The president looked at Alan. "That projector which your tower went to get--if we had it we could ask that the world-power be shut off. Then we could use it, against Turber." No one answered him. He added: "Do you think your tower will bring it?" "Yes," said Alan. Messages were flooding in from the other world governments. Demands for details. They passed ignored. The president stood up; his slim figure wavered. "I think--I think, gentlemen, we should not yield. If you are against defending ourselves--defending the world from these wolves, stand up now and say so." No one moved. He turned suddenly; his voice rang out: "Tell the Wolves we are not afraid." He stood listening for the answer. It came within a few seconds. Clattering messages from the southern--the Manhattan section of the city. Turber's attack had started! CHAPTER XIX THE BATTLE OF GREAT NEW YORK History will record that the battle of Great New York began on the morning of June 12, 2445 A.D. For three days it raged. I can give but fragmentary pictures. It whirled Alan and me into a maelstrom. I recall the morning of June 13. A day of the battle was passed. Inconceivable events of horror! Inconceivable ramifications of gruesome tragedy! I recall that that morning Alan and I sat before a mirror-grid in the Westchester section of this monstrous beehive city. The fighting was farther south. We could see its ghastly details mirrored on a score of grids around us. We had been in it at times. And snatched food and sleep. But we were worn now to the verge of exhaustion. And worn with fear. The Turberites could not be stopped. And Nanette? How could we dare hope that we would ever see Nanette again amid this torrent of killing? The Hoboken area across the lower river had been the scene of bloody fighting all afternoon of June 12, the evening, and through the night. The Manhattan-Hudson terraces and most of the network of Hudson bridges down near the lower end were held now by the Turberites. They had penetrated through all the corridors of the Hoboken area south of the power rooms. Factory rooms and offices were here, shops and storage warehouses of local food supplies. The Turberites now swarmed them. The terminus of the north-south traffic artery on the Manhattan side of the river tunnel was taken from us. The city traffic system of internal railways was long since paralyzed. It added to the panic of the people who were caught in the city the morning before, when the fighting so abruptly started, and who had not yet been able to get away. A resident population of thirty million now in this monstrous city! Ten million more as a daily average of visitors. They, too, were caught in the maelstrom of the panic. And another thirty million who commuted in to work. Millions had escaped now. Every moment black streams of them came pouring out. But transportation was hourly becoming more difficult.