The tone was bland. The pale eyes looked naive and artless, except,
perhaps, for a hard, shrewd glint, deep down.

Joe Kuzak was present. "We searched him, Frank," he said. "His bubb,
too. He's clean--as far as we can tell. Not even a weapon. I also asked
him some questions. I savvy a little of his real lingo."

"I'll ask them over," Nelsen answered. "Igor--a friend named Tiflin
wouldn't be being around some place, would he?"

The large space comedian didn't even hesitate. "I am thinking not very
far--not knowing precisely. Somebody more is being here, likewise. Belt
Parnay. You are knowing this one? Plenty Jollies--new fellas--not having
much supplies--only many new rocket launchers they are receiving from
someplace. You are understanding this? Bad luck, here, it is meaning."

Nelsen eyed the man warily, with mixed doubt and liking. "I don't think
you can be going away again, right now, Igor," he said. "We don't have a
jail, but a guard will be as good..."

The watch didn't give the alarm for several hours. Three hisses in the
phones, made vocally. Then one, then two more. North, second quadrant,
that meant. Direction of first attack. Ionic drives functioned. The
cluster of bubbs began to scatter further. Nelsen knew that if Igor had
told the truth, the outlook was very poor. Too much deployment would
thin the defenses too much. And against new, homing rockets--if Parnay
really had them--it would be almost useless. A relatively small number
of men, riding free in armor, could smash the much larger targets from
almost any distance.

Nelsen didn't stay in his prefab. Floating in his Archer, he could be
his own, less easily identifiable, less easily hit command post, while
he fired his own homing missiles at the far-off radar specks of the
attackers. He ordered everyone not specifically needed inside the bubbs
for some defense purpose to jump clear.

In the first half-minute, he saw at least fifty compartmented prefabs
partly crumple, as explosives tore into them. A dozen, torn open, were
deflated entirely. The swimming pool globe was punctured, and a cloud of
frosty vapor made rainbows in the sunshine, as the water boiled away.
Far out, Nelsen saw the rockets he and his own men had launched,
sparkling soundlessly, no doubt scoring, some, too.

The attackers didn't even try to get close yet. Far greater damage would
have to be inflicted, before panic and disorganization might give them
sufficient advantage. But