“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 bypassed 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?”

Tove glanced at the lighted chart. “Perhaps eight minutes.

“Any guns here?”

Tove shook his head.

“If that’s old two-twenty-eight, she ain’t got but the one fifty-mm rifle,” Chip said. “She cain’t figure on jumpin’ the whole planet.”

“Hard to say what she figures on,” Retief said. “Mr. Tony will be in a mood for drastic measures.”

“I wonder what kind o’ deal the skunks got with the Sweaties.” Chip said. “Prob’ly he gits to scavenge, after the Sweaties kill off the Jorgensens.”

“He’s upset about our leaving him without saying good-bye, Chip,” Retief said. “And you left the door hanging open, too.”

Chip cackled. “Old Mr. Tony didn’t look so good to the Sweaties now, hey, mister?”

Retief turned to Bo Bergman.

“Chip’s right,” he said. “A Soetti died on the ship, and a tourist got through the cordon. Tony’s out to redeem himself.”

“He’s on final now,” the tower operator said. “Still no contact.”

“We’ll know soon enough what he has in mind,” Tove said.

“Let’s take a look.”

Outside, the four men watched the point of fire grow, evolve into a ship ponderously settling to rest. The drive faded and cut; silence fell.

Inside the Briefing Room, the speaker called out. Bo Bergman went inside, talked to the tower, motioned to the others.

“—over to you,” the speaker was saying. There was a crackling moment of silence; then another voice.

“—illegal entry. Send the two of them out. I’ll see to it they’re dealt with.”

Tove flipped a key. “Switch me direct to the ship,” he said.

“Right.”

“You on ACI two-twenty-eight,” Tove said. “Who are you?”

“What’s that to you?”

“You weren’t cleared to berth here. Do you have an emergency aboard?”

“Never mind that, you,” the speaker rumbled. “I tracked the bird in. I got the lifeboat on the screen now. They haven’t gone far in nine hours. Let’s have ’em.”

“You’re wasting your time,” Tove said.

There was a momentary silence.