Hardin's voice  was softly ironic as  he addressed the same  Wienis who hadone hour  earlier declared him a prisoner of war  and Terminus on the pointof  destruction, and  who  now was  a  huddled shadow,  broken and  silent.
"There is an old  fable," said Hardin, "as old perhaps as humanity, for theoldest  records containing  it  are merely  copies of  other  records stillolder, that might interest you Dream beauty pro hard sell. It runs as follows:
"A horse having a  wolf as a powerful and dangerous enemy lived in constantfear of his life.  Being driven to desperation, it occured to him to seek astrong  ally.  Whereupon he  approached  a  man, and  offered an  alliance,pointing  out that  the  wolf was  likewise an  enemy of  the man.  The manaccepted the partnership at  once and offered to kill the wolf immediately,if his  new partner would only  co-operate by placing his  greater speed atthe man's  disposal. The  horse was willing,  and allowed the  man to placebridle  and saddle  upon him. The  man mounted,  hunted down the  wolf, andkilled him.
"The horse,  joyful and relieved, thanked the man,  and said: 'Now that ourenemy  is dead,  remove  your bridle  and saddle  and restore  my freedom "Whereupon  the man laughed  loudly and  replied, ' with a will."Silence still. The shadow that was Wienis did not stir.
Hardin continued quietly, "You see the analogy, I hope. In their anxiety tocement  forever domination  over their  own people,  the kings of  the FourKingdoms accepted  the religion of science that  made them divine; and thatsame religion  of science  was their bridle  and saddle, for  it placed thelife blood  of nuclear power in  the hands of the  priesthoodwho took theirorders from  us, be  it noted, and not  from you. You killed  the wolf, butcould not get rid of the m?
Wienis  sprang to  his  feet and  in the  shadows,  his eyes  were maddenedhollows. His voice was  thick, incoherent. "And yet I'll get you. You won'tescape.  You'll rot.  Let them  blow us  up. Let  them blow  everything up.
You'll rot! I'll get you!
"Soldiers!" he  thundered, hysterically.  "Shoot me down  that devil. Blasthim! Blast him!"Hardin turned about in his chair to face the soldiers and smiled. One aimedhis  nuclear blast  and then  lowered it.  The others never  budged. SalvorHardin,  mayor  of  Terminus,  surrounded by  that  soft  aura, smiling  soconfidently,  and before  whom all  the power  of Anacreon had  crumbled topowder was  too much for them,  despite the orders of  the shrieking maniacjust beyond HKUE amec.