of genius!" He almost babbled. "Ships that can go up to the
Platform and not have to come back! Sally, you did it! You did it!"

She regarded him helplessly. He took her by the shoulders as if to shake
her into comprehension. But he kissed her exuberantly instead.

"Come on!" he said urgently. "I've got to tell the gang!"

He grabbed her hand and set off at a run for the bottom of the ramp. And
Sally, with remarkably mingled emotions showing on her face, was dragged
in his wake.

He was still pulling her after him when he found the Chief and Haney and
Mike in the room at Security where they were practically self-confined,
lest their return to Earth become too publicly known. Mike was stalking
up and down with his hands clasped behind his back, glum as a miniature
Napoleon and talking bitterly. The Chief was sprawled in a chair. Haney
sat upright regarding his knuckles with a thoughtful air.

Joe stepped inside the door. Mike continued without a pause: "I tell
you, if they'll only use little guys like me, the cabin and supplies and
crew can be cut down by tons! Even the instruments can be smaller and
weigh less! Four of us in a smaller cabin, less grub and air and
water--we'll save tons in cabin-weight alone! Why can't you big lummoxes
see it?"

"We see it, Mike," Haney said mildly. "You're right. But people won't do
it. It's not fair, but they won't."

Joe said, beaming, "Besides, Mike, it'd bust up our gang! And Sally's
just gotten the real answer! The answer is for ships to go up to the
Platform and not come back!"

He grinned at them. The Chief raised his eyebrows. Haney turned his head
to stare. Joe said exuberantly: "They've been talking about arming ships
with guided missiles to fight with. Too heavy, of course. But--if we
could handle guided missiles, why couldn't we handle drones?"

The three of them gaped at him. Sally said, startled, "But--but, Joe, I
didn't----"

"We've got plenty of hulls!" said Joe. Somehow he still looked
astonished at what he'd made of Sally's perfectly obvious comment.
"Mike's arranged for that! Make--say--six of 'em into drones--space
barges. Remote-controlled ships. Control them from one manned ship--the
tug! We'll ride that! Take 'em up to the Platform exactly like a tug
tows barges. The tow-line will be radio beams. We'll have a space-tow
up, and not bother to bring the barges back! There won't be any landing
rockets! They'll carry double cargo! That's the answer! A space