rage from the icy contempt for
danger that marked Andy Royce. Even so, I couldn't help thinking that I
was glad to be riding with Chase. We drove to the rear, heading for the
supply train, our ammunition expended, while behind us the battlewagons
and cruisers were hammering each other to metal pulp.

In the quiet of the rear area it was hardly believable that a major
battle was going on ahead of us. We raised the "Amphitrite," identified
ourselves, and put in a request for supply.

"Lay aboard," "Amphitrite" signalled back. "How's the war going?"

"Don't know. We've been too busy," our signalman replied.

"I'll bet--you're 'Lachesis,' aren't you?"

"Affirmative."

"How'd you lose your ammo? Jettison it?"

"Stow that, you unprintable obscenity," Haskins replied. "We're a
fighting ship."

"Amphitrite" chuckled nastily. "That I'll believe when I see it!"

"Communications," Chase snapped. "This isn't a social call. Get our
heading and approach instructions." He sounded as schoolmasterish as
ever, but there was a sickly smile on his face, and the gray-green look
was gone.

"Morale seems a little better, doesn't it, Marsden?" he said to me as
the "Amphitrite" flicked out into threespace and we followed.

I nodded. "Yes, sir," I agreed. "Quite a little."

Our cargo hatches snapped open and we cuddled up against "Amphitrite's"
bulging belly while our crew and the supply echelon worked like demons
to transfer ammunition. We had fifty torpedoes aboard when the I.F.F.
detector shrilled alarm.

Three hundred feet above us the "Amphitrite's" main battery let loose a
salvo at three Rebel scouts that had flickered into being less than
fifty miles away. Their launchers flared with a glow that lighted the
blackness of space.

"Stand by!" Chase yelled as he threw the converter on.

"Hatches!" I screamed as we shimmered and vanished.

Somehow we got most of them closed, losing only the crew on number two
port turret which was still buttoning up as we slipped over into the
infra band. I ordered the turret sealed. Cth had already ruined the
unshielded sighting mechanisms and I had already seen what happened to
men caught in Cth unprotected. I had no desire to see it again--or let
our crew see it if it could be avoided. A human body turned inside out
isn't the most wholesome of sights.

"How did _they_ get through?" Chase muttered as we put out our probe.

"I don't know--maybe someone wasn't looking."

"What's it like