THE COSMIC COMPUTER

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"Well," Conn adjusted his argument to the old Rebel's obsession, "I'll
admit that, as a possibility. If so, we'll need heavier weapons than we
have. This spaceport on Barathrum might be just the place to get them."

"Yes. It might. Defense armament, and stored ships' weapons. Say, if we
grab that place and move all the heavy guns and missiles here, we could
stand off anybody." The thought[Pg 70] of a fight with minions of the
Terran Federation seemed to have shaved ten years off his age in a
twinkling. "You take the /Lester Dawes/, and, let's say, three of these
gunboats. Let me see. /Goblin/, Fred Karski. And /Vampire/, Charley
Gatworth. And /Dragon/, Stefan Jorisson. They're all good men. Home
Guard; trained them myself."

"Aren't you coming, Colonel?"

"Oh, I'd like to, Conn, but I can't. I don't want to be away from here;
no telling what might happen. But you keep in constant screen-contact;