"I get it. You're going to abandon this place?"
"No. I'm going to hit F-67 with three quarters of the main fleet. That'll divide their defenses and we'll end up with two hundred-mile areas."
"You're going to leave enough here to hold this place?"
"Yes. It'll be tough going, but once they're divided, it'll be easier here. With three quarters of our fleet attacking another place, they'll be forced to follow. Look, Hamilton, some of their power is down! Ben must have got that power-conversion plant!"
"When are you leaving?"
"As soon as Ben returns. Hello," he said, turning to see four officers struggling with—a creature.
"We caught this one alive," offered the foremost. "Thought you'd like to see what we've been fighting!"
"Nice to know," said Maynard drily. "What now? Do you expect me to give it tea?"
The laugh was universal. But the creature straightened, and waved the tentacle on top of the shapeless collection of antennæ, tendrillike fronds of hair, and wide, flat appendages that must have passed for the head on Mephisto. It whipped the tentacle to the back of the head and found a curved case that fitted the back of the head. Another tentacle tore from the officer's grasp and found a similar box at the belt.