The three spaceships lay together in the void.
In the Elephant's Child, 57 men, seven officers, and Circe Smith were seated in the demolished recreation room, which was the only place besides the mess hall with enough chairs to accommodate them all. Radio communication with the other ships was handled over an extension set connected to the main radio room by a triple quancord laid down with furious energy by Sparks.
"What we need, and need fast, is this," said Pinkham. "A method by which we can project lead, in pellets or spray or any damn form, with accuracy, using our platinum guns. There aren't any other weapons that will fire from within."
"As you know, we've tried a few methods. One of the gunners of the Cottabus went into an air-lock and tossed a lead ball at the giant on the Diogenes, using a sling-gun. He found the range was too long; and when the captain attempted to bring the Cottabus nearer, the thing on Diogenes simply reared his ship up by shifting his weight backward. So long as they can maneuver our ships as easily as toy boats, we can't use that simple method.
"Then Diogenes tried to smash our giant off his perch by simply ramming him headlong. Take a look at the screen and you'll see that Diogenes has a dented nose for her pains. Five men died in that try."
"Captain," said a hydroponics engineer, "isn't it possible that, if we keep trying to oppose these aliens, they may simply tear their way into the ships and retaliate?"
"Quite possible. Their strength is equal to picking the Elephant's Child apart, I'm sure." He glared at the men. "Listen: I don't have to pull punches with you. The chances of our getting rid of these giants and making it to Earth are damned remote. There may be a chance, though, so we have to keep trying for it.
"The most important thing we have to do is keep this life-form of the asteroids from going to Earth. We of the armada are a terrible danger to mankind, through no fault of ours. We're so many Typhoid Marys, potential carriers of something worse than any disease. Even if we're all killed, the giants might manage to learn the control of the ships, and take them to Terra alone.
"So if we can't wipe out the enemy, our only course is to destroy ourselves and our ships. Every officer in the armada has instructions to blow up his ship if the giants should break into it. The thing is so important that I've issued orders to do that even though the use of lead-thrower weapons might conquer the invaders.
"If giants seize a ship and it is not destroyed within five minutes, the other two will turn their platinum guns on it.