Page:The council of seven.djvu/84

 up against the most powerful and certainly the most sinister force in the world to-day."

The Chief was frankly annoyed. "Nonsense! I refuse to believe anything of the kind. And in any event, no matter what its power, we are going to fight it. Tell Norton to come to me in half an hour."

The keenly intelligent face of Bennet Gage clouded heavily. With the look of a man who staggers under a blow, he went to the door. But as he got there, he changed his mind. Turning suddenly, he came back several paces into the room. "It's no use, sir." The voice was full of pain. "I know it's a subject on which you won't listen to advice. But it's one also in which I feel I must obey my deepest instinct. Frankly, I haven't your courage. So that if you have fully made up your mind to disregard these warnings, I must ask you to announce in to-morrow's Planet that I am no longer its editor."