"We both think so," Faren Twill said firmly.
"Oh?" Viggon Sarri looked at them in surprise. "Then maybe I have the wrong idea. Let me hear your suggestions."
Twill and Naylo looked at one another, fencing with their eyes. Finally Twill nodded and said, "You say it, Regin."
"It's already been said." Regin Naylo looked pointedly at Linus Brein. "A day or so ago you claimed that you'd picked up some primitive infrawave emission that looked as though someone might be trying to develop a detecting and ranging device."
"Yes."
"Then it is my contention that any moves we make against this race should be made before anybody down there gets such a detector and ranger working."
"Why?" demanded Viggon Sarri.
Regin Naylo looked at his commander. "We're losing a technical advantage. Whether we go in with a benign and peaceful-looking air and show them how big and fast we are, or whether we plunge in and hit 'em with every battery we've got and reduce 'em to submission, we've got to do it before anybody succeeds in making an infrawave space detector. Understand?"
Viggon Sarri looked from one to the other, grimly. "You believe I'm wasting time? Is that it?"
The two aides answered together, "Yes!" and "Absolutely!"