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<v Speaker 1>Chapter four of The Vortex Splaster makes War by E. E. Smith.

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<v Speaker 1>This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter four,

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<v Speaker 1>Two Worlds for Conquest. When Luda had given him the

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<v Speaker 1>entire picture, Cloud saw that it was far from bright.

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<v Speaker 1>D'arjeeb's coup had been planned with surpassing care and been

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<v Speaker 1>executed brilliantly. His spies and fifth columnists had known exactly

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<v Speaker 1>what to do, and had done it in perfect synchronization,

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<v Speaker 1>with the armed forces striking from without. Drugged betrayed by

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<v Speaker 1>her own officers, Luda had been carried off without a struggle.

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<v Speaker 1>She did not know just how far reaching the stroke

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<v Speaker 1>had been, but she feared that most of the fortresses

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<v Speaker 1>were now held by the enemy. Ou Hall probably had

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<v Speaker 1>the advantage in numbers and in power of soldiers and warships.

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<v Speaker 1>Then upon, moon Archie would not have made his bid

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<v Speaker 1>unless he had been able in some way to get

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<v Speaker 1>around the treaty of strict equality in armament. The Hill was, however,

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<v Speaker 1>much the nearer of the two worlds. Therefore, if this

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<v Speaker 1>initial advantage could be overcome, to Hill's main forces could

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<v Speaker 1>be brought into action much sooner than could the enemies,

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<v Speaker 1>And if In addition, the vortex could be extinguished before

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<v Speaker 1>it had done too much irreparable damage. Neither side would

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<v Speaker 1>have any real tactical advantage, and the conflict would subside

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<v Speaker 1>instead of flaring up into another world. Girdling Holocaust Cloud

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<v Speaker 1>would have to do something. But what That vortex had

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<v Speaker 1>to be snuffed out, but defended as it was by

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<v Speaker 1>Uhollians in the air and upon the ground. How could

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<v Speaker 1>he make the approach? His vortex bombing flitter was screened

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<v Speaker 1>only against the frequencies of atomic disintegration. She could not

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<v Speaker 1>ward off for a minute the beams of Eva, the

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<v Speaker 1>feeblest ship of war. His cruiser was clothed to stop

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<v Speaker 1>anything short of a Maler's primary blasts, but there was

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<v Speaker 1>no possible way of using her as a vehicle from

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<v Speaker 1>which to bomb the vortex out of existence. He had

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<v Speaker 1>to analyze the thing first, preferably from a fixed ground station.

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<v Speaker 1>Then two, His special instruments were all in the flitter

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<v Speaker 1>and the cruiser had no bomb tubes. How could he

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<v Speaker 1>use what he had to clear a station? The cruiser

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<v Speaker 1>had no offensive beams, no ordinary bombs, no neckabombs. Droumia map.

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<v Speaker 1>Will you please, Luda, he asked she did so, the

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<v Speaker 1>cratered vortex where an Immitz building had once been the

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<v Speaker 1>ring of fortresses, two of which were unusually far apart,

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<v Speaker 1>separated by a parkway and a shallow lagoon. Shallow how deep?

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<v Speaker 1>Cloud interrupted? She indicated a depth of a couple of feet.

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<v Speaker 1>That's not map. Then thanks, the physicist ruminated, you seem

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<v Speaker 1>to be quite an engineer. Can you give me details

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<v Speaker 1>on your power plants, screen generators and so on? She could.

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<v Speaker 1>Complex mathematical equations flashed through his mind, each leaving a

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<v Speaker 1>residue effect. Can be done, maybe to bins. He turned

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<v Speaker 1>to the Chickladorian. Are you a pilot or just an

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<v Speaker 1>emergency assignment pilot? Master? Pilot rating? Unlimited tonnage or space? Good?

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<v Speaker 1>Think you're in shape to take three thousand centimeters of acceleration?

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<v Speaker 1>Pretty sure of it. If I was right, I could

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<v Speaker 1>take it standing on my head without a harness, and

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<v Speaker 1>I'm feeling better all the time. Let's hodder up and

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<v Speaker 1>find out. Not until after we've unloaded the passengers somewhere.

