o do just that early on in the
meeting. It will give them all a target against
which to plan and integrate deployment schedules,
vectors, tactics and combined operations.
Anything else?"

"No, President Narval."

Chapter TWENTY-FOUR

Brad stood beside Captain Crisper and surveyed
the scene in the tank on the Dragon's bridge. Scarf
lounged in an accello-net within sight and sound,
as he had for most of the voyage from Pluto.

The Dragon's pilot and communicator, upper bodies
insulated in instrumented cubicles, concentrated
on their tasks. Arms folded across his chest, Zolan
stood along a bulkhead where his eyes could take
in the full compartment without altering stance.

Ahead lay Triton in its retrograde orbit around
Neptune. The moon's expanse was only partially
accommodated by the tank. The Dragon's penetration
instruments revealed Triton's jagged peaks and
chasms through vaporous nitrogen clouds. Steady,
high-intensity beacons marked the location of
domed mine shafts that probed and sucked at the
satellite's core. A cluster of tank towns and their
outriders rode the satellite's horizon.

Gleaming slivers separated from the surface,
converged, assumed an egg-shape and bloomed into
a flight of spacecraft. They formed up abreast
fifty kilometers distant, facing the Dragon's bow.

The speaker above the communicator's enclosure
broke into the bridge's silence.

"Message from Captain Yargoul of the Jovian
Battle Cruiser Windstorm to Captain Crisper of
the Plutonian Battle Cruiser Dragon."

Captain Crisper spoke without moving or taking
his eyes from the tank.

"The message."

"Greetings, Captain Crisper. I have been authorized
by my President and the INOR representatives
I am escorting to inform you that we are here in
response to the invitation of your President. Is
the representative of your Government present?"

The Captain glanced at Brad, who nodded. The
response was released.

"Greetings from Captain Crisper to Captain Yargoul.
My government's representative, Commander Brad
Curtin, is present and prepared to meet with you
and your colleagues. Commander Curtin suggests
the meeting take place in the Command Conference
Room on board the Dragon as soon as the primary
members are aboard. Is that agreeable?"

A short pause, then the reply "Affirmative."
Shortly, utility boats cut away from the ships and
converged on the Dragon. Each utility maneuvered
to synchronize axis and align