Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

“captured” ships, like phosphorescent ants, until each of them seemed to be

standing in a spreading pool of light. The pool around the Boomerang,

however, quickly began to seep away toward the others; close up it was

self-evident that that ship was radically incomplete.

“To all hands: Deep Station has launched all five ships. We have garbled

reports from other stations indicating at least eighteen more either

secured or already launched. There are also still two stations holding

radio silence; we are hoping this means that their locations remain unknown

and they are undergoing no attack.”

Three minutes.

“Passenger census … Well, that’s what they get for sightseeing; we warned

them. Certainly it could be a lot worse…. Airlock crew, prepare to admit

standbys.”

Nobody could call them stand-bys after tonight.

Four minutes. There was turmoil now in the pools of light around the

Assegai and the Haggard. Little sparks of light were clambering slowly up

the scaffolding of their lift-shafts; obviously they had discovered that

the lifts themselves were inoperable.

Five minutes. The airlock was open now, gaping for the nineteen seared

heroes. The mob was beginning to ooze tentatively toward the Quarrel.

80 James Blish

“. . . seventeen, eighteen, nineteen. Cycle airlock. Field officers, welcome

aboard. Get that thing closed, you’ve got four seconds . ….

Thoommmml

The Quarrel vanished. On Salt Flats the pools of light were still visible,

but they looked dimmer, and completely frozen: truck lights left on,

torches fallen from hands…. The concussion had probably killed many of