The girl smiled up at him, her arms tightening. Hammond took his gaze away from the oblivious pair, and peered through the observation windows.
Gena was guiding the small tank along the huge ledge that was the boat side.
Back of them a score of bigger war tanks were following. Huge rays were blasting at them, burning scars in the ledge about them.
The small tank finally dipped down the boat side onto the far seat. For a moment they were safe, out of range of the bigger tank batteries.
Gena brought the tank to an abrupt halt. "Our only chance!" she snapped. "We must use the size-expanding ray!"
They clambered quickly out. Far across the void between seats the "big ones" loomed. Nearer, coming toward them along the heaving boat side, clattered the Sediphron war tanks.
For a brief moment Gena's eyes mirrored a deep regret. Then she set the adjustment on her ray gun, and turned it on Hammond, while Ardiné did the same to Storm.
The familiar, whirling darkness, the bitter cold, claimed Hammond.
The darkness faded. He found himself facing Storm on the boat seat. The skiff was rocking crazily. Hammond teetered, stumbled back into the stern, and at the same moment Ardiné and Gena appeared.
A wave shipped over the side, washing tiny, antlike things that a moment before had loomed as colossal war tanks, into the bottom of the boat. And at the same moment Gena stiffened.