oun carefully reminded himself that it was
not likely that there'd be atomic war heads. The last planetary wars
had been fought with fusion weapons, and only the crews of single
ships survived. The planetary populations didn't. But atomic energy
wasn't much used aground, these days. Power for planetary use could be
had more easily from the upper, ionized limits of atmospheres.

A pursuing rocket closed in. There was a huge ball of smoke and a
flash of light, but it was not brighter than the sun. It wasn't atomic
flame. Calhoun relaxed. He watched as every one of the first-ascended
rockets was tracked down and destroyed by another. The last, at that,
was three-quarters of the way up.

The Med Ship quivered a little as the force fields tightened again. It
descended swiftly. It came to ground. Figures came to meet Calhoun as,
with Murgatroyd, he went out of the air lock. Some were uniformed. All
wore the grim expression and harried look of men under long-continued
strain.

The landing-grid operator shook hands first.

"Nice going! It could be lucky that you arrived. We normals need some
luck!"

He introduced a man in civilian clothes as the planetary Minister for
Health. A man in uniform was head of the planetary police. The others
weren't introduced.

"We worked fast after your call came!" said the grid operator. "Things
are lined up for you, but they're bad!"

"I've been wondering," admitted Calhoun dryly, "if all incoming ships
are greeted with rockets."

"That's the paras," said the police head, grimly. "They'd rather not
have a Med Service man here."

* * * * *

A ground car sped across the spaceport. It came at a headlong pace
toward the group just outside the Med Ship. There was a sudden howl of
a siren by the spaceport gate. A second car leaped as if to intercept
the first. Its siren screamed again. Then bright sparks appeared near
the first car's windows. Blasters rasped. Incredulously, Calhoun saw
the blue-white of blaster bolts darting toward him. The men about him
clawed for weapons. The grid operator said sharply:

"Get in your ship! We'll take care of this! It's paras!"

But Calhoun stood still. It was instinct not to show alarm. Actually,
he didn't feel it. This was too preposterous! He tried to grasp the
situation and fearfulness does not help at such a time.

A bolt crackled against the Med Ship's hull just beyond him. Blasters
rasped from beside him. A bolt