ad received our battle equipment from the Gear boss. It
consisted of a long-gun, a hand-gun, with a special case of ammunition
constructed of inertron, which made the load weigh but a few ounces, and
a short sword. This gear we strapped over each other's shoulders, on top
of our jumping belts. In addition, we each received an ultrophone, and a
light inertron blanket rolled into a cylinder about six inches long by
two or three in diameter. This fabric was exceedingly thin and light,
but it had considerable warmth, because of the mixture of inertron in
its composition.

[Illustration: The Han raider neared with incredible speed. Its rays
were both slanted astern at a sharp angle, so that it slid forward with
tremendous momentum.... Whenever the disintegrator rays flashed downward
with blinding brilliancy, forest, rocks and ground melted
instantaneously into nothing, where they played upon them.]

"This looks like business," Wilma remarked to me with sparkling eyes.
(And I might mention a curious thing here. The word "business" had
survived from the 20th Century American vocabulary, but not with any
meaning of "industry" or "trade," for such things being purely community
activities were spoken of as "work" and "clearing." Business simply
meant fighting, and that was all.)

"Did you bring all this equipment from the valley?" I asked the Gear
Boss.

"No," he said. "There was no time to gather anything. All this stuff we
cleared from the Susquannas a few hours ago. I was with the Boss on the
way down, and he had me jump on ahead and arrange it. But you two had
better be moving. He's beckoning you now."

Hart was about to call us on our phones when we looked up. As soon as we
did so, he leaped away, waving us to follow closely.

He was a powerful man, and he darted ahead in long, swift, low leaps up
the banks of the stream, which followed a fairly straight course at this
point. By extending ourselves, however, Wilma and I were able to catch
up to him.

As we gradually synchronized our leaps with his, he outlined to us,
between the grunts that accompanied each leap, his plan of action.

"We have to start the big business--unh--sooner or later," he said.
"And if--unh--the Hans have found any way of locating our
positions--unh--it's time to start now, although the Council of
Bosses--unh--had intended waiting a few years until enough rocket ships
have been--unh--built. But no matter what the sacrifice--unh--we can't
affo