"Bet you a hat. If they haven't been able to use the infrawave bands for space locating and detecting, they wouldn't get to first base discovering the magnus forces."
"You realize," said Twill, "that you're setting up a pattern of violence that may never be resolved?"
"No matter how you set up the meeting of cultures, you've started a pattern of violence that can never be resolved. I say make 'em realize right now that they are clobbered. And if they want fight, we'll give it to 'em."
Twill growled, "Not too long ago you were cautiously admitting that elephants can be beaten by a pack of determined rats."
"Until they put out more than that squadron of twenty-five spacecraft, they're no real pack, compared to our task force."
"You may be.... Hush!"
The door opened. Viggon Sarri looking refreshed and alert, greeted, "Good morning. You've heard the latest?"
"What latest?"
"We've probably located the destination-star. From one of the large stars along the flight path of the original spacecraft there has formed a second search squadron of twenty-five spacecraft. The infrawaves are filled with calls back and forth, coordinating the search pattern."
"How are they doing?"