“We had hopes of a fruitful liaison between the two worlds, but in this we were bitterly disappointed.”
The general turned to the bald man whom he had introduced as Chief Inspector Bale.
“Chief Inspector,” he said, “will you take up the account at this point?”
Bale sat up in his chair, folded his hands, and began.
“In September 1948 two senior agents of Imperial Intelligence were dispatched with temporary rank of Career Minister and full diplomatic accreditization, to negotiate an agreement with the leaders of the National People’s State. This political unit actually embraces most of the inhabitable world of the B-I Two line. A series of frightful wars, employing some sort of radioactive explosives, had destroyed the better part of civilization.
“Europe was a shambles. We found that t
