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There was the faint creak of metal, and the man's chest began to bend! In a moment, he was unconscious. Torlos pulled a heavy leather belt off of the unconscious man and tied his arms with it, wrapping it many times around the wrists, and was picking the man up when Tharlano arrived, followed by Arcot and Morey. Torlos smiled broadly. "This is one Satorian spy that won't report.
Tharlano had begun a systematic search of the known nebulae, comparing them with the photographs the Earthmen had given him, and looking for a galaxy with two satellite star clouds of exactly the right size and distance from the great spiral. After months of work, he had finally picked one which filled the bill exactly! He invited Arcot and Morey to the observatory to confirm his findings.
It filled the screen as they increased the power, but all they could see was billowing clouds. Another poor subject. Morey showed Tharlano, the Astronomer, how to use the controls, and he began to sweep the sky with the instrument, greatly pleased with its resolving ability and tremendous magnification.
The air had slowed it down and heated it up, so Arcot hit it with the molecular ray again, converting the heat back into velocity. By the time they reached free space, Arcot had maneuvered the lump of rock into an orbit around the planet. "Tharlano," he thought at the Astronomer, "your planet now has a new satellite!" "So I perceive!" replied Tharlano.
The original was kept at the observatory, and copies were sent to two of the largest cities on Nansal. It was from this file that Tharlano had gathered the data necessary to show Arcot his own galaxy. Tharlano was proudly explaining the telescope to Arcot, realizing that the telectroscope was far better, but knowing that the Earthmen would appreciate this triumph of mechanical perfection.
Its military usefulness, however, was practically nil, since painting the ships black made them totally invisible. There were half a dozen assistants with Tharlano at the observatory at all times, one of them in charge of the great file of plates that were kept on hand. Every plate made was printed in triplicate, to prevent their being destroyed in a raid.
Arcot and Morey, accompanied by Tharlano and Torlos, settled the Ancient Mariner to the landing field that had been blasted out of the rock of the towering mountain. They went over to the observatory and were at once admitted to the airlock. The floor was of smoothed, solid rock, and in this, the great clock which timed and moved the telescope was set.
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