of Corisande exposed to such an ordeal.
"It's only reasonable," the uncle went on, "that older people shouldhave a--a thing about being governed by foreigners."
Ludovick smiled and set his nearly full glass down on a plinth. "Youcould hardly call the Belphins foreigners; they've been on Earth longerthan even the oldest of us."
"You seem to be pretty chummy with 'em," the uncle said, lookingnarrow-eyed at Ludovick.
"No more so than any other loyal citizen," Ludovick replied.
The uncle sat up and wrapped his arms around his thick bare legs. Hewas a powerful, hairy brute of a creature who had not taken advantageof the numerous cosmetic techniques offered by the benevolent Belphins."Don't you think it's funny they can breathe our air so easily?"
"Why shouldn't they?" Ludovick bit into an apple that Corisande handedhim from one of the dishes of fruit and other delicacies strewn aboutthe courtyard. "It's excellent air," he continued through a full mouth,"especially now that it's all purified. I understand that in the olddays----"
"Yes," the uncle said, "but don't you think it's a coincidence theybreathe exactly the same kind of air we do, considering they claim tocome from another solar system?"
"No coincidence at all," said Ludovick shortly, no longer able topretend he didn't know what the other was getting at. He had heard theugly rumor before. Of course sacrilege was not illegal, but it was inbad taste. "Only one combination of elements spawns intelligent life."
"They say," the uncle continued, impervious to Ludovick's unconcealeddislike for the subject, "that there's really only one Belphin, wholives in the Blue Tower--in a tank or something, because he can'tbreathe our atmosphere--and that the others are a sort of robot hesends out to do his work for him."
"Nonsense!" Ludovick was goaded to irritation at last. "How could arobot have that delicate play of expression, that subtle economy ofmovement?"
Corisande and the uncle exchanged glances. "But they are absolutelyblank," the uncle began hesitantly. "Perhaps, with your rich poeticimagination...."
"See?" old Osmond remarked with satisfaction. "The kid's brain-washed.I told you so."
* * * * *
"Even if The Belphin is a single entity," Ludovick went on, "thatdoesn't necessarily make him less benevolent----"
He was again interrupted by the grandfather. "I won't listen to anymore of this twaddle. Benevolent, bah! He or she or it or them is orare just plain exploiting us! Taking our mineral resources away--I'veseen 'em loading ore on the spaceships--and----"
"--and exchanging it for other resources from the stars," Ludovick saidtightly, "without which we could not have the perfectly balancedsociety we have today. Without which we would be, technologically, backin the dark ages from which they rescued us."
"It's not the stuff they bring in from outside that runs this technology,"the uncle said. "It's some power they've got that we can't seem to figureout. Though Lord knows we've tried," he added musingly.
"Of course they have their own source of power," Ludovick informedthem, smiling to himself, for his old Belphin teacher had taken greatcare to instill a sense of humor into him. "A Belphin was explainingthat to me only today."
Twenty heads swiveled toward him. He felt uncomfortable, for he was amodest young man and did not like to be the cynosure of all eyes.
"Tell us, dear boy," the uncle said, grabbing Ludovick's glass from theplinth and filling it, "what exactly did he say?"
"He said the Belphins rule through the power of love."
The glass crashed to the tesserae as the uncle uttered a very unworthyword.
"And I suppose it was love that killed Mieczyslaw and George when theytried to storm the Blue Tower----" old Osmond began, then halted at thelooks he was getting from everybody.
Ludovick could no longer pretend his neighbors were a group of eccentricswhom he himself was eccentric enough to regard as charming.
"So!" He stood up and wrapped his mantle about him. "I knew you wereagainst the government, and, of course, you have a legal right to disagreewith its policies, but I didn't think you were actual--actual--" hedredged a word up out of his schooldays--"_anarchists_."
He turned to the girl, who was looking thoughtful as she stroked theglittering jewel that always hung at her neck. "Corisande, how can youstay with these--" he found another word--"these _subversives_?"
She smiled sadly. "Don't forget: they're my family, Ludovick, and I owethem dutiful respect, no matter how pig-headed they are." She pressedhis hand. "But don't give up hope."
That rang a bell inside his brain. "I won't," he vowed, giving her handa return squeeze. "I promise I won't."
* * * * *
Outside the Flockhart villa, he paused, struggling with his inner self.It was an unworthy thing to inform upon one's neighbors; on the otherhand, could he stand idly by and let those neighbors attempt to destroythe social order? Deciding that the greater good was the moreimportant--and that, moreover, it was the only way of taking Corisandeaway from all this--he went in search of a Belphin. That is, he waiteduntil one glided past and called to him to leave the walk.
"I wish to report a conspiracy at No. 7 Mimosa Lane," he said. "Thegirl is innocent, but the others are in it to the hilt."
The Belphin appeared to think for a minute. Then he gave off a smile."Oh, them," he said. "We know. They are harmless."
"Harmless!" Ludovick repeated. "Why, I understand they've already triedto--to attack the Blue Tower by _force_!"
"Quite. And failed. For we are protected from hostile forces, as youwere told earlier, by the power of love."
Ludovick knew, of course, that the Belphin used the word _love_metaphorically, that the Tower was protected by a series of highlyefficient barriers of force to repel attackers--barriers which, herealized now, from the sad fate of Mieczyslaw and George, werepotentially lethal. However, he did not blame the Belphin for beingso cagy about his race's source of power, not with people like theFlockharts running about subverting and whatnot.
"You certainly do have a wonderful intercommunication system," hemurmured.
"Everything about us is wonderful," the Belphin said noncommittally."That's why we're so good to you people. Be happy!" And he was off.
But Ludovick could not be happy. He wasn't precisely sad yet, but hewas thoughtful. Of course the Belphins knew better than he did, butstill.... Perhaps they underestimated the seriousness of the Flockhartconspiracy. On the other hand, perhaps it was he who was taking theFlockharts too seriously. Maybe he should investigate further beforedoing anything rash.
Later that night, he slipped over to the Flockhart villa and nosedabout in the courtyard until he found the window behind which thefamily was conspiring. He peered through a chink in the curtains, sohe could both see and hear.
Corisande was saying, "And so I think there is a lot in what Ludovicksaid...."
Bless her, he thought emotionally. Even in the midst of her plotting,she had time to spare a kind word for him. And then it hit him: _she,too, was a plotter_.
"You suggest that we try to turn the power of love against the Belphins?"the uncle asked ironically.
Corisande gave a rippling laugh as she twirled her glittering pendant."In a manner of speaking," she said. "I have an idea for a secretweapon which might do the trick----"
* * * * *
At that moment, Ludovick stumbled over a jug which some carelessrelative had apparently left lying about the courtyard. It crashed tothe tesserae, spattering Ludovick's legs and sandals with a liquidwhich later proved to be extremely red wine.
"There's someone outside!" the uncle declared, half-rising.
"Nonsense!" Corisande said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "I didn'thear anything."
The uncle looked dubious, and Ludovick thought it prudent to withdrawat this point. Besides, he had heard enough. Corisande--his Corisande--wasan integral part of the conspiracy.
r /> He lay down to sleep that night beset by doubts. If he told theBelphins about the conspiracy, he would be betraying Corisande. As amatter of fact, he now remembered, he _had_ already told them aboutthe conspiracy and they hadn't believed him. But supposing he could_convince_ them, how could he give Corisande up to them? True, it wasthe right thing to do--but, for the first time in his life, he couldnot bring himself to do what he knew to be right. He was