will find our terms completely reasonable."

It made no more sense aloud.

The aide sighed apologetically. "Deliberately misapplied archaicism is
sometimes regarded as humorous by Earthmen, magnificence. I suspect
this is a warning that they are retaliating."

"Bluff!" Var read the words again, but he could make no other meaning
from them. Did the fools expect him to believe their flippancy spelled
confidence, or were they deceiving themselves? And the hint of
surrender terms was sheer stupidity. It must be an offer, though the
wording seemed to indicate _he_ should surrender!

He threw the message into a waste receptacle in disgust and went over
to look at the screens where Kloomiria was showing. The humans of
Cathay might try a return raid, but he was unworried. Cathay's fleet
was pitiful, and she had no heavy ships from which to launch planet
bombs. Of course, there were spy reports of vast numbers of what seemed
to be guided missiles, but they could never get through the
confusion-signals that blanketed Kloomiria.

As he watched, a signal blinked. He opened the circuit and the face of
his admiral looked out. "We've received indications of a swarm of small
ships, magnificence," the man reported. "High speed and piloted. It may
be a suicide squadron."

"Suicide!" Var spat the word out. "Whoever heard of the human cowards
risking their necks?"

The aide touched his shoulder apologetically. "They are mentioned in
Earth books, magnificence. And there was Djamboula."

Var stared at the screen as the flight was relayed to him, snarling.
Definitely, they were one-man ships, not guided missiles. His defenses
had never been built to handle suicide squadrons.

"Up, surround them, blast them!" he ordered. A few might get through to
the ships or to the planet below, but quick action would wreak havoc
among them and discourage further attempts.

* * * * *

The Kloomirian fleet opened into a circle and began rising. Now the
swarm of little ships began breaking apart, fanning out and attempting
to turn. Var hissed. Not even the courage to go through with it after
they were discovered! They--

He leaped to the screen, cursing at what he saw.

Where the little ships had opened a hole, a monstrous bulk was hurtling
through at fantastic speed. The tiny ships had screened it, but now it
outran them, boring straight toward the opening in the Kloomirian
fleet. Atomic cannon began run