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<v Speaker 1>Cloud went on with the aid of Luna's map to

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<v Speaker 1>explain exactly what he had in mind. Afraid it can't

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<v Speaker 1>be done. The pilot shook his head glumly. Your timing

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<v Speaker 1>has got to be too ungodly fine. I can do

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<v Speaker 1>the piloting, determine power to mass ratio, measure the blast,

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<v Speaker 1>and so on. I'm not afraid of balancing her down

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<v Speaker 1>on her tail. I can hold her steady to a centimeter.

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<v Speaker 1>But pottane's only half the job you want. Pilots don't

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<v Speaker 1>ever land on a constant blast, and the leeway you

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<v Speaker 1>allow here is damn near zero. To hit as close

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<v Speaker 1>as you want, your timing has got to be accurate,

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<v Speaker 1>pretty near to her tenth of a second. You don't

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<v Speaker 1>know it, friend, but it'd take a master computer an

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<v Speaker 1>hour too. I know all about that. I am a

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<v Speaker 1>master computer, and I'll have everything figured. I'll give you your

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<v Speaker 1>zero in plenty of time. U X. Then what are

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<v Speaker 1>we waiting for to unload the passengers? Luda? Do you

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<v Speaker 1>know of a place where they will be safe? And

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<v Speaker 1>maybe you had better send a message to de Hill

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<v Speaker 1>to call out your army and navy. We can't blow

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<v Speaker 1>out that vortex until we control the city, both in

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<v Speaker 1>the air and on the ground. That message was sent

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<v Speaker 1>long since they are even now in space. We will

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<v Speaker 1>land your women there, She pointed to a spot upon

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<v Speaker 1>the plate. They landed, but three of the women would

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<v Speaker 1>not leave the vessel. The monarkin declared that she had

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<v Speaker 1>to stay aboard to take care of the patient. Why

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<v Speaker 1>would happened if he passed out again with nobody except

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<v Speaker 1>laymen around. She was right, Cloud conceited, and she could

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<v Speaker 1>take it. She was a monarchan built of well bone

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<v Speaker 1>and rubber. She would bend under three g's but she

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<v Speaker 1>wouldn't break. The squatty insisted upon staying. Since Wynn had

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<v Speaker 1>a woman of taminga hidden from danger or run away

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<v Speaker 1>from a good fight, she could help the pilot hold

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<v Speaker 1>his head up through an acceleration that would put Cloud

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<v Speaker 1>into a pack, or give her that durineo ax and

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<v Speaker 1>she'd show him how it ought to be swung. The

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<v Speaker 1>Ceckladorian girl, too, remained aboard, her eyes not pink but

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<v Speaker 1>deep cool green, brimming with unshead tears flashed at the

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<v Speaker 1>idea of leaving her man to die alone. She just

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<v Speaker 1>knew that they were all going to die, even if

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<v Speaker 1>she couldn't be of any use, even if she did

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<v Speaker 1>have to be in a hammock, What of it if

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<v Speaker 1>her Thalaskin died. She was going to die too, and

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<v Speaker 1>that was all there was to it. If they made

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<v Speaker 1>her go asure, she'd cut her own throat right then.

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<v Speaker 1>So there and that was that. A dozen armed Dehilians

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<v Speaker 1>came aboard, as pre arranged, and the cruiser blasted off. Then,

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<v Speaker 1>while Thalaskin was maneuvering Inert to familiarize himself with the

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<v Speaker 1>control and to calibrate, the blast cloud, brought out the

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<v Speaker 1>four semi portable projectors. They were fright weapons, so heavy

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<v Speaker 1>that it took a strong man to lift one upon Earth,

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<v Speaker 1>so heavy that they were designed to be mounted upon

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<v Speaker 1>a massive tripod. While in use, they carried no batteries

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<v Speaker 1>or accumulators, but were powered by tight beams from the

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<v Speaker 1>mother ship. Luda was right. Such weapons were unknown in

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<v Speaker 1>that solar system. They had no beam transmission of power.

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<v Speaker 1>The Dahillian warriors radiated glee as they studied the things.

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<v Speaker 1>They had more powerful stuff, of course, but it was

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<v Speaker 1>all fixed, mount wired, solid, and far too heavy to move.

