chnical facilities. No question
that many are still usable."

The view tank's image blurred, then cleared to show
a broad expanse of Pluto's barren surface out to
the planet's horizon. A white, steady glow identified
Coldfield, the surrounding red and blue lines
identified scores of subsurface passageways and
rutted trails that curved away from the domed city
in all directions.

"There's no doubt that the underground passages
and caverns are being used by Narval as maintenance
and operations hangars for his fleet," Selvin said
returning his eyes to Camari. "Many have enough
room to accommodate nuclear energy capsules, ship
and equipment repair shops, and catapult launchers.
Pseudo-gravity enhancers during construction
stabilized the floors. Foundations are secured deep
in the frozen surfaces, and bonded well enough,
so that even under the planet's low density, they'll
take the weight of battle wagons."

The silence hung heavily as Selvin glared at the
view tank. His voice rasped. "They must have
installed heavy screens in the overheads. Many
of our penetration readings are dim, even with
our most advanced sensors."

"That's all I have for now, Mr. President," he
said, leaning back. Absently, his stubby fingers
drummed the tabletop. He caught himself and
glanced about guiltily as he drew his hands back
to the edge of the table.

Camari's eyes moved on to a somber-faced ancient
who gravely returned his stare. "Let's hear the
intelligence review, Allen," the President said.

The Minister for Intelligence placed his clasped
hands before him on the table and spoke. His voice
was hoarse, low and intense, and his eyes moved
from the President to Jim Selvin, who faced him
grimly.

The view tank flickered, clouded and cleared to an
overview of the Outer Region. The scale reduced
planets, satellites, and stations to the colored
pinpoints of light with which they all were long
familiar. The computer adjusted to focus on
a magnified Plutonian sector. The Uranus and
Neptune orbits, although contained within the
tank displays, were cut out by the compression.
The Slingshot Construction Site rode the rim.

"Updating, the latest reports of military
construction, commitments and political
realignments among the Outer Nations are ominous,"
Allen said. "They're pledging themselves to each
other through mutual assistance pacts and are
building military spacecraft, weapons and support
systems to back up their agreeme