〃Now hear this。 Attention all hands 。 。 。 stand by 。 。 。 in a few moments we will be taking you to the flagship for a on…the…spot report from the admiral 。 。 。 stand by 。 。 。〃 The voice was cut off by the sounding of General Quarters but went on again when this hideous sound had ended。 〃。 。 。 and here we are on the bridge of that gigantic conquistadore of the spacelanes； the twenty…mile…long； heavily armored； mightily gunned super battleship the Fairy Queen 。 。 。 the men on watch are stepping aside now and ing toward me in a simple uniform of spun platinum is the Grand Admiral of the Fleet； the Right Honorable Lord Archaeopteryx 。 。 。 Could you spare us a moment Your Lordship？ Wonderfull The next voice you hear will be 。 。 。 〃
The next voice was a burst of music while the fusemen eyed their fusebands； but the next voice after that had all the rich adenoidal tones always heard from peers of the Empire。
〃Lads…we're going into action！ This； the mightiest fleet the galaxy has ever seen is heading directly toward the enemy to deliver the devastating blow that may win us the war。 In my operations tank before me I see a myriad pinpoints of light； stretching as far as the eye can see； and each point of light…I tell you they are like holes in a blanket！is not a ship； not a squadron…but an entire fleet！ We are sweeping forward； closing in 。 。 。〃
The sound of tom…toms filled the air； and on the fuseband that Bill was watching appeared a matched set of golden gates； swinging open。
〃Tembo！〃 he screamed。 〃Will you knock that off I want to hear about the battle 。 。 。〃
〃Canned tripe；〃 Tembo sniffed。 〃Better to use the few remaining moments of this life that may remain to you to seek salvation。 That's no admiral； that's a canned tape。 I've heard it five times already； and they only play it to build morale before what they are sure is to be a battle with heavy losses。 It never was an admiral； it's ；from an old TV program 。 。 。〃
〃Yippee！〃 Bill shouted； and leaped forward。 The fuse he was looking at crackled with a brilliant discharge around the clips； and at the same moment the fuseband charred and turned from red to black。 〃Unggh！〃 he grunted； then 〃Unggh！ Ungghl Ungghl〃 in rapid succession； burning his palms on the still hot fuse； dropping it on his toe； and finally getting it into a fuseway。 When he turned back Tembo had already clipped a fresh fuse into the empty clips。
〃That was my fuse you shouldn't have 。 。 。〃 there were tears in his eyes。
〃Sorry。 But by the rules I must help if I am free。〃
〃Well； at least we're in action；〃 Bill said； back in position and trying to favor his bruised foot。
〃Not in action yet； still too cold in here。 And that was just a fuse breakdown； you can tell by the clip discharge； they do that sometimes when they get old。〃
〃。 。 。 massed armadas manned by heroic troopers 。 。 。〃
〃We could have been in bat。〃 Bill pouted。
〃。 。 。 thunder of atomic broadsides and lightning trails of hurtling torpedoes 。 。 。 〃
〃I think we are now。 It does feel warmer； doesn't it； Bill？ We had better undress； if it really is a battle we may get too busy。〃
〃Let's go； let's go； down to the buff；〃 First Class Spleen barked； leaping gazellelike down the rows of fuses； clad only in a pair of dirty gym socks and his tattooed…on stripes and fouled…fuse insignia of rank。 There was a sudden crackling in the air； and Bill felt the clipped…short stubs of his hair stirring in his scalp。
〃What's that？〃 he yiped。
〃Secondary discharge from that bank of fuses；〃 Tembo pointed。 〃It's classified as to what is happening； but I heard tell that it means one of the defense screens is under radiation attack； and as it overloads it climbs up the spectrum to green； to blue to ultraviolet until finally it goes black and the screen breaks down。〃
〃That sounds pretty way out。〃
〃I told you it was just a rumor。 The material is classified。。〃
〃THERE SHE GOES！！〃
