"The biggest problem the Jorgensen's people will have is decontaminating the wreckage," Retief said.
Magnan leaned forward. "Amazing," he said. "They just keep coming, did they? Had they no inter-ship communication?"
"They had their orders," Retief said. "And their attack plan. They followed it."
"What a spectacle," Magnan said. "Over a thousand ships, plunging out of control one by one as they entered the stress-field."
"Not much of a spectacle," Retief said. "You couldn't see them. Too far away. They all crashed back in the mountains."
"Oh." Magnan's face fell. "But it's as well they did. The bacterial bombs—"
"Too cold for bacteria. They won't spread."
"Nor will the Soetti," Magnan said smugly, "thanks to the promptness with which I acted in dispatching you with the requisite data." He looked narrowly at Retief. "By the way, you're sure no ... ah ... message reached you after your arrival?"
"I got something," Retief said, looking Magnan in the eye. "It must have been a garbled transmission. It didn't make sense."