"I found it," Meeta said proudly. "There is much of it."
"What's that noise?" Jim abruptly demanded.
With my nerves taut, I stood tense. A faint thrumming was audible. We had left the cave where the weapons had been hidden, and were out in the broken amphitheatre with the ruined ancient buildings like spectres around us. Far overhead there was a little starlight, straggling faintly down. The thrumming grew louder. A tiny blurred shape came down through the darkness.... And then another—and another.
The Midges were arriving from Shan, expecting to carry the Venus-weapons from here to the Forest City. In a moment a dozen were here, then a hundred. They came in little groups, males and females, keeping separate in the flight. Like huge insects they thrummed around us, and then settled and stood awaiting our commands. Then Meeta was among them, telling what had happened and explaining that they must fight for the lives of the Forest City people.
For a moment there was awed silence; then a tiny blended chorus of voices, and little shapes humming away to get the thorns.
Jim gripped me. "By the Lord, it's our only chance! You can see that, Art."
"Yes. You and I in the spacesuits, if we can maneuver them. An army in the air—the Midges and you and I to plan their battle—direct them."
"And I shall be with you," Venta cried.
Vaguely I had thought to leave her here, or send her off to the Forest City on foot. She persuaded me at last.
"You talk of planning the battle," she cried. "But almost none of the Midges speak your language. I shall give your commands to them."