The three spaceships lay together in the void.
In the _Elephant's Child_, 57 men, seven officers, and Circe Smith were
seated in the demolished recreation room, which was the only place
besides the mess hall with enough chairs to accommodate them all. Radio
communication with the other ships was handled over an extension set
connected to the main radio room by a triple quancord laid down with
furious energy by Sparks.
"What we need, and need fast, is this," said Pinkham. "A method by which
we can project lead, in pellets or spray or any damn form, with
accuracy, using our platinum guns. There aren't any other weapons that
will fire from within."
"As you know, we've tried a few methods. One of the gunners of the
_Cottabus_ went into an air-lock and tossed a lead ball at the giant on
the _Diogenes_, using a sling-gun. He found the range was too long; and
when the captain attempted to bring the _Cottabus_ nearer, the thing on
_Diogenes_ simply reared his ship up by shifting his weight backward. So
long as they can maneuver our ships as easily as toy boats, we can't use
that simple method.
"Then _Diogenes_ tried to smash our giant off his perch by simply
ramming him headlong. Take a look at the screen and you'll see that
_Diogenes_ has a dented nose for her pains. Five men died in that try."
"Captain," said a hydroponics engineer, "isn't it possible that, if we
keep trying to oppose these aliens, they may simply tear their way into
the ships and retaliate?"
"Quite possible. Their strength is equal to picking the _Elephant's
Child_ apart, I'm sure." He glared at the men. "Listen: I don't have to
pull punches with you. The chances of our getting rid of these giants
and making it to Earth are damned remote. There may be a chance, though,
so we have to keep trying for it.
"The most important thing we have to do is keep this life-form of the
asteroids from going to Earth. We of the armada are a terrible danger
to mankind, through no fault of ours. We're so many Typhoid Marys,
potential carriers of something worse than any disease. Even if we're
all killed, the giants might manage to learn the control of the ships,
and take them to Terra alone.
"So if we can't wipe out the enemy, our only course is to destroy
ourselves and our ships. Every officer in the armada has instructions to
blow up his ship if the giants should break into it. The thing is so
important that I've issued orders to do that even though the use of
lead-thrower weapons might conquer the invaders.
"If giants seize a ship and it is not destroyed within five minutes, the
other two will turn their platinum guns on it.
"Any questions?"
Jackson, who was spokesman for the crew, answered promptly, "No
questions, sir."
"Okay. Now let's have the technicians' report."
A lean, angular man rose. "I've checked all the books, Captain. There is
no way to substitute a charge of lead for the war-head in the curium
shells."
There was a stillness. "You mean we can't shoot lead at the giants
except with the few handguns in my possession," said Pink heavily.
"That's right, Captain."
"The giants are too alert to be caught that way," said Bill Calico. "I
have an idea--not much of a one, but it's a try."
"Let's have it."
Jerry waved a hand. "Please remove O. O. Smith first."
Circe flared, "I think you're just afraid I'll get your job, you
incompetent--"
"Take her out," said Pink to Joe Silver.
Calico then outlined his plan. Pinkham said at once, "I'll relay it to
the other ships. We'll try it immediately." They all nodded agreement.
Pink bent over the radio; he gave the co-captains instructions in an
ancient language which they all knew, but which he felt sure would
baffle any eavesdropping giants--an old, old tongue known as Pig Latin.
The officers and men scattered to their stations. Pink and Jerry took
Circe to the captain's quarters, where Pink took his seat for the plan's
direction, Jerry holding the Colt on Circe and the dying giant.
The space drives of the three ships were activated, and in side-by-side
formation they moved slowly forward, as Pink watched keenly for
a sign of objection from the gigantic "jockeys" atop them. None so
far ... probably they thought Pink was under the instructions of their
brother inside. Five minutes went by. Eight. Fifteen.
The largest asteroid in this part of the belt appeared ahead; it was
roughly fourteen miles in diameter. The ships dipped their noses as if
to pass well under it. They drew very close. Pink bent to his speaker
and bellowed, "Now!"
* * * * *
As one, the auxiliary jets of each ship roared into life. _Cottabus_ and
_Diogenes_ leaped out beside their flagship, and like three hotshot
pilots buzzing an airdrome, the captains took the enormous spacecraft
hurtling for the surface of the asteroid. Passing beneath it--or,
thought Pink irrelevantly, while every nerve and sinew concentrated on
the dangerous task, perhaps they were flying over it upside down--they
brought their years of training and experience to bear on the problem of
missing that knobbed gray surface by the smallest margin possible.
_Diogenes_ actually scraped her superstructure, with a noise that made
every hair on her captain's neck stand upright; the others missed the
planetoid by no more than a foot or two. Then they were clear and again
in the void.
According to orders, they slowed at a distance of four hundred miles,
and eagerly scanned one another in their viewscreens for signs of the
giants.
Pink gave a loud shout of relief, and took a second to realize that his
co-captains had each groaned....
The riders on _Cottabus_ and _Diogenes_ had vanished, and were
undoubtedly back there by the asteroid, reconstituting their bashed-up
bodies angrily. But Pink now heard, with a sinking heart, that his giant
was still with him. It had leaned backward from the knees, lying flat on
the hull which it had gripped with legs and arms. Somehow it had grasped
Pink's plan in time to prepare itself. The asteroid had flattened its
face and chest like a plane smoothing wood, and it was now forming
itself anew, with, so they told Pink, a truly malicious scowl on its
reformed lips.
Jerry was standing with a hand on Pink's shoulder; he had forgotten
Circe in the tenseness of the bid for freedom. She came up on the other
side and put her own hand on the captain's other shoulder. He was
startled, and realizing that she could have killed or captured them
both, had she wished, chalked up another doubt in his mind against the
theory of her alienness.
"Please come outside," she said urgently. "I want to suggest something
to you."
He rose at once and followed her to the door, while Jerry frowned and
the dying giant watched him out of faded red eyes. In the hall, she
said, "You're almost licked, Captain. It's time for desperation
measures." Pink laughed, but before he could ask her what the hell they
_had_ been trying, she hurried on. "Find out where the home of these
monsters is; it must be an asteroid. Then go there. Land and get out
with your guns. They will think our friend in there brought us to
them--and you'll have the advantage of surprise. You have about a dozen
firearms that will take lead bullets. That's enough for twelve of us. I
think we'd stand a chance of success."
"And if they murder us all? What about the ship?"
She said, "Leave orders to blow it up if we fail."
Pink scratched his jaw. The girl had something, or the nucleus of
something, there. He saw other possibilities in it--it was tantamount to
suicide, but there was nothing else left to try. He said, "If we live
through this, Circe, I'll see you make lieutenant!"
"I'd rather make ... well, never mind." She turned to go into the room.
He wondered if she had had Joe Silver in mind.