But hours earlier there was consultation on the carrier in the Bay of Naples. Coburn sat in a wardroom in a cold fury which was in part despair. He had been kept in complete ignorance of all measures taken, and he felt the raging indignation of a man accused of treason. He was being questioned again. He was treated with an icy courtesy that was worse than accusation. The carrier skipper mentioned with detachment that, of course, Coburn had never been in any danger. Obviously. The event in the airport at Salonika and the attack on the convoy were window-dressing. They were not attempts to withdraw him from circulation, but to draw attention to him. Which, of course, implied that the Invaders--whoever or whatever they might be--considered Coburn a useful tool for whatever purpose they intended. This was before the conference officially began. It took time to arrange. There were radio technicians with microphones. The consultation--duly scrambled and re-scrambled--would be relayed to Washington while it was on. It was a top level conference. Hallen was included, but he did not seem happy. * * * * * Then things were ready. The skipper of the carrier took over, with full awareness that the very highest brass in Washington was listening to every word. "We can skip your technical information, Mr. Coburn," he said with ironic courtesy, "unless you've something new to offer." Coburn shook his head. He seethed. "For the record," said the skipper, "I repeat that it is obvious that your presence at the scene when those Bulgarians were knocked out, that you were attacked in Salonika, that the ship carrying you was also attacked, and that there was an incident on your landing here:--it's obvious that all these things were stage-managed to call attention to you, for the purposes of ... whoever staged them. Have you anything more to offer?" "No," growled Coburn. "I've told all I know." He was furiously angry and felt completely helpless. "Your information," purred the Skipper, "and the stage-managed incidents, make you look like a very patriotic citizen who is feared by the supposedly extra-terrestrial creatures. But we don't have to play any longer, Mr. Coburn. What were you told to tell your government? What do these ... extra-terrestrials want?" "My guess," snapped Coburn, "is that they want Earth." The skipper raised his eyebrows. "Are you threatening us in their name?" he asked, purring. "I'm telling you my guess," said Coburn hotly. "It's just as good as yours and no better! I have no instructions from them. I have no message from them. I've only my own opinion, which is that we humans had better get ready to fight. I believe we ought to join together--all of Earth--and get set to defend ourselves." There was silence. Coburn found himself regarding the faces around him with an unexpected truculence. Janice pressed his hand warningly.