"It's no use," he moaned strickenly, more to himself than to me. "I can't sacrifice brave men in a useless cause, Dugan. I've got to—" He faced the audio squarely. To the enemy commander he said, "Very good, sir! In accordance with the Rules of War, I surrender into your hands!"
The firing ceased, and a stillness like that of death blanketed the Leo.
It was then that Andy Laney, who had lingered in the galley doorway like a frozen figuring, broke into babbling incredulous speech.
"You—you're giving up like this?" he bleated. "Is this all you're going to do?"
The Old Man just looked at him, saying never a word, but that glance would have blistered the hide off a Mercurian steelback. I'm more impetuous. I turned on the little i***t vituperatively.
"Shut up, you fool! Don't you realize t