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<v Speaker 1>This was wonderful. These were magnificent weapons. Indeed, high above

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<v Speaker 1>the stratosphere Inert, the pilot found his exact location and

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<v Speaker 1>flipped the cruiser around so that her stern pointed directly

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<v Speaker 1>toward his objective upon the planet beneath. Then, using his

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<v Speaker 1>forward braking jets drivers, he blasted her straight downward. She

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<v Speaker 1>struck atmosphere almost with a thud. Only her fiercely driven

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<v Speaker 1>meteorite screens and wall shields kept her intact. I hope

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<v Speaker 1>you know what you're doing, jum, the pilot remarked conversationally,

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<v Speaker 1>as the scene enlarged upon his plate with appalling rapidity.

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<v Speaker 1>I've made hot landings before, but I always figured on

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<v Speaker 1>having a hair or two of leeway. If you don't

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<v Speaker 1>hit this to a hundredth we're going to splash. When

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<v Speaker 1>we strike. We won't bounce. I can compute zero time

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<v Speaker 1>to one thousands, and I can set the clicker to

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<v Speaker 1>within a hundredth but it's you that'll have to do

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<v Speaker 1>the real hitting. Cloud grinned back at the iron nerved pilot.

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<v Speaker 1>Sure a four second call is enough for you to

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<v Speaker 1>get your rhythm, allow for reaction time, and leg and

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<v Speaker 1>blast exactly on the click. Absolutely, if I can't get

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<v Speaker 1>it in four, I can't get it at all. Pretty

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<v Speaker 1>close now, uh huh, Cloud staring at the electromagnetic reflection altimeter,

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<v Speaker 1>which indicated continuously their exact distance above objective, began to

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<v Speaker 1>sway his shoulders. He was more than a master computer.

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<v Speaker 1>He knew, without being able to explain how, he knew,

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<v Speaker 1>every mathematical fact and factor of the problem. Its solution

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<v Speaker 1>was complete. He knew the exact point in space and

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<v Speaker 1>the exact instant in time at which the calculated deceleration

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<v Speaker 1>must begin. By the aid of the sweet second hand

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<v Speaker 1>of the chronometer, one full revolution of the dial every second.

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<v Speaker 1>He was now setting the clicking mechanism so that it

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<v Speaker 1>would announce that instant. His hand swayed back and forth.

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<v Speaker 1>A finger snapped down, and the sharp toned instrument began

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<v Speaker 1>to give out its crisp, precisely spaced clicks got in

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<v Speaker 1>on the hair cloud snapped get ready to Alaskan seconds

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<v Speaker 1>four three two one click. Exactly Upon the click, the

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<v Speaker 1>cruiser's driving blasts smashed on. There was a cruelly wrenching

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<v Speaker 1>shock as everything aboard acquired suddenly a more than three

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<v Speaker 1>times earthly weight. The Dehillians merely twitched. The tomigan, standing

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<v Speaker 1>behind the pilot's seat, supporting and steadying his wounded head

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<v Speaker 1>in its rest, settled almost perceptibly but her firmly gentle

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<v Speaker 1>hands did not yield a millimeter. The nurse sank deeply

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<v Speaker 1>into the cushioned bench upon which she was lying, her

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<v Speaker 1>quick bright eyes remaining fixed upon her patient. The Chickladorian

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<v Speaker 1>girl in her hammock fainted quietly and downward. The big

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<v Speaker 1>ship hurtled tail first directly toward the now glowing screens

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<v Speaker 1>of a fortress driving jets or not orthodox weapons, but

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<v Speaker 1>properly replied, they can become efficient ones, indeed, and these

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<v Speaker 1>were being applied with micrometric exactitude. Down, down, down. The

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<v Speaker 1>frantic Uhoalians thought that it was crashing, thought it a

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<v Speaker 1>suicide ship. Nevertheless, they fought it. The threatened fortress and

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<v Speaker 1>its neighbors hurled out their every beam. The Euhualian ships

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<v Speaker 1>dive frantically at the invader and tried their best to

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<v Speaker 1>blast her down in vain. The cruiser's screens carried the

