'To save the sight,' he explained, and pushed me on to the chart-room divan. 'You will see in a minute.' As he spoke I became aware of a thin thread of almost intolerable light, let down from heaven at an immense distance--one vertical hairsbreadth of frozen lightning. 'Those are our flanking ships,' said Arnott at my elbow. 'That one is over Galena. Look south--that other one's over Keithburg. Vincennes is behind us, and north yonder is Winthrop Woods. The Fleet's in position, sir'--this to De Forest. 'As soon as you give the word.' 'Ah no! No!' cried Dragomiroff at my side. I could feel the old man tremble. 'I do not know all that you can do, but be kind! I ask you to be a little kind to them below! This is horrible--horrible!' 'When a Woman kills a Chicken, Dynasties and Empires sicken,' Takahira quoted. 'It is too late to be gentle now.' 'Then take off my helmet! Take off my helmet!' Dragomiroff began hysterically. Pirolo must have put his arm round him. 'Hush,' he said, 'I am here. It is all right, Ivan, my dear fellow.' 'I'll just send our little girl in Bureau County a warning,' said Arnott. 'She don't deserve it, but we'll allow her a minute or two to take mamma to the cellar.' In the utter hush that followed the growling spark after Arnott had linked up his Service Communicator with the invisible Fleet, we heard MacDonough's Song from the city beneath us grow fainter as we rose to position. Then I clapped my hand before my mask lenses, for it was as though the floor of Heaven had been riddled and all the inconceivable blaze of suns in the making was poured through the manholes. 'You needn't count,' said Arnott. I had had no thought of such a thing. 'There are two hundred and fifty keels up there, five miles apart. Full power, please, for another twelve seconds.' The firmament, as far as eye could reach, stood on pillars of white fire. One fell on the glowing square at Chicago, and turned it black. 'Oh! Oh! Oh! Can men be allowed to do such things?' Dragomiroff cried, and fell across our knees. 'Glass of water, please,' said Takahira to a helmeted shape that leaped forward. 'He is a little faint.' The lights switched off, and the darkness stunned like an avalanche. We could hear Dragomiroff's teeth on the glass edge. Pirolo was comforting him. 'All right, all ra-ight,' he repeated. 'Come and lie down. Come below and take off your mask. I give you my word, old friend, it is all right. They are my siege-lights. Little Victor Pirolo's leetle lights. You know _me_! I do not hurt people.' 'Pardon!' Dragomiroff moaned. 'I have never seen Death. I have never seen the Board take action. Shall we go down and burn them alive, or is that already done?' 'Oh, hush,' said Pirolo, and I think he rocked him in his arms. 'Do we repeat, sir?' Arnott asked De Forest. 'Give 'em a minute's break,' De Forest replied. 'They may need it.'