to the master chronometer.

"Forty minutes, fifty seconds. Why?"

Joe said wrily, "There are some rockets in enemy hands which can reach
the Platform. They were shipped to launchers ten days ago. You figure
what comes next."

Mike's wizened face became tense and angry. Haney growled, "They smash
the Platform before we get to it."

"Uh-uh!" said Mike instantly. "They smash the Platform _when_ we get to
it! They smash us both up together. Where'll we be at contact-time,
Joe?"

"Over the Indian Ocean, south of the Bay of Bengal, to be exact," said
Joe. "But we'll be moving fast. The worst of it is that it's going to
take time to get in the airlock and unload our guided missiles and get
them in the Platform's launching-tubes. I'd guess an hour. One bomb
should get both of us above the Bay of Bengal, but we won't be set to
launch a guided missile in defense until we're nearly over America
again."

The Chief said sourly, "Yeah. Sitting ducks all the way across the
Pacific!"

"We'll check with the Platform," said Joe. "See if you can get them
direct, Mike, will you?"

Then something occurred to him. Mike scrambled back to his communication