Then, as one, but in whichever direction was most convenient, the combined fleets turned sharply to the South. Throttles went home unaided. The planes jockeyed into a flight pattern and raced towards that single radar target that just missed being off the edge of the screen. The fleets deployed, spreading out into a vast screen that raced to intercept the lone plane. "That," chattered the radio with a trace of satisfaction, "must be Narina Varada and Harry Vinson. You will--I trust--pardon me if I marshal my allied machines to intercept them. And if you don't pardon me, I'll do it anyway." 6 In complete radio and radar silence, Harry Vinson drove his captured flying boat at top speed. Narina sat by his side in the co-pilot's seat with binoculars and scanned the sky constantly. "You might as well give that up," he told her for the tenth time. "Why?" "Because our only chance is to get through completely undetected. If you can see anything through those things, remember that they've been on our trail for a half hour with radar. They can 'see' us long before we can see them." "I know," she told him. "But if we're detected, there's no way of knowing." "A hell of a lot of good it will do for us to know," he grumbled. "Better to know." "I suppose so." "We might be able to run." "We're running this old tub as fast as she will go right now." Narina smiled, "But in the right direction?" "Okay, lady, you win." "Also," she pointed out, "it gives me something to do." "Why not take some time to think of what we do next?" "Not a chance," she replied. He looked at her quizzically. "Supposing we do think of some answer," she said slowly. "Remember that we are still surrounded by the enemy; I'd rather have nothing to tell when, as, or if we are captured." He nodded. "Against a coldly rational and logical machine, that would automatically eliminate one of the all too few possible answers, wouldn't it?" "Sure would. About the only thing that the machine will ever try twice are those things that work very well and which it has reason to believe will continue to do so. But give it one idea that might work against it and you can wager that a foolproof defence will be set up instantly." "So we keep our minds blank--what is it, Narina?" "Just on the horizon--might be either a migratory flight of birds or a fleet of aircraft." "This isn't the time of year for migrating birds," he said. "No, and migrating birds do not fly in cold, precise pattern. That's it, Harry." "Identify 'em yet?" Narina shook her head. "Not positively. But it will either be your fleet--or ours." "Or both." Narina looked at him understandingly. "Or both," she agreed solemnly. "I don't know enough about our fighting planes," he said reflectively. "But this thing has been souped up in some fashion and we may be able to outrun them." "You discount the fact that they may be friends?" "They may have friends in them," he said.