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<v Speaker 1>load effortlessly down she drove. The Fortress's screens flamed ever brighter,

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<v Speaker 1>radiating ever higher under the terrific bombardment, closer hotter. Nor

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<v Speaker 1>did the frightful blast waver appreciably. The Czeckladorian was a

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<v Speaker 1>master pilot down set up a plus ten Alaskan Cloud

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<v Speaker 1>ordered quietly, I missed it a bit air dense, and

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<v Speaker 1>the beams give it to her on the third click

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<v Speaker 1>from this plus ten it is sir on a bare

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<v Speaker 1>hundred yards now, and the ship of Space was still

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<v Speaker 1>plunging earthward at terrific speed. The screens were furiously incandescent.

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<v Speaker 1>But we're still holding one hundred feet velocity appallingly high.

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<v Speaker 1>The enemy's screens still up. Something would have to give now.

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<v Speaker 1>If that screen stood up, the ship must surely strike

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<v Speaker 1>it and vanish as she did so. But the Alaskan,

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<v Speaker 1>the Cickladorian, made no move, nor spoke no word to

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<v Speaker 1>hike his blast. If the skipper was willing to bet

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<v Speaker 1>his own life on his computations, who was he to squawk?

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<v Speaker 1>But was it possible that Cloud had miscalculated? No, While

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<v Speaker 1>the mighty vessels driving projectors were still a few yards away,

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<v Speaker 1>defending screens exploded into blackness. The full awful streams of

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<v Speaker 1>energy raved directly into the structures beneath metal and stone.

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<v Speaker 1>Glared white, then flowed sluggishly at first, but ever faster

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<v Speaker 1>and more mobile, then boiled coruscuently into vapor. The cruiser slowed, stopped,

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<v Speaker 1>seemed to hang poised, Then slowly, reluctantly, she moved upward,

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<v Speaker 1>her dreadful exhausts, continuing the devastation. That's computin, mister, the

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<v Speaker 1>pilot breed to figure a dive like that right on

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<v Speaker 1>the nose and then have the guts to hold her

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<v Speaker 1>cold the skipper. That's computation, all yours, pilot, Cloud demurred,

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<v Speaker 1>All I did was give you the dope. You're the

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<v Speaker 1>guy that made it good. High in the stratosphere, the

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<v Speaker 1>Chickladorian cut the acceleration to a thousand, and Cloud took stock.

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<v Speaker 1>Hurt anybody nobody was q X. We'll repeat then on

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<v Speaker 1>the other side of the lagoon. And as the cruiser

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<v Speaker 1>began to descend upon the new course, the vengeful Pahelian

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<v Speaker 1>fleet arrived upon the scene, looping, diving, beaming, often crashing

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<v Speaker 1>in suicidal collision. The two factions went maniacally to war

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<v Speaker 1>friend and fall alike, however, avoided the plunging Tellurian ship,

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<v Speaker 1>that monster they had learned with, the thing about which

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<v Speaker 1>they could do nothing. The second fortress fell exactly as

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<v Speaker 1>the first had fallen, and as the pilot brought the

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<v Speaker 1>cruiser gently to ground in the middle of the shallow lake.

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<v Speaker 1>Clouds saw that the Dhilians, overwhelmingly the period in numbers,

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<v Speaker 1>now had cleared the air of the ships of Oohul.

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<v Speaker 1>Can you fellows and your ships keep them off of

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<v Speaker 1>my flitter while I take my readings, he demanded, we can?

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<v Speaker 1>The eighties radiated happily. Four of the armored bone heads

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<v Speaker 1>were wearing these semi portables. They had them perched lightly

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<v Speaker 1>atop their feeding heads, held immovably in place by two

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<v Speaker 1>huge arms apiece. One hand sufficed to operate the controls,

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<v Speaker 1>leaving two hands free to whatever else might prove an order.

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<v Speaker 1>Let us out. The lock opened. The Ghelian warriors sprang

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<v Speaker 1>out and splashed away to meet the foot soldiers who

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<v Speaker 1>were already advancing into the lagoon. Cloud watched pure carnage

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<v Speaker 1>for a few minutes. He hoped, Yes, there they were.

