, first with his pistol
and then, when his ammunition was gone, with a picked-up rifle and
bayonet. It was full daylight before the last of the attackers was
either killed or driven out.

Five minutes later, while he was reloading his pistol-clips with
salvaged cartridges, the _Northern Star_ came bulking over the
mountains from the west.

XI.

Of Princedoms Which Have Been Won by Conquest

Holstering his pistol, he raced for the telecast station, to receive a
call from a Colonel Khalid ib'n Talal, a Zanzibar Arab, aboard the
approaching ship.

"I've one of Jonkvank's regiments, the Jeel-Feeders, armed with Terran
9-mm rifles and a few bazookas; I have a company of our Zirks, with
their mounts, and a battalion of the Sixth N.U.N.I.; I also have four
90-mm guns, Terran-manned," he reported. "What's the situation,
general, and where do you want me to land?"

Von Schlichten described the situation succinctly, in an ancient and
unprintable military cliche. "Try landing south of the Reservation, a
little west of the ruins of the labor-camp," he advised. "The bulk of
Firkked's army is in that section, and I want them run out as soon as
possible. We'll give you all the contragravity and fire support we
can."

The _Northern Star_ let down slowly, firing her guns and dropping
bombs; as she descended, rifle-fire spurted from all her lower-deck
portholes. There was cheering, human and Ulleran, from inside the
battered defense-perimeter; combat-cars, airjeeps, and improvised
bombers lifted out to strafe the Skilkans on the ground, and the four
airtanks moved out to take position and open fire with their 90-mm's,
helping to flush King Firkked's regulars and auxiliaries out of the
gullies and ruins and drive them south along the mountain, away from
where the ship would land and also away from the city of Skilk. The
_Northern Star_ set down quickly, and troops and artillery began to be
unloaded, joining in the fighting.

It was five hundred miles to Krink; three hours after lifting out, the
_Northern Star_ was back again, with two more of King Jonkvank's
infantry regiments, and by 1300, when the fourth load arrived from
Krink, the fighting was entirely on the eastern bank of the dry Hoork
River. This last contingent of reenforcements was landed in the
eastern suburbs of Skilk and began fighting their way into the city
from the rear.

It was evident, however, that the pacification of Skilk would not be
accomplishe