The Lark is a ground-to-orbit ferry ship carrying three passengers rather than 40 plus p-suits and Prof's cannon. She is heavily overfueled, as she intends, with transponder changed to Opening Lotus, to head for the Moon, ostensibly to rescue the marooned scientists. They endure an agonizing 27 minutes to see if the one interceptor that can fire a missile will do so. Davis and LaJoie talk through their sins, some quite cherished, and then endure two days of biological treatments to assure they carry no plagues.
Davis is ashamed, returning empty-handed, but Prof apologizes for not telling him Mike's latest projection (17:1) depends on at least one of them surviving and the Chairman not folding to their demands. Luna must follow the ancient Chinese saying that perfection in war consists in.....
