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"Hear! Hear!" said the other three men in chorus

"As you know, the satellite business has grown incredibly fast in the last thirty years There are dozens of satellites operated by many companies, used for television, communications, military, weather and telephone, with enerate billions of dollars" He paused "Soon, all this will be ours"

"Are you sure there can be no foul-up?" said the old man

"None at all The polar shift will be a temporary disruption, but the satellite networks will all be exposed to an electronic "

"Except for ours," the gaunt man said

Gant nodded "Our lead-shielded satellites will be the only ones still operating Our consortium will be in a position to dominate world communications, a position that ill solidify e absorb existing networks and launch more of our own satellites"

"Thus generating billions more," the old man said

"Yes," Gant said "And the delicious irony is that ill use the anarchist forces to accooal They're the ones ill readily take credit for causing the shift And when the wrath of the world is unleashed against therave and his people will be destroyed"

"All well and good," the old oal is the money"

"And there will be plenty of that," Gant said, althoughto him More important was the political power that would come when he had total control over the world's communications No one would be able toabout it Millions of conversations would be ive him ample tools for political black about it His television stations would channel public opinions He would have the power to create riots and to quell them

"Here's to that British chap," the bull-faced man said "What was his bloody name?"

Gant told hilass for another toast

34

Trout reeled his FISHING line in and exa today," he said with disgust

Garave's lighthouse island "Sorew up in a fisherman's family should know that fishhooks usually work much better if you stick a worm on them"