ould not leap
gaps. Thus there was no more actual assurance than before that they had
exceeded, or even matched, the weaponry of the neo-humans of Fuel World.

Supremely confident, Ynos said: "We will now discuss every detail of the
plan in sub-detail, and will correlate every sub-detail with every
other, to the end that every action, however minor, will be performed
perfectly and in its exact time."

That discussion, which lasted for days, was held. Hundreds of thousands
of new and highly specialized mechs were built and went furiously and
continuously to work. A fuel-supply line was run to another
uranexite-rich planet.

Stripping machines stripped away the surface layers of soil, sand, rock
and low-grade ore. Giant miners tore and dug and slashed and refined and
concentrated. Storage silos by the hundreds were built and were filled.
Hundreds upon hundreds of concentrate-carriers bored their stolid ways
through hyperspace. Many weeks of time passed.

But of what importance are mere weeks of time to a race that has, for
many millions of years, been adhering rigidly to a pre-set program?

The sheer magnitude of the operation, and the extraordinary attention to
detail with which it was prepared and launched, explain why the Strett
attack on Ardvor did not occur until so many weeks later than Hilton and
Sawtelle expected it. They also explain the utterly incomprehensible
fury, the completely fantastic intensity, the unparalleled savagery, the
almost immeasurable brute power of that attack when it finally did come.

* * * * *

When the _Orion_ landed on Ardane Field from Earth, carrying the first
contingent of immigrants, Hilton and Sawtelle were almost as much
surprised as relieved that the Stretts had not already attacked.

Sawtelle, confident that his defenses were fully ready, took it more or
less in stride. Hilton worried. And after a couple of days he began to
do some real thinking about it.

The first result of his thinking was a conference with Temple. As soon
as she got the drift, she called in Teddy and Big Bill Karns. Teddy in
turn called in Becky and de Vaux; Karns wanted Poynter and Beverly;
Poynter wanted Braden and the twins; and so on. Thus, what started out
as a conference of two became a full Ardan staff meeting; a meeting
which, starting immediately after lunch, ran straight through into the
following afternoon.

"To sum up the consensus, for the record," Hilton