uptly toward the men, wheeling in a circle, forming
a solid row. The men stood up, Taylor reaching awkwardly for his weapon,
his fingers numb and stupid. The men stood facing the silent metal
figures.

"We must insist," the leader said, its voice without emotion. "We must
take you back to the Tube and send you down on the next car. I am sorry,
but it is necessary."

"What'll we do?" Moss said nervously to Franks. He touched his gun.
"Shall we blast them?"

Franks shook his head. "All right," he said to the leader. "We'll go
back."

* * * * *

He moved toward the door, motioning Taylor and Moss to follow him. They
looked at him in surprise, but they came with him. The leadys followed
them out into the great warehouse. Slowly they moved toward the Tube
entrance, none of them speaking.

[Illustration]

At the lip, Franks turned. "We are going back because we have no choice.
There are three of us and about a dozen of you. However, if--"

"Here comes the car," Taylor said.

There was a grating sound from the Tube. D-class leadys moved toward the
edge to receive it.

"I am sorry," the leader said, "but it is for your protection. We are
watching over you, literally. You must stay below and let us conduct the
war. In a sense, it has come to be _our_ war. We must fight it as we see
fit."

The car rose to the surface.

Twelve soldiers, armed with Bender pistols, stepped from it and
surrounded the three men.

Moss breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, this does change things. It came
off just right."

The leader moved back, away from the soldiers. It studied them
intently, glancing from one to the next, apparently trying to make up
its mind. At last it made a sign to the other leadys. They coasted aside
and a corridor was opened up toward the warehouse.

"Even now," the leader said, "we could send you back by force. But it is
evident that this is not really an observation party at all. These
soldiers show that you have much more in mind; this was all carefully
prepared."

"Very carefully," Franks said.

They closed in.

"How much more, we can only guess. I must admit that we were taken
unprepared. We failed utterly to meet the situation. Now force would be
absurd, because neither side can afford to injure the other; we, because
of the restrictions placed on us regarding human life, you because the
war demands--"

The soldiers fired, quick and in fright. Moss dropped to one kne