her Wandl ships, leaving Wandl after
us, had headed directly for Earth. We were all together presently, the
_Star-Streak_ and nearly fifty Wandl ships, gathered close to one side
of the Moon. The allies, about a hundred of them, were strung through
space, scattered, with varying velocities and flight direction, but
most of them endeavoring to get between the Moon and Earth.

This was the day! I call it that: a routine of meals which Meka grimly
served us in the turret, and a little sleep when she took the girls
below and I lay on the turret floor. I wondered who was in command of
this allied force, and did not learn until afterward that it was
Grantline. The _Cometara_ had fallen upon the Moon Apennines, not very
far from where my old _Planetara_ still lay, near the base of
Archimedes. But Grantline and a few of his companions, with their
powered suits, had struggled free from the gravity pull of the
wreckage; and a few hours later, a ship out from Earth picked them
up.

Grantline, on one of the Earth police ships, commanded the fleet now,
and he afterward told me in detail how he endeavored to conduct his
forces in the battle, thus enabling me to describe it from both
viewpoints. He had been cruising toward Mars when he saw us make the
turn. He thought a landing upon Earth might be planned and hastened
all his ships into the area between the Moon and Earth to cut us off.

But that was what Wandl wanted. The Wandl ships, with the
_Star-Streak_ among them, made a complete slow circuit of the Moon. It
took another day. Molo said very little to me in explanation of the
Wandl tactics, but I could see that the object was to lure Grantline
into following. A few of the allied ships did follow us around, but
not many. The rest stayed carefully guarding the line between the Moon
and Earth.

There had been no encounter yet between the hostile ships. The huge
distances involved in the engagement must be kept in mind. The gravity
rays from the Wandl ships were only a slight disturbing element at
such a long distance; Grantline's Zed-rays and Benson curve-lights
were defensive only. For offence, Grantline's electronic guns and
other weapons were of varying range, but none for such distances as
these.

Wandl seemed unwilling to begin the battle, and Grantline was cautious
as well. He did not know what weapons these strange globular vessels
would use; his only experience had been our encounter with the
whirling discs.

Then,