The Mongolian fleet incurred the displeasure of the spectators by casting a smoke screen, which greatly interfered with the seeing. The _Prospero_, every gun throbbing, hurled itself into the smoke screen and came out on the other side, out of control, quivering with incoordinating machinery. As it neared the boundary, it was blown up by its pilot, safe and sound, thousands of miles away. But the sacrifice was not in vain. The _Han_ and _Sung_, both severely crippled, swung slowly out of the mist. The _Han_, with a list that clearly showed it was doomed, was struck by a lucky shot from the _Caliban_ and fell several hundred feet, its left wing ablaze. But for a second or two, the pilot regained control, and, with a single shot, disabled the _Caliban_, and then the _Han_ fell to its doom on the rocky islands below. The _Caliban_ and _Sung_ continued to drift, firing at each other. As soon as it was seen that neither would be of any further use in the battle, they were, by common consent, taken from the field. There now remained three ships on each side, darting in and out of the smoke screen, occasionally ascending to cool the engines. Among the spectators, excitement prevailed, for it was announced from the City of Franklin that a new and virtually unknown pilot, Jack Bearden, was going to take command of three ships at once! And never before had one pilot commanded, by radio, more than two ships! Besides, two of the most famous Mongolian aces, Baartek and Soong, were on the field, while an even more famous person, the Chinese mercenary T’ang, commanded the _Yuen_. The Americans among the spectators protested that a pilot so young and inexperienced should not be allowed to endanger the ships. The Government replied that it had a thorough confidence in Bearden’s abilities. But when the young pilot stepped before the television screen, on which was pictured the battle, and the maze of controls, he realized that his ability had been overestimated, by himself and by everyone else. He climbed up on the high stool and reached for the speed control levers, which were directly behind him. He leaned back, and fell! His head struck against two buttons: and he saw the _Oberon_ and _Titania_ blow themselves up. The three enemy ships cooperated in an attack on the _Ariel_. Bearden swung his ship around and rushed it into the smoke screen. He saw the huge bulk of the _Tsing_ bear down upon him. He fired instinctively—and hit the control center. Dodging aside as the _Tsing_ fell past him, he missed the _Tsin_ by inches. The pilot of the _Tsin_ shot at the reinforcements of the _Ariel_’s right wing, loosening it. For a few moments, he was alone, or, rather, the _Ariel_ was alone. For he was at the control board in the War Building in the City of Franklin.