So it was, that they came late to the action on the edges of Oriente’s atmosphere; but not so late that the assault troops were already safely down out of range. Donal searched the panel for the override button on the antipersonnel guns and found it.

“Override on the spray guns,” he announced into the mike before him. He looked at the instruments, but he saw in his imagination the dark and tumbling, spacesuited bodies of the assault troops, and he thought of the several million, tiny slivers of carbon steel that would go sleeting among them at the touch of his finger. There was a slight pause before answering; and then the voice of Ordovya came back.

“Sir . . . it you like, the gunmen say they’re used to handling the weapons—”

“Maintenanceman!” snapped Donal. “You heard the order. Override!”

“Override, sir.”

Donal looked at his scope. The computer had his targets in the gun-sights. He pressed the button, and held it down.

Two hours later, the C4J, then in standby orbit, was ordered to return to rendezvous and its captain to report to his Sub-Patrol chief. At the same time came a signal for all Staff Liaisons to report to the flagship; and one for Staff Liaison Donal Graeme to report personally to Blue Patrol Chief Lludrow. Considering the three commands, Donal called Ordovya on the ship’s phone and directed him to take care of the first errand. He himself, he decided, could take care of the other two, which might—or might not—be connected.

Arriving at the flagship, he explained his situation to the Reception Officer, who made a signal both to the Staff Liaison people and to the Blue Patrol chief.

“You’re to go directly to Lludrow,” he informed Donal; and assigned him a guide.

Donal found Lludrow in a private office on the flagship that was not much bigger than Donal’s stateroom in the C4J.

“Good!” said Lludrow, getting up from behind a desk as Donal came in and coming briskly around it. He waited until the guide had left, and then he put a dark hand on Donal’s arm.

“How’d your ship come through?” he asked.

“Navigating,” said Donal. “There was a direct hit on the control room though. All officers casualties.”

“All officers?” Lludrow peered sharply at him. “And you?”

“I took command, of course. There was nothing left, though, but antipersonnel mop-up.”

“Doesn’t matter,” said Lludrow. “You were Acting Captain for part of the action?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. That’s better than I hoped for. Now,” said Lludrow, “tell me something. Do you feel like sticking your neck out?”

“For any cause I can approve of, certainly,” answered Donal. He considered the smaller, rather ugly man; and found himself suddenly liking the Blue Patrol chief. Directness like this had been a rare experience for him, since he had left the Dorsai.