But would the
aliens keep their part of the bargain? He no longer believed that.
Why not give these barbarians a chance, and the colonists. Sure, he
was breaking the stiffest rule of the Service. But, perhaps by now the
flitter was gone, he might never reach the _RS 10_. It was not his
war, right enough. But he'd give the weaker side a fighting chance.
Dalgard followed him into the globe ship, climbing the ladders to the
engine level, watching with curious eyes as Raf inspected the driving
power of the ship and made the best disposition possible of one of the
bombs.
Then they were on the ladder once more as the ship shook under them,
plates buckling as a great wound tore three decks apart. Raf laughed
recklessly. Now that he was committed to this course, he had a
small-boy delight in the destruction.
"They won't raise her again in a hurry," he confided to Dalgard. But
the other did not share his triumph.
"They come--we must move fast," the scout urged.
When they jumped from the hatch, they discovered that the mermen had
been busy in their turn. As many of the supplies as they could move
had been pushed and piled into one great mass.
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