'' Mind against machine. Will it work, I wonder? Will it?”

''It must, Father. ''

“Do you understand the consequences of failure, Tomi? It is an awesome responsibility.” He sat brooding. Ruth opened her mouth. Tomi shook his head and she shut it again.

“Very well.” The Overlord's hand slapped the table. “We will risk it all on this one chance.” He smiled wrily. “I never thought I was a gambler.”

DURING THE NEXT day a few people in Ark One were extremely busy, though for the rest life went on in its accustomed way.

Secretly a message was passed among the slaves.

“Tonight we escape. Go to bed as usual. There will be no drug. Pretend to be asleep.”

“Wait for Seventy-Three to come with the word and the way. ''

“Into the light and out of the dark…” “At last!”

The murmur was passed from house slaves to cleaners, from kitchen skivvies to the muckshovellers down in the gloom of level Five. It was like a breeze that shivered the grass for an instant and then passed. Every slave heard the freedom words, but only the slaves.

But the Captain of the Ark's Guard was no fool. He was Captain because he still had a natural instinct, over and above the computer information that bombarded his brain. The computer told him that all was well in the city, but his sixth sense brought him to the Overlord's office.

“What do you mean - trouble?”

“I can't say, my Lord. I just know. There's something in the air. Something big.”

“Hmm. Any ideas about how to deal with it?”

“That's up to you, my Lord.” The man stood stiffly in front of the Overlord's desk.

“Well, you usually know what you're talking about.” The Overlord unlocked a drawer and drew out a small square package. “Make sure that this goes into the slaves' food tonight instead of the regular medication. Instead, remember, not as well as. We don't want a thousand poisoned slaves on our hands.”

“This will do the trick?” The Captain weighed the package in his hand.

“It'll knock the ambition right out of them. And they'll sleep like babies. But it's strong, dangerous if it's used too often. You are sure that something's going on out at the perimeter?”

“As sure as I can be, my Lord.”

“Very well. This will take care of the slaves for tonight. I will program your 'hunch' into the computer. Have your men at full alert tomorrow and we'll get to the bottom of this.”