stration: ILLUSTRATED BY SCHOENHERR]

"Right." Horvin got out fast.

The other men in the room were looking expectantly at the senator. He
paused for a moment, glancing around at them, and then looked down at
the paper and said: "This is a bulletin from Tass News Agency, Moscow."
Then he began reading.

"Russian Luna Base One announced that at 1600 Greenwich Standard Time
(12:00 N EDST) a presumed spacecraft of unknown design was damaged by
Russian rockets and fell to the surface of Luna somewhere in the Mare
Serenitas, some three hundred fifty miles from the Soviet base. The
craft was hovering approximately four hundred miles above the surface
when spotted by Soviet radar installations. Telescopic inspection showed
that the craft was not--repeat: not--powered by rockets. Since it failed
to respond to the standard United Nations recognition signals, rockets
were fired to bring it down. In attempting to avoid the rockets, the
craft, according to observers, maneuvered in an entirely unorthodox
manner, which cannot be attributed to a rocket drive. A nearby burst,
however, visibly damaged the hull of the craft, and it dropped toward
Mare Serenitas. Armed Soviet moon-cats are, at this moment, moving
toward the downed craft.

"Base Commander Colonel A. V. Gryaznov is quoted as saying: 'There can
be no doubt that we shall learn much from this craft, since it is
apparently of extraterrestrial origin. We will certainly be able to
overpower any resistance it may offer, since it has already proved
vulnerable to our weapons. The missiles which were fired toward our base
were easily destroyed by our own antimissile missiles, and the craft was
unable to either destroy or avoid our own missiles.'

"Further progress will be released by the Soviet Government as it
occurs."

Senator Cannon dropped the sheet of paper to his side. "That's it. Matt,
come in the bedroom; I'd like to talk to you."

* * * * *

Matthew Fisher, candidate for Vice President of the United States,
heaved his two-hundred-fifty-pound bulk out of the chair he had been
sitting in and followed the senator into the other room. Behind them,
the others suddenly broke out into a blather of conversation. Fisher's
closing of the door cut the sound off abruptly.

Senator Cannon threw the newssheet on the nearest bed and swung around
to face Matthew Fisher. He looked at the tall, thick, muscular man
trying to detect the emotions behind