“Well, then,” said Lludrow, stepping back briskly. ‘‘I’ll leave the command in your hands, Captain Graeme. Anything in the way of special supplies?”

“Torpedoes, sir,” answered Donal.

“I’ll have Armaments Supply contact you,” said Lludrow. And left

Five hours later, with several hundred extra torpedoes loaded, the five- ship Sub-Patrol moved out for deep space. It was Donal’s wish that they get clear of the home base as soon as possible and off where the nature of their expedition could not be discovered and countermanded. With the torpedoes, Lee had come aboard; Donal having remembered that his orderly had been left aboard the C4J. Lee had come through the battle very well, being strapped in his hammock harness throughout in a section of the ship that was undamaged by the hit that had pierced to the control room. Now, Donal had definite instructions for him.

‘‘I want you with me, this time,” he said. “You’ll stay by me. I doubt very much I might need you; but if I do, I want you in sight.”

“I’ll be there,” said Lee, unemotionally.

They had been talking in the Patrol chief’s stateroom, which had been opened to Donal. Now, Donal headed for the main control room, Lee following behind. When Donal reached that nerve center of the ship, he found all three of the ship’s officers engaged in calculating the phase shift, with Bannerman overseeing.

“Sir!” said Bannerman as Donal came up. Looking at him, Donal was reminded of his mathematics instructor at school; and he was suddenly and painfully reminded of his own youth.

“About ready to shift?” asked Donal.

“In about two minutes. Sir, since you specified no particular conclusion point, the computer run was a short one. We’ve merely been making the usual checks to make sure there’s no danger of collision with any object. A four light-year jump, sir.”

“Good,” said Donal. “Come here with me, Bannerman.”

He led the way over to the larger and rather more elaborate Control Eye that occupied the center of this control room; and pressed keys. A scene from the library file of the ship filled the globe. It showed a green- white planet with two moons floating in space and lit by the illumination from a GO type sun.

“The orange and the two pips,” said Bannerman, revealing a moonless Freilander’s dislike for natural planetary satellites.

“Yes,” said Donal. “Newton.” He looked at Bannerman. “How close can we hit it?”

“Sir?” said Bannerman, looking around at him. Donal waited, holding his eyes steady on the older man. Bannerman’s gaze shifted and dropped back to the scene in the Eye.