A cannonade of shell fire met the silver listening post as it zipped
across the moonlit desert. It twisted erratically, trying to dodge.
Then a radar controlled gun chuckled to itself, and the listening post
faltered in flight, slipped air, plunged sandward.
In the Advanceship, far above and to the west, one of the Knougs
pressed a button and the listening post exploded in a white flare.
Afterwards, no fragments could be found. The newspapers said the usual
thing. The government issued the usual profession of disbelief--and
finally even the gunner became convinced of the usual explanation: he
had tried to pot Venus.
While on the Advanceship the Knougs continued to prepare for D-Day.