sabotagin' the Platform when the next shift changes.
The midgets gettin' even for bein' laughed at, see? They're pretending
their plan is that when the Platform's sabotaged--not smashed, but just
messed up so it can't take off--the big brass will let 'em take a ferry
rocket up in a hurry, an' get it in orbit, an' use it for a Platform
until the big Platform can be mended an' sent up. Once they're up there,
there's no use tryin' to stop the big Platform. So it can go ahead."

Joe said dubiously: "I think I see...."

"Mike and his gang of little guys are bein' saps--on purpose. If
anybody's goin' to pull some fast stuff, next shift change--that's the
time everybody's got to! Last chance! Mike and his gang don't know
what's gonna happen, but they sure know when! They're invitin' the real
saboteurs to make fools of 'em. And what'll happen?"

Joe said drily: "The logical thing would be to feel sorry for the big
guys who think they're smarter than Mike."

"Uh-huh," said Haney, deadly serious. "Mike's story is there's half a
dozen rocket tubes already loaded. They're goin' to fire those rockets
between shifts. The Platform gets shoved off its base an' maybe dented,
and so on. Mike's gang say they got the figures to prove they can go up
in a ferry rocket an' be a Platform, and the big brass won't have any
choice but to let 'em."

Sally said: "I don't think they know how the big brass thinks."

Haney and Joe said together, "No!" and Joe added: "Mike's not crazy! He
knows better! But it's a good story for somebody who doesn't know Mike."

Haney said in indignation: "I came out here to ask the Major to help us.
The Chief's gettin' a gang together, too. There's some Indians of his
tribe that work here. We can count on them for plenty of rough stuff.
And there's Joe and me. The point is that Mike's stunt makes it certain
that everything busts loose at a time we can know in advance. If the
Major gives us a free hand, and then in the last five minutes takes his
own measures--so they can't leak out ahead of time and tip off the gangs
we want to get--we oughta knock off all the expert saboteurs who know
the weak spots in the Platform. For instance those who know that
thermite in the gyros would mess everything up all over again."

Joe said quietly: "But Major Holt has to be told well in advance about
all this! That's absolute!"

"Yeah," agreed Haney. "But also he has got to keep quiet--not tell
anybody else! There've been too