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<v Speaker 1>The loyalists, seeing that their cause was not lost after all,

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<v Speaker 1>had hastily armed themselves and were coming into the fray.

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<v Speaker 1>There would be no tanks. The navy was seated that

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<v Speaker 1>the blaster broke out his flitter, then set it down

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<v Speaker 1>near the vortex and made his observations. Everything was normal.

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<v Speaker 1>The Sigma curve was the spectacularly unpredictable thing which he

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<v Speaker 1>had come to expect. He selected three bombs from the

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<v Speaker 1>cruiser's vast store, loaded them into the tubes, and lofted.

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<v Speaker 1>He set his screens, adjusted his goggles, and waited, while

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<v Speaker 1>far above him and wide around him, his guardian Dahelian

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<v Speaker 1>war vessels toured watchfully, their drumming blasts say reassuring thunder.

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<v Speaker 1>He waited, eyeing the Sigma curve as it flowed backward

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<v Speaker 1>from the tracking pen until finally he could get a

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<v Speaker 1>satisfactory ten second prediction. That is, he knew the ten seconds,

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<v Speaker 1>thence the activity of the vortex would match closely enough

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<v Speaker 1>one of his bombs. He shot his flitter forward, solving

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<v Speaker 1>instantaneously the problems of velocity and trajectory. At exactly the

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<v Speaker 1>correct instant he released the bomb. He swung his little

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<v Speaker 1>bomber asad went innersiless. The bomb sped truly into that

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<v Speaker 1>awful crater, through that fantastic hel of heat and of

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<v Speaker 1>lethal radiation and of noxious gas. It struck the vortex

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<v Speaker 1>itself dead center. It penetrated just deeply enough the extremely

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<v Speaker 1>refractory casing of neocarbaloi, so carefully computed as to thickness,

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<v Speaker 1>held just long enough, the carefully weighted charge of duo

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<v Speaker 1>duc exploded, its energy and that of the vortex, combining

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<v Speaker 1>in a detonation whose like no inhabitant of that solar

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<v Speaker 1>system had even dimly imagined. The gases and the pall

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<v Speaker 1>of smoke and pulverized tufa blew aside the frightful waves

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<v Speaker 1>of fluid lava quite it down. The vortex was out

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<v Speaker 1>and would remain out. The vortex. Blaster went back to

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<v Speaker 1>his cruiser and stored his flitter away. Oh you did it. Thanks,

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't believe really that you, that anybody could do it.

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<v Speaker 1>Luda was almost hysterical in her joyous relief. Nothing to it.

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<v Speaker 1>Cloud depreciated, How are your folks coming along with the

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<v Speaker 1>mopping up practically clean? Luda answered grimly, We now know

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<v Speaker 1>who is who. I think those who fought against us

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<v Speaker 1>or who did not fight for us very soon will

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<v Speaker 1>be dead. But the Uhoalian fleet comes, does yours ours

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<v Speaker 1>goes to meet it. In moments, wait a minute, Cloud

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<v Speaker 1>sat down at his plate, made observations and measurements, calculated. Mentally,

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<v Speaker 1>he energized his longest range communicator and conferred briefly, the

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<v Speaker 1>Uhalian fleet will be here in seven hours and eighteen minutes.

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<v Speaker 1>If your people go out to meet them, it will

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<v Speaker 1>mean war that not even the patrol can stop without

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<v Speaker 1>destroying practically all of the ships and men you have

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<v Speaker 1>in space. The patrol flotilla will arrive in seven hours

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<v Speaker 1>thirty one minutes. Therefore, I suggest that you hold your

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<v Speaker 1>fleet here in formation, but quiescent under instructions not to

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<v Speaker 1>move until you yourself signal them to do so, while

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<v Speaker 1>you and I go out and see if we can't

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<v Speaker 1>stop the Euhulians. Stop them. Ludas thought, was a distinctly

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<v Speaker 1>unladylike one with what prey, I don't know. Cloud confessed,

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<v Speaker 1>but it wouldn't do any harm to try, would it? No,

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<v Speaker 1>probably not, and so it was done. All the way out,

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<v Speaker 1>Cloud pondered ways and means. Asked the cruiser near the

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<v Speaker 1>on rushing fleet. He sent a quick thought to Luda

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<v Speaker 1>Darjeeb is undoubtedly with that fleet. He knows that this

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<v Speaker 1>is the only inertial ship in this part of space.

