And yet, such was the dominating energy of their
commander, it bridged the gap for them all; instantly they saw that
his idea was the best possible.
"The only question, of course--sir--is the matter of means." The
shock-headed man spoke with immense respect. The others looked as
though they envied him his nerve.
Powart was ready with his reply. "I have already considered this.
Briefly we shall construct a piece of artillery of such dimensions
that we can bombard the planet directly!"
He explained that it meant operations on a scale never before
attempted. It meant a cannon as much beyond what had ever been made
before, as that roof had exceeded anything of the kind. "And so far
as I have figured the matter, the total resources of Holl will have
to be pressed into service for the purpose. There will be no
opportunity for insurrection while this work is in progress."
And he went on to elaborate. The nine made some suggestions, a few
of which were adopted. The thing was worked out, then and there,
with such completeness that the plan was publicly announced the very
next day.
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