At any rate, both were correct. And no matter what the inhabitants of Mephisto thought, they acted. The detectors rang in alarm, and automatic circuits closed. The big turrets of the _Orionad_ whipped around with speed enough to warm their almost frictionless bearings in the brief arc. They threw their surge on the ordnance-supply lines, and the meters jumped high. The big AutoMacMillans emitted their energy silently and invisibly, and seven great gouts of flame bloomed in the space between Mephisto and _Orionad_. They swiveled slightly and fired a second time, and four more blossoms of flame spread, this time closer to the _Orionad_. Upon the third attack, the flashes were very close to the super ship. "Ships--or torpedoes?" asked Kane. "Torpedoes," said Maynard definitely. "How can you tell?" asked Kane. "Ships would have flared less brilliantly and more slowly. It takes a well-loaded warhead to blast that way. The fierceness and the velocity of the blast give the answer to that one. Also, those things were coming up at better than a thousand G, all the way. That's guessing that they all started at once or nearly so. In order to separate that much in the distance they covered, and to cover so much distance between the first, second, and third contacts the acceleration must be about that high." He snapped the communicator and asked: "Marshal to Executive: What was the acceleration of the exploded bodies?" The answer came immediately. "Approximately, 941-G, according to the recorders on the detector circuits." "Good-bye, Guy." "Lots of practice," said Maynard. "Well, we're heading back. I'm not going to risk the _Orionad_ in a single-handed battle against a whole planet. Even if I won, they'd bust me flat. We'll head for Terra and set us up a real punitive expedition. Then we'll return and take Mephisto for Terra!" * * * * * The _Orionad_ based at Sahara Base and Maynard went into the Bureau of Exploration building. His entry into Malcolm Greggor's office was easy, and he told the space marshal about his discovery. Greggor's reaction was first doubt, but Maynard called Kane and his executive officer, and when Greggor was convinced, his excitement knew no bounds. He called an immediate conference with the head of several bureaus, and told Maynard he was to remain, and then added Kane to the list. Once assembled, Maynard explained the details, complete, and Malcolm Greggor opened the discussion by stating: "This will be difficult. They resent us. If we go in at all, we must go in armed to the teeth, and expect trouble all the way." Mantley, of the Bureau of Ordnance, said: "You expect anything unique in ordnance, Maynard?" "I hardly think so. On the other hand, they have space travel, as witness those torpedoes. They must have a definite isolation policy, otherwise they would have contacted us long ago."