“And the highest form of life there is a weed; a hideous monstrosity, shaped something like an octopus, and capable of the most horrible—­” He stopped abruptly, remembering that one of his hearers was a woman.  “Never mind about that now.”

He indicated another of the little books.  “I think we will do well to investigate a planet which the Venusians call ‘Sanus.’  It belongs to the tremendous planetary family of the giant star Arcturus.  I haven’t read any details at all; I didn’t want to know more than you.  We can proceed with our discoveries on an equal footing.”

“But,” objected Smith, recalling the previous methods, “how are we to put our minds in touch with any of theirs, unless we know enough about them to imagine their view-points?”

“Our knowledge of their planet’s name and location,” replied the doctor, “makes it easier for us.  All we have to do is to go into the telepathic state, via the Venusian formula; then, at the same time, each must concentrate upon some definite mental quality, some particular characteristic of his own mind, which he or she wishes to find on Sanus.  It makes no difference what it may be; all you have to do is, exert your imaginations a little.”

There was a pause, broken by Smith:  “We ought to tell each other what we have in mind, so that we don’t conflict.”

“Yes.  For my part,” said the doctor, “I’d like to get in touch with a being who is mildly rebellious; not a violent radical, but a philosophical revolutionist.  I don’t care what sort of a creature he, she, or it may be, so long as the mind is in revolt against whatever injustice may exist.”

“Then I,” stated Smith, “will stick to the idea of service.  Nobody was surprised that the engineer should make such a choice; he was, first, last, and all the time, essentially a useful man.”

Van Emmon was not ready with his choice.  Instead:  “You say, doc, that you know nothing further about Sanus than what you’ve already told us?”

“I was about to mention that.  The Venusians say that conditions are reversed from what we found on Capellette.  Instead of Sanus being ruled by a small body of autocrats, it is—­ruled by the working class!”

“Under the circumstances,” said Van, “I’ll take something different from what I got last time.  No imperiousness this trip.”  He smiled grimly.  “There was a time when I used to take orders.  Suppose you call my choice ‘subordinacy.’”

“How very noble of you!” gibed Billie.  “My idea is supremacy, and plenty of it!  I want to get in touch with the man higher up—­the worker who is boss of the whole works!” She flashed a single glance at her husband, then threw herself back in her chair.  “Go ahead!”

And before two minutes were up, the power of concerted thought, aided by a common objective and the special electrical circuit which joined them, had projected the minds of the four across the infinite depths of space.  The vast distance which separated their bodies from Sanus was annihilated, literally as quick as thought.