THE COSMIC COMPUTER

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parole; the others accepted it. The newsmen were admitted to the
circular operating room and encouraged to send out views and
descriptions of everything. Then the lift controls were reinstalled, the
lid was put back on[Pg 183] top, and the only access to the room was
through the office below. The entrance to this was always guarded by
Zarel's soldiers or Brangwyn's police.

There were only a score of them who could be let in on the actual facts.
For the most part, they were the same men who had been in Fawzi's office
on the afternoon of Conn's return, a year and a half ago. A few
others?Anse Dawes, Jerry Rivas, and five computermen Conn had trained on
Koshchei?had to be trusted. Conn insisted on letting Sylvie Jacquemont
in on the revised Awful Truth About Merlin. They spent a lot of their
time together, in Travis's office, for the most part sunk in dejection.

They had finally found Merlin; now they must lose it. They were trying
to reconcile themselves and take comfort from the achievement, empty as