All's fair in love and war - and with the galaxy split in conflict between two implacable confederations, anything ought to go. Still, how do you plan the ambush and capture of a tremendously capable telepath? The intended victim, a weird genius from an uncharted world and the right arm of the enemy's general staff, not only knew everything everyone was thinking nearby, he could also read minds at a distance. So the problem posed to Dominic Flandry, Captain of Terran Intelligence, was a real killer. To make matters worse, the telepath in question was equally interested in putting Flandry out of commission. The fate of many planets depended on which of the two triumphed.