Guy Maynard prowled his scanning room impatiently. In the easy-chair beside the broad desk, Ben Williamson lazed without apparent excitement. Upon the twentieth cigarette, Ben said softly: "You should take it easy, Guy." "Like you?" asked Maynard. "You look calm--but!" "I know all about it. But remember, even though it's action you crave; you're the big boss on this expedition and you'll be able to do nothing but watch." "Watch--and pray that my plans are effective. Uh-huh. But talking it down won't lessen the tension." "Wait 'em out, Guy. They'll come soon enough." Guy snorted, tossed his cigarette into the wastebasket and tried to relax. A matter of time, all right. Well, maybe he could wait in patience. At best he'd have to wait until the Mephistans were ready to attack. When it came, it was swift to start and equally swift to end. From one side there came a fast-moving jet of tiny spacecraft. At unthinkable velocities, the thin stream poured into the space pattern of the Terrans. The clangor of the alarm ceased as contacts were opened. The communications band roared with cries and questions. "Who got it?" "_Scorpiad!_" "Bad?" "Not yet." "Get out the fighter-cover!" "They're coming--give us time!" "Time, hell! This is a space fight, not a pink tea!" * * * * * The turrets of the _Scorpiad_ danced back and forth in a mad pattern. At the end of each lightning move they paused. At each pause they vomited unseen energy that catapulted the temperature of the Mephistan ship into incandescence. The sky beside the moving fleet was dotted with winks of light as the fencing AutoMacs parried the rapier thrusts of the tiny fighters. More ships poured into the arrowing horde, and the dancing turrets raced madly to keep up their program. They lost space, and the wall of coruscating death moved inward. From long range the _Pleiad_ opened fire, and the dancing motes of flame moved back as the overloaded detectors found more time to focus upon the incoming horde. Maynard mopped his forehead, one half at a time to permit at least one eye on the celestial globe during the job. "That was close," he snapped. "It ain't over yet!" said Williamson shortly. "No ... here comes another line of those devils ... at _Pleiad_!" "They're not afraid to die!" "They seem to want it!" The _Pleiad_ stopped the long-range fire and began to take care of the horde that was striking at her direct. _Pleiad_ was capable of handling this new attack easily, but it left the brunt of the heavy attack on the _Scorpiad_. Once more the flashing motes moved inward as the detectors found themselves unable to keep up. And still more of the tiny ships poured into the stream, and the borderline of death moved into almost-contact with the constellation ship.