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<v Speaker 1>He wants it more than he wants anything else in

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<v Speaker 1>the universe. Now, if we could only make him listen

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<v Speaker 1>to reason, if we could make him see, he broke

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<v Speaker 1>off no soap, you couldn't explain green to the blind.

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<v Speaker 1>These folks didn't know and wouldn't believe what real power was.

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<v Speaker 1>Any One of those oncoming patrol super dreadnoughts could blast

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<v Speaker 1>both of these combined fleets clear out of space. Those

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<v Speaker 1>primary beams were starkly incredible to anyone who had never

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<v Speaker 1>seen them in action. Thehulians didn't stand the chance of

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<v Speaker 1>a fly under a mallet, but they would have to

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<v Speaker 1>be killed before they'd believe it. A damn shame too,

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<v Speaker 1>the joy, the satisfaction, the real advancement possible only through

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<v Speaker 1>cooperation with each other and with the millions of races

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<v Speaker 1>of galactic civilization. If there were only some means of

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<v Speaker 1>making them believe we and they do believe. Luda broke

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<v Speaker 1>in upon his somber musings, Huh what you do? You

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<v Speaker 1>were listening? Cloud exclaimed, Certainly at your first thought, I

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<v Speaker 1>put myself on rapport with dhar Jib, and he and

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<v Speaker 1>his people. All of us listened to your thoughts. But

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<v Speaker 1>you really believe me? We believe all of us but

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<v Speaker 1>some will cooperate only as far as it seems to

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<v Speaker 1>serve their own ends to do so. Your linsman, if

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<v Speaker 1>they are able to, will undoubtedly have to kill that insect.

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<v Speaker 1>Dharjib and the insulted Uhalien drove in a protesting thought,

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<v Speaker 1>but Luda went, call me on. You think, then, to

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<v Speaker 1>Laurian that your linsman can cope with even such as

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<v Speaker 1>dar Jib of ooh Hal, I'll say they can. It

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<v Speaker 1>is well, then come aboard Dharjeb. Unarmed and unarmored as

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<v Speaker 1>I am, we will together go to confer with these

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<v Speaker 1>visiting lindsmen of galactic civilization. It is understood that there

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<v Speaker 1>is to be no warfare until our return. Holy Klono

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<v Speaker 1>Cloud gasped, he wouldn't do that, would he? Certainly? Luda

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<v Speaker 1>was surprised at the question. Although he is an insect

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<v Speaker 1>and is morally and ethically beneath contempt, he is after

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<v Speaker 1>all a reasoning being. Qx Cloud was dumbfounded, but tried

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<v Speaker 1>manfully not to show it. In that case, everything can

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<v Speaker 1>be settled without another blow being struck. D'arjyb came aboard

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<v Speaker 1>the cruiser. He was heavily bandaged and most of his

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<v Speaker 1>hands were useless, but he apparently bore no ill will.

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<v Speaker 1>Whatever Cloud gave orders, the ship flashed away to meet

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<v Speaker 1>the oncoming patrolman. The conference was held, coming out pros

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<v Speaker 1>decisely as Luda had foreseen. The fleets returned each to

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<v Speaker 1>its home world, and plenty potentiaries of the Hill and

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<v Speaker 1>Avoo Hall held long meetings with the Lensman. You won't

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<v Speaker 1>need me any more, will you, Admiral Cloud asked a

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<v Speaker 1>few days later. No, nice job, Cloud, thanks, I think

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<v Speaker 1>I'll be on my way then, clear Ether, and the

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<v Speaker 1>Vortex Blaster, after taking leave of his other new friends,

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<v Speaker 1>resumed his interrupted voyage, having added another solar system to

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<v Speaker 1>the Fellowship of galactic civilization. End of chapter four end

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<v Speaker 1>of The Vortex Blaster Makes War by E. E. Smith.

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<v Speaker 1>This story recorded by Phil Shinever in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,