much contragravity we have. He's probably wondering why we aren't
bombing him, now."

"He doesn't know we've sold the Palace to King Jonkvank for an army,"
von Schlichten said. "And that reminds me--how much contragravity
could Firkked scrape together, for an attack on us? I've been
expecting a geek _Luftwaffe_ over here, at any moment."

Colonel Cheng-Li studied the smoking tip of his cigarette for a
moment. "Well, Firkked owns, personally, three ten-passenger aircars,
a thing like a troop-carrier that he transports some of his courtiers
around in, four airjeeps armed with a pair of 15-mm machine-guns
apiece, and two big lorries. There are possibly two hundred vehicles
of all types in Skilk and the country around, but some of them are in
the hands of natives friendly to us and or hostile to Firkked. I can
get the exact figures from the Constabulary office at Company House."

"That's close enough," von Schlichten told him. "And there'll be
oodles of thermoconcentrate-fuel, and blasting explosives. Colonel
Quinton, suppose you call Ed Wallingsby, the Chief Engineer, right
away; have him commissioned colonel. Tell him to get to work making
this place secure against air attack; tell him to consult with Colonel
Jarman. Tell him to get those geeks Leavitt has penned in the
repair-dock at the airport and use them to dig slit-trenches and fill
sandbags and so on. He can use Kragan limited-duty wounded to guard
them.... Mr. Keaveney, you'll begin setting up something in the way of
an ARP-organization. You'll have to get along on what nobody else
wants. You will also consult with Colonel Jarman, and with Colonel
Wallingsby. Better get started on it now. Just think of everything
around here that could go wrong in case of an air attack, and try to
do something about it in advance."

X.

The Geek Luftwaffe and the Kragan Airlift

At 0245, an attack developed on the northwestern corner of the
Reservation, in the direction of the explosives magazines. It turned
out to be relatively trivial. Remnants of the mob that had been broken
up by air attack on the road had gotten together and were making
rushes in small bands, keeping well spread out. Beating them off took
considerable ammunition, but it was accomplished with negligible
casualties to the defenders. They finally stopped coming around
daylight.

In the meantime, Themistocles M'zangwe called from Konkrook, appearing
in the screen with his left arm in a freshly wh