the invisible navigator corrected.
Oberholzer listened without moving while Captain Hammer muttered under his breath to Flo-Mar 12-Upjohn, the only civilian allowed on the bridgeand small wonder, since he was the Consort of State of the Matriarchy itself.
Hammer had long ago become accustomed enough to his own bridge to be able to control who overheard him, but 12-Upjohn’s answering whisper must have been audible to every man there.
‘The briefing said nothing about a second inhabited planet,” the Consort said, a little peevishly. “But then there’s very little we do know about this systemthat’s part of our trouble. What makes you think it’s a colony?”
“A colony from Calle, not one of ours,” Hammer said, in more or less normal tones; evidently he had decided against trying to keep only half of the discussion private.
“The electromagnetic ‘noise’ from both planets has the same spectrumthe energy level, the output, is higher on Calle, that’s all. That means similar machines being used in similar ways. And let me point out, Your Excellency, that the outer planet is in opposition to Calle now, which will put it precisely in our rear if we complete this maneuver.”
“When we complete this maneuver,” 12-Upjohn said firmly. “Is there any evidence of communication between the two planets?”
Hammer frowned. “No,” he admitted.
“Then we’ll regard the colonization hypothesis as unproved and stand ready to strike back hard if events prove us wrong. I think we have a sufficient force here to reduce three planets like Calle if we’re driven to that pitch.”