THE COSMIC COMPUTER

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was made before the evacuation started. It's where most of the troops in
the system were embarked on hyperships, I think. Wait till I show you
the views."

Conn put on another screen; the first view was from an altitude of five
miles. He didn't need Luther's voice to identify Sickle Mountain; a long
curve, with a spur at right angles to one end, the name must have
suggested itself to whoever saw it first. The observatory had been built
where the handle of the sickle joined the blade; as the ship from which
the view had been taken had approached, the details grew plainer. At the
same time, it became evident that the plain inside the curve of the
sickle was powdered with tiny sparkles, like tinsel dust on red-brown
velvet.

"Great Ghu, are those all ships?"

"That's right. Look at this one, now."