"Perhaps. But our remote control equipment is excellent. And we have
plenty of ships, albeit unarmed. And our people know how to live on the
slopes--and how to shoot."
"There are too many of them, Tove," Retief said. "They breed like flies
and, according to some sources, they mature in a matter of months.
They've been feeling their way into the sector for years now. Set up
outposts on a thousand or so minor planets--cold ones, the kind they
like. They want your worlds because they need living space."
"At least, your warning makes it possible for us to muster some show of
force, Retief," Bo Bergman said. "That is better than death by ambush."
"Retief must not be trapped here," Anne-Marie said. "His small boat is
useless now. He must have a ship."
"Of course," Tove said. "And--"
"My mission here--" Retief said.
"Retief," a voice called. "A message for you. The operator has phoned
up a gram."
Retief unfolded the slip of paper. It was short, in verbal code, and
signed by Magnan.
"You are recalled herewith," he read. "Assignment canceled. Agreement
concluded with Soetti relinquishing all claims so-called Jorgensen
system. Utmost importance that under no repeat no circumstances
classified intelligence regarding Soetti be divulged to locals. Advise
you depart instanter. Soetti occupation imminent."
Retief looked thoughtfully at the scrap of paper, then crumpled it and
dropped it on the floor. He turned to Bo Bergman, took a tiny reel of
tape from his pocket.
"This contains information," he said. "The Soetti attack plan,
a defensive plan instructions for the conversion of a standard
anti-acceleration unit into a potent weapon. If you have a screen
handy, we'd better get started. We have about seventy-two hours."
* * * * *
In the Briefing Room at Svea Tower, Tove snapped off the projector.
"Our plan would have been worthless against that," he said. "We assumed
they'd make their strike from a standard in-line formation. This scheme
of hitting all our settlements simultaneously, in a random order from
all points--we'd have been helpless."
"It's perfect for this defensive plan," Bo Bergman said. "Assuming this
antiac trick works."
"It works," Retief said. "I hope you've got plenty of heavy power lead
available."
"We export copper," Tove said.
"We'll assign about two hundred vessels to each settlement. Linked up,
they should throw up quite a field."
"It ought to be effective up to about fifteen miles, I'd estimate,"
Tove said. "If it works as it's supposed to."
A red light flashed on the communications panel. Tove went to it,
flipped a key.
"Tower, Tove here," he said.
"I've got a ship on the scope, Tove," a voice said. "There's nothing
scheduled. ACI 228 by-passed at 1600...."
"Just one?"
"A lone ship, coming in on a bearing of 291/456/653. On manual, I'd
say."
"How does this track key in with the idea of ACI 228 making a manual
correction for a missed automatic approach?" Retief asked.
Tove talked to the tower, got a reply.
"That's it," he said.
"How long before he touches down?"