ave far more effective control over solar phenomena than the periodic
unbalance created by the off-center gravitic fields when the inner
planets bunch on the same side of their solar orbits.

"To imply otherwise would be rather like saying that the grain of sand
is responsible for the tides.

"Yet," he added honestly, "the records compiled by some of the
communications interests that used to be greatly disturbed by the
solar flares' influence on radio communications, seem to indicate that
there is a connection. So there is the possibility, however remote,
that our captive redskin might be right; or rather, that there is a
force involved that makes the two coincidental."

But even as he talked, an unnoticed needle on the board began an
unusual, wiggling dance, far different from its ordinary, slow
averaging reactions. Twice, without being noticed, it swung rapidly
towards the red line on its meter face; and then on its third approach
the radiation counter swung over the red line and triggered an alarm.

From only one source in their environment could they expect that level
of X-ray intensity. Without so much as a pause for thought, as the
alarm screamed, barely glancing at the counter, Perk reached for the
intercom switch and intoned the chant that man had learned was the
great emergency of space: "Flare, flare, flare--take cover."

Simultaneously, he flipped three switches putting the observatory, the
only completely unshielded area within the satellite, on automatic, to
record as much as it could of the progress of the solar flare with its
incomplete equipment, while he and Jerry dove through the open air
lock down the central well to the emergency shield room in the center
of the hub.

It was a poor system, Perk thought, that hadn't devised sufficient
shielding for the observatory so that they could watch this phenomenon
more directly. "We'll have to work on that problem," he told himself
and since his recommendations would carry much weight after this tour
of duty, he could be sure that any such system that he could devise
would be instrumented.

* * * * *

Major Steve Elbertson, caught in mid-run between the lab and Project
Hot Rod, resisted the temptation to reverse the scuttlebug on the line
and pull himself to a fast stop, as the flare warning from the
observatory came to him over the emergency circuit of his suit,
followed by Bessie's clipped official voice saying:

"A f