The argument lasted all the way back to the ship.
Janus, holding out for his belief that the whole thing was of religious origin, kept looking around for Martians as if he expected them to pour screaming from the hills.
Burton came up with the suggestion that perhaps the holes had been made by a disintegrator-ray.
"It's possible," Allenby admitted. "This might have been the scene of some great battle—"
"With only one such weapon?" I objected.
Allenby swore as he stumbled. "What do you mean?"
"I haven't seen any other lines of holes—only the one. In a battle, the whole joint should be cut up.
That was good for a few moments' silent thought. Then Allenby said, "It might have been brought out by one side as a last resort. Sort of an ace in the hole."
I resisted the temptation to mutiny. "But would even one such weapon, in battle make only one line of holes? Wouldn't it be played in an arc against the enemy? You know it would."