Chapter 8. _The Veil of Venus_

In an artificially constructed chamber somewhere in the solar system, an intelligent being sat before a bank of instruments that was designed to bring to his attention various factors concerning the things that mattered to his species. This being had been on duty for the average length of time such a duty entailed and had been paying little conscious attention to the routine--for there had been nothing to report for some time. The drop in channeling from Planet III that had occurred some time ago had thus far not c…