* * * * * Peter Folley was talking. "The jig's up, Blair. The Vestena merchants have signed an oath to refuse further trade with Parma. You know what that means?" Blair Freedman nodded. It didn't make any difference to him now. Not, at least, until he found Sheila Graham and made her understand how he really felt about Jerry's death. "I suppose we'll close the tunnel?" Folley shook his head and frowned. "No, that's the bad part of it. We've got to hold the tunnel open." He leaned forward, tapping his pencil. "United Satellites, comprising fifteen powers, accepted a contract to open the tunnel, on the promise that we would _keep_ it open. Now there's a war between Vestena and Parma. The Merchants of Vestena won't buy from us, and the tunnel was used mostly by their ships. Yet, even if the other powers no longer use the tunnel, we promised to keep it open in the event they do. They won't release us from that contract. Now we've got to keep open our most vulnerable approach. We've got to protect it from the people who will leave no stone unturned in their effort to destroy us by attacking through the tunnel. It's a nasty mess." It was nasty. Freedman realized it. But this was an army job. A job for the Warrior Patrol. He stood up. "I'll keep my end going," he said. "I'm doing three patrols every day. When you need the Z1000, you know where to find me." He was half way to the door when Folley stopped him. "What's eating you, Blair?" Folley asked abruptly. Freedman whirled around. "Jerry's death for one thing," he said. Folley shook his head. "I know," he said. "There's something else. I'd almost swear you were in love, with that miserable, whipped pup look you've been carrying on your map." Blair didn't answer. Damned nonsense, he thought. He wanted to see Sheila Graham. But not because he was in love with her. He wanted to explain about Jerry, and tell her that he felt as miserable about it as she did. She, supposedly, was on Vestena, the enemy satellite. * * * * * Captain Stew strode up and down the cabin, his huge paunch moving ahead of him like an anchored balloon. Stew was angry. Angry clean through. He showed it with his frown, the set of his lips. He said: "The damned army isn't getting anywhere. Look here, Freedman, what's gonna happen when the Vestena fleet attacks and enters the tunnel?" Blair Freedman had been with Stew for several hours. He was almost ready for the return patrol trip now. He stood up wearily. "That's the worry of the Warrior Patrol," he said. "My orders are to keep the tunnel open." Captain Stew stopped pacing the floor. "Sure," he said. "Sure, you're in the clear. Look at it like I do. Eight times now, Vestena suicide ships have shot in here and dropped explosives into the tunnel mouth. Eight times you've plowed them out again. Not once has the Vestena army attacked.