The radio came on thin and wailing with static: "Titania Station
calling fleet. We have jeep and can orbit in to you. The two Enemy are
dead--the last in the System. Titania Station calling fleet. We have
jeep fueled and set to go--"
Fleet? thought Grunfeld. He turned back to the board. The first and
last blue telltales still glowed for _Caliban_ and _Starveling_.
Breathe a prayer, he thought, for _Moth_ and _Snug_.
Something else shone on the board, something Grunfeld knew had to be
wrong. Three little words: SHIP ON MANUAL.
The black rim of Uranus ahead suddenly brightened along its length,
which was very slightly bowed, like a section of a giant new moon. A
bead formed toward the center, brightened, and then all at once the
jail-yard sun had risen and was glaring coldly through its pinhole into
their eyes.
They looked away from it. Grunfeld turned around.
The austere light showed the captain still in his pressure suit, only
the head fallen out forward, hiding the skull features. Studying the
monitor box of the captain's suit, Grunfeld saw it was set to inject
the captain with power stimulants as soon as the Gravs began to slacken
from their max.
He realized who had done the impossible job of piloting them out of
Uranus.
But the button on the monitor, that should have glowed blue, was as
dark as those of _Moth_ and _Snug_.
Grunfeld thought, now he can rest.