"Plenty, at this velocity and distance. This is the first time I've had a chance to try it out."
The latter fact saved the Relay Girl. By a mere matter of feet, and inches; by the difference between the speed of light and the speed of light squared at a distance of five thousand miles, plus a slight miscompensation. The intolerably hot umbra of Murdoch's beam followed below the pilot's greenhouse of the Relay Girl all the way past, a matter of several seconds. The spill-over was tangible enough to warm the Relay Girl to uncomfortable temperatures.
Then with no real damage done, the contact with ships in space was over, but not without a certain minimum of recognition.
"Hell!" said Kingman. "That was a space craft."
"Who?"
"I don't know. You missed."
"I'd rather have hit," said Murdoch coldly. "I hope I missed by plenty."
"Why?"
"If we scorched their tails any, there'll be embarrassing questions asked."
"So—?"