mpute overdrive speed exactly and how
to vary it. It could help the fleet to stay together, even in
overdrive."

The king shrugged. "That would be desirable. I do not object."

"I'll do it then, Majesty," said Bors. "I'll be assigned a new ship. I'd
like the same crew. I'll do my best, in a new part of the Mekinese
empire, this time."

"Yes," said the king drearily. "Don't make a pattern of raids that would
suggest that you have a base. You understand, it is impossible to use
more than one ship...."

"Naturally," agreed Bors. "One more suggestion, Majesty. A ship could be
sent back to Kandar--not to land but to watch. If a single Mekinese ship
went there to ask questions, it could be destroyed, perhaps. Which would
gain us time."

"I will think about it," said the king doubtfully. "Maybe it has
occurred to someone else. I will see. Meantime you will go to the
admiral for a new ship. And then do what you can to find provisions for
the fleet. It is not good for us to merely stay here waiting for
nothing. Even action toward our own disappearance is preferable."

Bors saluted. He went to the office of the admiral. The
commander-in-chief of the Kandarian fleet was making an inspection, to
maintain tight discipline in the absence of hope. A young vice-admiral
was on duty in the admiral's stead. He regarded Bors with approval. He
listened with attention, and agreed with most of what Bors had to say.

"I'll push the idea of a sentry over Kandar," he said confidentially.
"I'll make it two ships or three and take command. I want to send some
of my engineer officers to get the details of that low-power overdrive.
A very pretty tactical idea! It should be spread throughout the fleet."

"It will help," Bors said with irony, "when we go so far away that we'll
never be heard of any more."

"Eh?" The vice-admiral looked at him blankly. "Oh. Perhaps. You wouldn't
be likely to pick up a cargo-ship loaded with Mekinese missiles, would
you? We could adapt them to our use."

"If I did," Bors answered, "I suspect that somehow that ship would land
itself on Mekin and blow up as it touched ground."

The vice-admiral raised his eyebrows. Bors saluted quickly and left.

Presently he was back on the _Sylva_. His new command would be supplied
with extra missiles from other ships. Despite the fleet action against
the Mekinese, there was not yet a shortage of such ammunition. When a
missile could not be intercepted and itself did not t