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The fighting here had slackened; Tarrano's men had risen high, engaged at long range by our girls, from whom they were slowly, trickily retreating as though to lure the girls above the city; and my heart was thankful when I heard the relayed order from Rhaalton for the girls to withdraw not to pass above the wall, even at high altitude.
I have seen our Divisional Director voice into a mouthpiece the demand for some statistical summary computed up to five minutes before, and covering his entire Atlantic Division. He would have it, recorded in cold print before him, within a moment. Yet, compared to the Rhaalton efficiency, our own methods seemed antiquated indeed.
I knew it; much as I hated Tarrano I was forced to admit it. Yet as I stood there acknowledging the soft-spoken greeting of Rhaalton, I had the swift premonition that Tarrano was going down into defeat. And that this little man, without moving from his desk or raising his voice, would be the main factor in bringing it about. And I wondered why such a thing could be. I know why now.
And I found now that it was the power for them, developed, transformed into its various characteristics and stored for individual transportation and use, which was mainly engrossing Industriana. I had opportunity, that first night, of meeting Geno-Rhaalton the present head of that famous Rhaalton line, for generations hereditary leaders of their race.
His intellectual power his concentration certainly the equal of this little leader of the Rhaals. Tarrano the Conqueror! Tarrano man of destiny risen from nothing and by the sheer genius of his will throwing three worlds into chaos, at one stage combining two worlds into his self-created Empire; and menacing the third. Surely Tarrano was a greater man than this Rhaalton.
A call from Rhaalton took his attention. We landed our entire force in the foothills of the mountains. The power plant was there; it looked like a squat industrial building set upon a ledge of ice a shining cliff-face behind it, a precipice in front. At the foot of the precipice our other vehicles were clustered.
Yet the Rhaal maidens were going as a matter of course, since there were some activities for which they were more fitted than the men. With all the Rhaal maidens going, Elza and Maida would not stay behind. And though Maida a wife was objected to by Rhaalton, he had yielded finally to her pleading. I will not now detail our plans or our armament.
And with all the genius in the universe the war-like power the weapons the cohorts all the wonderful armament of war you cannot transgress the Will of the Almighty. Against all human logic of what should be victory you will meet defeat.... The thoughts fled through my mind and vanished into the realities of the present. Rhaalton was saying: "We will be ready within another time of sleep.
Rhaalton desired that Tarrano come out and attack us; but Tarrano would not. We thought perhaps that his offense was inadequate and the one move that he made strengthened that belief. From the city beside the palace, a rectangle of black metal some fifty feet square, rose slowly up. In aspect it was a square, windowless room a room without a ceiling, open at the top.
Geno-Rhaalton's face in the mirror beside me was very solemn. I heard him murmuring something to the other towers, saw their light flash downward, searching the mountain defiles. And as I watched that little image of Rhaalton, I chanced to notice a mirror on Rhaalton's desk. Rhaalton himself was looking at it a mirror which had been dark, but which now flashed on. An outlaw circuit!
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