A crackling bang split the humid air of the fuse room； and a bank of fuses arced； smoked； burned black。 One of them cracked in half； showering small fragments like shrapnel in every direction。 The fusemen leaped； ；grabbed the fuses； slipped in replacements with sweating hands； barely visible to each other through the reeking layers of smoke。 The fuses were driven home； and there was a moment's silence； broken only by a plaintive bleating from the munications screen。
〃Son of a bowb！〃 First Class Spleen muttered； kicking a fuse out of the way and diving for the screen。 His uniform jacket was hanging on a hook next to it； and he struggled into this before banging the RECEIVE switch。 He finished
closing the last button just as the screen cleared。 Spleen saluted； so it must have been an officer he was facing； the screen was edge…on to Bill； so he couldn't tell； but the voice had the quacking no…chin…and…plenty…of…teeth whine that he was beginning to associate with the officer class。
〃You're slow in answering； First Class Spleen…maybe Second Class Spleen would be able to answer faster？〃
〃Have pity； sir…I'm an old man。〃 He dropped to his knees in a prayerful attitude which took him off the screen。
〃Get up； you idiot！ Have you repaired the fuses after that last overload？〃
〃We replace； sir； not repair 。 。 。〃
〃None of your technical gibberish； you swine！ A straight answer！〃
〃All in order； sir。 Operating in the green。 No plaints from anyone； your worship。〃
〃Why are you out of uniform？〃
〃I am in uniform； sir；〃 Spleen whined； moving closer to the screen so that his bare behind and shaking lower limbs could not be seen。
〃Don't lie to me！ There's sweat on your forehead。 You aren't allowed to sweat in uniform。 Do you。 see me sweating？ And I have a cap on too…at the correct angle。 I'll forget it this time because I have a heart of gold。 Dismissed。〃
〃Filthy bowb！〃 Spleen cursed at the top of his lungs； tearing the jacket from his stifling body。 The temperature was over 120 and still rising。 〃Sweat！ They have air conditioning on the bridge…and where do you think they discharge the
heat？ In here！ YEEOOW！！〃
Two entire banks of fuses blew out at the same time； three of the fuses exploding like bombs。 At the same moment the floor under their feet bucked hard enough to actually be felt。
〃Big trouble！〃 Tembo shouted。 〃Anything that is strong enough to feel through the stasis field must be powerful enough to flatten this ship like a pancake。 There go some morel〃 He dived for the bank and kicked a fuse clear of the clips and jammed in。 a replacement
It was an inferno。 Fuses were exploding like aerial bombs； sending whistling particles of ceramic death through the air。 There was a lightning crackle as a board shorted to the metal floor and a hideous scream； thankfully cut short； as
the sheet of lightning passed through a fuse tender's body。 Greasy smoke boiled and hung in sheets； making it almost impossible to see。 Bill raked the remains of a broken fuse from the darkened clips and jumped for the replacement rack。
He clutched the ninety…pound fuse in his aching arms and had just turned back toward the boards； when the universe exploded。
All the remaining fuses seemed to have shorted at once； and the screaming bolt of crackling electricity crashed the length of the room。 In its eye…piercing light and in a single； eternal moment Bill saw the flame sear through the ranks of the fuse tenders； throwing them about and incinerating them like particles of dust in an open fire。 Tembo crumpled and collapsed； a mass of seared flesh； a flying length of metal tore First Class Spleen open from neck to groin in a single hideous wound。
〃Look at that vent in Spleen！〃 Bowb shouted； then screamed as a ball of lightning rolled over him and turned him to a blackened husk in a fraction of a second。
By chance； a mere accident； Bill was holding the solid bulk of the fuse before him when the flame struck。 It washed over his left arm； which was on the outside of the fuse； and hurled its flaming weight against the thick cylinder。 The force hit Bill； knocked him back toward the reserve racks of fuses； and rolled him end over end flat on the floor while the all…destroying sheet of fire crackled inches above his head。 It died away as suddenly as it had e； leaving