“It won’t,” Halabi insisted. “The strategic imbalance between the Axis powers and the Allies is so great that it would take a lot more than the destruction of your task force and the loss of Midway, Hawaii, or even Australia to tip that balance in their favor.”

“Oh, God, don’t let MacArthur hear that,” Spruance muttered, practically to himself.

“With all due respect,” Beanland protested, “you’ve done your damnedest to help them on their way.”

“I am well aware of what happened tonight, Commander. I lost a good many friends myself on the Fearless. We haven’t had a chance to formally discuss it at a command level yet. But I can assure you we won’t leave you swinging. If necessary, almost any one of the ships in our task force could sink the Japanese carriers and capital ships closing on Midway at the moment.”

“Yes, but would they?” Spruance asked. “Do you seriously believe your Japanese comrades would happily send their forefathers to the bottom?”

She answered honestly. “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to them. And since most of the Siranui’s senior officers have been killed anyway, their views are no longer entirely relevant.”

“Yeah, but the views of the survivors will be!” Beanland insisted. “Maybe you got yourself some real tame, friendly Japs where you come from, but we got just about the worst bunch of bastards in the world right here. And I don’t fancy them getting their hands on any of those rockets or thinking machines you hammered us with.

“Admiral,” he said, ignoring Halabi now, “whatever turns out to be the case with these people”—he indicated the British captain with a jerk of his thumb—“we have to insist on those Japs that came along with them being disarmed and interned. They’re just too much of a threat.”

“That may well be, Lieutenant,” Spruance said, nodding, “but let’s just stay calm for the moment, shall we. Captain Halabi, how do you think your boss would take to that suggestion?”

“Frankly, not very well. I don’t think any of us would.”

Spruance seemed quite taken aback by the defiant note in the woman’s voice.

“And why not, might I ask?”

“Because they’re our allies,” she said, as though explaining something to a child. “This wouldn’t have been the Siranui’s first tour with Admiral Kolhammer’s group . . . sorry, that means nothing to you. Look, I’ve served in coalition with that ship before. I know that Admiral Kolhammer has, too. They’ve taken the same risks we have, watched our backs, taken fire when we did. We have no reason to doubt to their loyalty or their honor.”