"What is it?" said Scone, who had heard only the last three words coming in through the device implanted in his skull. Panchurin turned a suddenly old face to him. "The commander of the _Zemlya_ said that the Argentineans have set off an undetermined number of cobalt bombs. More than twenty, at the very least." He added, "The _Zemlya_ is leaving its orbit. It intends to establish a new one around the Moon. It won't leave until we evaluate our situation. If then." Every Soviet in the room looked at Lorentz. * * * * * The Argentinean straightened up from his weary slump and summoned all the strength left in his bleeding body. He spoke in Russian so all would understand. "We told you pigs we would take the whole world with us before we'd bend our necks to the Communist yoke!" he shouted. At that moment, his gaunt high-cheekboned face with its long upper lip, thin lipline mustache, and fanatical blue eyes made him resemble the dictator of his country, Félipé Howards, El Macho (The Sledgehammer). Panchurin ordered two soldiers and the doctor to take him to the jail. "I would like to kill the beast now," he said. "But he may have valuable information. Make sure he lives ... for the time being." Then, Panchurin looked upwards again to Earth, hanging only a little distance above the horizon. The others also stared. Earth, dark now, except for steady glares here and there, forest fires and cities, probably, which would burn for days. Perhaps weeks. Then, when the fires died out, the embers cooled, no more fire. No more vegetation, no more animals, no more human beings. Not for centuries. Suddenly, Panchurin's face crumpled, tears flowed, and he began sobbing loudly, rackingly. The others could not withstand this show of grief. They understood now. The shock had worn off enough to allow sorrow to have its way. Grief ran through them like fire through the forests of their native homes. Broward, also weeping, looked at Scone and could not understand. Scone, alone among the men and women under the dome and the Earth, was not crying. His face was as impassive as the slope of a Moon mountain. Scone did not wait for Panchurin to master himself, to think clearly. He said, "I request permission to return to Clavius, sir." Panchurin could not speak; he could only nod his head. "Do you know what the situation is at Clavius?" said Scone relentlessly. Panchurin managed a few words. "Some missiles ... Axis base ... came close ... but no damage ... intercepted."