eens. If the skipper and I had taken time to take the
ship down to the shops and really work it over we could have put on a
show. Was this enough so you iron-heads are ready to listen with your
ears open and your mouths shut?"

They were. So much so that not even Elliott opened his mouth to say yes.
They merely nodded. Then again--for the last time, he hoped!--Hilton
spoke his piece. The response was prompt and vigorous. Only Sam Bryant,
one of Hilton's staunchest allies, showed any uncertainty at all.

"I've been married only a year and a half, and the baby was due about a
month ago. How sure are you that you can make old Gordon sit still for
us skimming the cream off of Terra to bring out here?"

"Doris Bryant, the cream of Terra!" Elliott gibed. "_How_ modest our
Samuel has become!"

"Well, damn it, she is!" Bryant insisted.

"Okay, she is," Hilton agreed. "But either we get our people or Terra
doesn't get its uranexite. That'll work. In the remote contingency that
it doesn't, there are still tighter screws we can put on. But you missed
the main snapper, Sam. Suppose Doris doesn't want to live for five
thousand years and is allergic to becoming a monster?"

"Huh; you don't need to worry about that." Sam brushed that argument
aside with a wave of his hand. "Show me a girl who doesn't want to stay
young and beautiful forever and I'll square you the circle. Come on.
What's holding us up?"

* * * * *

The _Orion_ hurtled through space back toward Ardry and Hilton, struck
by a sudden thought, turned to the captain.

"Skipper, why wouldn't it be a smart idea to clamp a blockade onto Fuel
Bin? Cut the Stretts' fuel supply?"

"I thought better of you than that, son." Sawtelle shook his head sadly.
"That was the first thing I did."

"Ouch. Maybe you're 'way ahead of me too, then, on the one that we
should move to Fuel Bin, lock, stock and barrel?"

"Never thought of it, no. Maybe you're worth saving, after all. After
conversion, of course.... Yes, there'd be three big advantages."

"Four."

Sawtelle raised his eyebrows.

"One, only one planet to defend. Two, it's self-defending against sneak
landings. Nothing remotely human can land on it except in heavy lead
armor, and even in that can stay healthy for only a few minutes."

"Except in the city. Omlu. That's the weak point and would be the point
of attack."

"Uh-uh. Cut off the decontaminators and in five hours it'll be as h