The Masters had ruled all spacewith an unconquerable iron fist. Butthe Masters were gone. And this new,young race who came now to take theirplace—could they hope to defeat theancient Enemy of All?
PART ONE
Illustrated by BERRY
"BUT didn't you feel anything,Javo?" Strainwas apparent in every line ofTula's taut, bare body. "Nothingat all?"
"Nothing whatever." Theone called Javo relaxed fromhis rigid concentration."Nothing has changed. Norwill it."
"That conclusion is indefensible!"Tula snapped."With the promised return ofthe Masters there must andwill be changes. Didn't anyof you feel anything?"
Her hot, demanding eyesswept the group; a groupwhose like, except for physicalperfection, could be foundin any nudist colony.
No one except Tula hadfelt a thing.
"That fact is not too surprising,"Javo said finally."You have the most sensitivereceptors of us all. But areyou sure?"
"I am sure. It was thethought-form of a livingMaster."
"Do you think that theMaster perceived your web?"
"It is certain. Those whobuilt us are stronger thanwe."
"That is true. As theypromised, then, so long andlong ago, our Masters are returninghome to us."
Jarvis Hilton of Terra, theyoungest man yet to be assignedto direct any such tremendousdeep-space undertakingas Project Theta Orionis,sat in conference withhis two seconds-in-command.Assistant Director SandraCummings, analyst-synthesistand semantician, was tall,blonde and svelte. PlanetographerWilliam Karns—ablack-haired, black-browed,black-eyed man of thirty—wasthird in rank of the scientificgroup.
"I'm telling you, Jarve, youcan't have it both ways,"Karns declared. "CaptainSawtelle is old-school Navybrass. He goes strictly by thebook. So you've got to drawa razor-sharp line; exactlywhere the Advisory Board'sdirective puts it. And nexttime he sticks his ugly pussacross that line, kick his facein. You've been Caspar MilquetoastTwo ever since weleft Base."
"That's the way it looks toyou?" Hilton's right hand becamea fist. "The man hasage, experience and ability.I've been trying to meet himon a ground of courtesy anddecency."
"Exactly. And he doesn'trecognize the existence ofeither. And, since the Boardrammed you down his throatinstead of giving him oldJeffers, you needn't expecthim to."
"You may be right, Bill.What do you think, Dr. Cummings?"
The girl said: "Bill's right.Also, your constant appeasementisn't doing the moraleof the whole scientific groupa bit of good."
"Well, I haven't enjoyed it,either. So next time I'll pinhis ears back. Anythingelse?"
"Yes, Dr. Hilton, I have asquawk of my own. I know Iwas rammed down yourthroat, but just when are yougoing to let me do somework?"
"None of us has much ofanything to do yet, and won'thave until we light somewhere.You're off base acountry mile."
"I'm not off base. You didwant Eggleston, not me."
"Sure I did. I've workedwith him and know what hecan do. But I'm not holding agrudge about it."
"No? Why, then, are youon first-name terms witheveryone in the scientificgroup except me? Supposedlyyour first assistant?"
"That's easy!" Hiltonsnapped. "Because you'vebeen carrying chips on bothshoulders ever since youcame aboard ... or at least Ithought you were." Hiltongrinned suddenly and heldout his hand. "Sorry, Sandy—I'llstart all over again."
"I'm sorry too, Chief."