iend will be released upon the population to work his will again。 Fortunately； there is a new tool that can be used。 It is called psychotherapy。 It is that which will be employed。 And I shall use my new powers to see that it is properly applied。 So I promise you that the matter of Gris will be successfully concluded to the satisfaction of everyone。〃
The crowd was confused。 Then they began to get the idea that psychotherapy must be some kind of torture。 They began to cheer。
Lombar came to the last paragraph of his speech。 He waited for a lull and then he boomed it out； 〃O population of the Confederacy！ I promise you that I and all the other officers of the Apparatus； honest； unimpeachable and dedicated； will bring peace and order to the state no matter WHAT we have to do。 I thank you！〃
Delight raged。 Lombar came down off the platform feet taller than he had climbed up it。
The two Death Battalions stood there dumbfounded。 Their officers had to scream at them to block back the surging crowds so Lombar could get into his tank。 The din of cheering for Lombar was deafening。 He stood in the turret and waved。 His tank took off。
〃My Gods； Madison；〃 he said； 〃your genius is almost as great as mine。 But this post of dictator； won't it have to pass the Grand Council？〃
Madison handed him the G。 C。 order； all stamped and signed。 Only two members had been present but the pages were good pages。 They had done what Teenie told them to。
〃A man named Napoleon；〃 said Madison； 〃moved from dictator to emperor with ease。〃
〃GODS！〃 said Lombar； quivering。 And for minutes he just stared into space。
It was not until they were flying across the Great Desert that Lombar spoke again。 〃You know； this opens the door to total cooperation by the Army and the Fleet。 We will be able to handle both Calabar and Earth with ease。 You seem to have solved everything。 But I do have one question。 What is this thing called psychotherapy？ Some new long…distance method of execution？〃
〃You leave that to me；〃 said Madison。
Lombar nodded and forgot about it。
PART EIGHTY
Chapter 1
Madison was handling the 〃psychotherapy。〃
He was in the observation slot back of the wall behind the eightieth…floor townhouse auditorium。 He was grinning。 This had to work； and when it did he would have his trial。 And with the Gris trial； he would have Heller。
The editorials in the papers had been a very mixed lot on the subject of Lombar's speech； none of them less stunned than Madison's own staff。 On his return his reporters and crew had said； 〃We made a dictator； bango； just like that！ But what's a 'dictator；' Chief？〃 Some of the papers were of the opinion that a 〃dictator〃 was one who spoke into a dictating machine。 Others； since the word had been translated directly over into literal Voltarian； said that it was a more forceful kind of spokesman and was a natural outgrowth from that earlier title。 But the majority seemed to gather that Lombar had assumed much more embracive powers and； if the Grand Council order had not been showing up on their consoles； they would have had to assume that Lombar had authored some kind of a coup； they were not at all sure what。 But none of the papers missed the point that the Apparatus was suddenly the senior force of the state。
The Apparatus didn't miss it。 Their officers； with few exceptions jailbirds； joked to one another about their 〃unimpeachable reputations〃 and their 〃honor。〃 They began to put on airs。 Apparatus officers had never dared go into the better hotels and restaurants and clubs； and suddenly it pleased their fancy to show up and bully waiters and managers around。 Apparatus troops began at once a game of holding arms and walking up streets shoving everyone else off the walks。 Underpaid and unpaid； they began to find ways of being paid。
But Madison ignored all that。 He was on to bigger game： Heller。 His ways of arriving there were entirely PR。 Deadly！
This 〃psychotherapy〃 action had begun with his discovery of a postcard in the Gris dossier。 It said：
SOLTAN GRIS！
YOO…HOO； WHEREVER YOU ARE。
The baby came on schedule and he's beautiful。It's a he。
Now； I don't want to have to go to your superior officer and make a fuss。 It would be much nicer just to climb in bed with you。 So when are you going to turn up and do the right thing and marry me？
Pratia
PS： Any manding officer： You can e out and see me about this any time you like。 I hope you're handsome。 I am very pretty again now that my belly is flat and we can talk it all over。 What do you like for
breakfast？ I can be found at Minx Estates； Pausch Hills。
PPS： It has the softest beds and the loveliest swimming pool and a summerhouse with a bed in it。 Smack。 Smack。
Now； Madison had known better than to put his handsome face in that trap。 So he had sent the director and one of the circus girls dressed as people of fashion and an actor as Gris's 〃manding officer。〃
Now； here in the auditorium； a hundred ladies of the 〃club〃 were gathered in breathtaking suspense； and Madison's grin widened as he peered through the slot from which he could view them。 Although many were middle…aged； they looked in full bloom。 They had recaptured some of their lost youth and life； viewed through a marijuana haze and sex； and seemed remarkably attractive。
Crobe took the stand。 This time they'd kept the LSD away from him； and expecting more if he delivered； he was on his good behavior。 The little speaker was in his ear and all he had to do was repeat the script being read over it。
〃Ladies of quality； ladies of fashion； ladies of sparkling eyes and resurged youth；〃 Crobe began…and it was pretty good even though he was saying it in a very flat voice … 〃I know how concerned you have been about the state's reluctance to try the insane lunatic Gris。 As you doubtless read or saw on Homeview； Lombar Hisst； Dictator of Voltar； promised that psychotherapy would be attempted in the Gris case。
〃Now the grave danger； ladies； is that Gris will be released upon the public totally insane； that he will continue to slaughter and burn and rampage throughout a helpless population。
〃Hisst； poorly advised； directly ordered me to attempt a solution through psychotherapy。 It was reasoned that if the foul fiend could be made sane； it would then be safe to turn him loose。
〃I demurred。 I tried to point out that this criminal lunatic Gris was entirely off the Freudian scale。 Most of you heard the lecture where I took that up took that up took go on go on。
〃I said to Hisst； 'The chances of success are so remote they are not worth。。。 calculating。' He ordered me to do it anyway。 Then I told him that anyone chosen to do this thing might very well be facing certain death。 But he said； 'What is one woman more or less？ Find a volunteer and make her do it！〃'
〃The brute！〃 ran the whisper around the room。
〃Now； as you know you know you know quit repeating； according to Freud； sex is the basis of everything。 If the true sexual basis of a criminal could be awakened； he would reform and bee sane。 That is proven scientific fact like all psychiatry。
〃So what will be attempted is to bring light into the life of Gris in the hope that it will reform him； bring him back to sanity and remove him as a threat from our society。〃
The women nodded。
〃But；〃 cried Crobe； 〃as I told Hisst； the experiment； while noble； has two drawbacks： one； the chances of this working on somebody totally off the classification scale are almost nonexistent； and two； it is almost certain death for the volunteer。 Shout yet we have actually found a volunteer。〃
Crobe stood there； since no words were ing into his earphone now。 An usher led forward the volunteer。
It was the Widow Tayl！
She was dressed in purest white。 She looked virginal。 Her head was bent forward； her smoothly straight hair fell across her face。 She clasped her hands in front of her。 She had been directed to perfection； to look like a maiden being brought before the altar in a primitive sacrifice。 She stood before them； eyes cast down。
〃This woman；〃 said Crobe； 〃in a spirit of purest patriotism； is willing to risk her life in this undertaking。 I regard with awe her devotion and fearlessness in servicing。。。 serving the state and people。 I give you Pratia Tayl wait for applause。〃
The assem