from close inshore.

"There were only twenty-four of us to begin with—the Kentucky, the Missouri, the New Jersey, battleships; the Midway, the Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Coral Sea, carriers; the Alaska, Guam and Hawaii, large cruisers; three San Diegos, small cruisers; and a dozen of the big new destroyers.

"Our main attack is coming over the North Pole—airborne, and we were merely a diversion. We had luck and launched our missiles successfully. The troop landings are coming off almost without opposition according to the latest dispatches. But the enemy isn't through by a long shot. There's a lot of him and he's out to finish us."

"I can understand that," said Nelson, "though I confess much of your terminology is beyond me. But how can an incredible steel floating fortress of more than fifty thousand tons be damaged?"

"The answer to that lies in the fact that only this battleship, the Midway, the Alaska and Guam, one of the light cruisers and seven of the destroyers are still afloat. And of these, only the crews of one cruiser and three destroyers have not been doomed by radioactivity."

"What is this radioactivity you speak of, Admiral?"

Kirkham told him, crisply, graphically. At its conclusion his listener's face was even paler than its wont. He rose and saluted the American gravely.

"You and your crew deserve the salute of every sailor who ever lived"—he stumbled a little over the phrase, caught himself and went on—"and I am proud to salute you in their behalf. War has become a terrible thing."

"It always was," said Kirkham. He had reached for the glass to pour another pair of drinks when a buzzer sounded and he flipped the switch on a box at his elbow.

"Enemy plane sighted and destroyed fifty miles off port bow," came the report. Kirkham swore and closed the switch. He rose, looked at his strange visitor.

"Care to come up and see the fireworks?" he asked. "We've just been spotted by another plane."

Nelson rose quickly. His host started toward the door, then checked himself and came back.

"Better cover that costume of yours, Admiral," he said. "Since they saw your ships, the boys are a bit jumpy and they're in no mood for what they might think were gags. Here—put this raincoat on. It will cover you."

 Prev. P 8/13 next