself. I tell you as a fact that there is only one

power which is at one and the same time illimitable and yet finite;

insatiable yet satisfying; one which, while eternal, yet invariably

returns to its possessor the true satisfaction of real accomplishment

in exact ratio to the effort expended upon it. That power is the power

of the mind. You, being so backward and so wrong of development,

cannot understand how this can be, but if any one of you will

concentrate upon one single fact, or a small object, such as a pebble

or the seed of a plant or other creature, for as short a period of

time as one hundred of your years, you will begin to perceive its

truth.

"You boast that your planet is old. What of that? We of Arisia dwelt

in turn upon a thousand planets, from planetary youth to cosmic old

age, before we became independent of the chance formation of such

celestial bodies.

"You prate that you are an ancient race. Compared to us you are

sheerly infantile. We of Arisia did not originate upon a planet formed

during the recent interpassage of these two galaxies, but upon one

which came into being in an antiquity so distant that the figure in

years would be entirely meaningless to your minds. We were of an age

to your mentalities starkly incomprehensible when your most remote

ancestors began to wriggle about in the slime of your parent world.

"'Do the men of the Patrol know--?' I perceive the question in your

minds. They do not. None save a few of the most powerful of their

minds has the slightest inkling of the truth. To reveal any portion

of it to Civilization as a whole would blight that Civilization

irreparably. Though Seekers after Truth in the best sense, they are

essentially juvenile and their life spans are ephemeral indeed. The

mere realization that there is in existence such a race as ours would

place upon them such an inferiority complex as would make further

advancement impossible. In your case such a course of events is not

to be expected. You will close your minds to all that has happened,

declaring to yourselves that it was impossible and that therefore, it

could not have taken place and did not. Nevertheless, you will stay

away from Arisia henceforth.

"But to resume. You consider yourselves long-lived. Know then,

insects, that your life span of a thousand of your years is but a

moment. I, myself, have already lived eleven thousand such lifetimes,

and I am but a youth--a mere Guardian, not yet to be entrusted with

really serious thinking.

"I have spoken overlong; the reason for my prolixity being that I

do not like to see the energy of a race so misused, so corrupted to

material conquest for its own sake. I would like to set your minds

upon the Way of Truth, if perchance such a thing should be possible. I

have pointed out that Way; whether or not you follow it is for you to

decide. Indeed, I fear that most of you, in your short-sighted pride,

have already cast my message aside; refusing point-blank to change

your habits of thought. It is, however, in the hope that some few of

you will perceive the Way and will follow it by abandoning your planet

and its Eich before it is too late, that I have discoursed at such

length.

"Whether or not you change your habits of thought, I advise you to

heed this, my warning. Arisia does not want and will not tolerate

intrusion. As a lesson, watch these two violators of our privacy

destroy themselves."

The giant voice ceased. Eichlan's tentacles moved toward the controls.

The vast torpedo launched itself.

But instead of hurtling toward distant Arisia it swept around in a

mighty circle and struck in direct central impact the great cruiser of

the Eich. There was an appalling crash, a space-wracking detonation,

a flare of incandescence incredible and indescribable as the energy

calculated to disrupt--almost to volatilize--a world expended itself

upon the insignificant mass of one Boskonian battleship and upon the

unresisting texture of the void.