Straut whirled. "I'm handling this, Professor. I don't know who let
you in here or why--but I'll make the decisions. I'm stopping this
man-killer before it comes out of its nest, maybe gets into that
village beyond the woods. There are four thousand civilians there. It's
my job to protect them." He jerked his head at Greer, strode out of the
room.
Lieberman followed, pleading. "The creature has shown no signs of
aggressiveness, General Straut--"
"With two men dead?"
"You should have kept them back--"
"Oh, it was my fault, was it?" Straut stared at Lieberman with cold
fury. This civilian pushed his way in here, then had the infernal gall
to accuse him, Brigadier General Straut, of causing the death of his
own men. If he had the fellow in uniform for five minutes....
"You're not well, General. That fall--"
"Keep out of my way, Professor," Straut said. He turned and went on
down the stairs. The present foul-up could ruin his career; and now
this egghead interference....
With Greer at his side, Straut moved out to the edge of the field.
"All right, Major. Open up with your .50 calibers."
Greer called a command and a staccato rattle started up. The smell of
cordite and the blue haze of gunsmoke--this was more like it. He was in
command here.
Lieberman came up to Straut. "General, I appeal to you in the name of
science. Hold off a little longer; at least until we learn what the
message is about."
"Get back from the firing line, Professor." Straut turned his back
on the civilian, raised the glasses to observe the effect of the
recoilless rifle. There was a tremendous smack of displaced air, and
a thunderous boom as the explosive shell struck. Straut saw the gray
shape jump, the raised lid waver. Dust rose from about it. There was no
other effect.
"Keep firing, Greer," Straut snapped, almost with a feeling of triumph.
The thing was impervious to artillery; now who was going to say it was
no threat?
"How about the mortars, sir?" Greer said. "We can drop a few rounds
right inside it."
"All right, try that before the lid drops."
And what we'll try next, I don't know, he thought.
* * * * *
The mortar fired with a muffled thud. Straut watched tensely. Five
seconds later, the object erupted in a gout of pale pink debris. The
lid rocked, pinkish fluid running down its opalescent surface. A
second burst, and a third. A great fragment of the menacing claw hung
from the branch of a tree a hundred feet from the ship.