rosein frenzy. "Beetles! Goddamn insects! When I think of them, trying tohurt my kid, with their filthy black claws--"
"If you were younger, you'd be in the line," Leah said. "It's not yourfault you're too old. The heart strain's too great. You did your job.They can't let an older person take chances. It's not your fault."
Joe clenched his fists. "I feel so--futile. If there was only somethingI could do."
"The fleet will take care of them," Leah said soothingly. "You said soyourself. They'll hunt every one of them down. Destroy them all. There'snothing to worry about."
Joe sagged miserably. "It's no use. Let's cut it out. Let's stop kiddingourselves."
"What do you mean?"
"Face it! We're not going to win, not this time. We went too far. Ourtime's come."
There was silence.
Tony sat up a little. "When did you know?"
"I've known a long time."
"I found out today. I didn't understand, at first. This is--stolenground. I was born here, but it's stolen ground."
"Yes. It's stolen. It doesn't belong to us."
"We're here because we're stronger. But now we're not stronger. We'rebeing beaten."
"They know Terrans can be licked. Like anybody else." Joe Rossi's facewas gray and flabby. "We took their planets away from them. Now they'retaking them back. It'll be a while, of course. We'll retreat slowly.It'll be another five centuries going back. There're a lot of systemsbetween here and Sol."
Tony shook his head, still uncomprehending. "Even Llyre and B'prith. Allof them. Waiting for their time to come. For us to lose and go awayagain. Where we came from."
Joe Rossi paced back and forth. "Yeah, we'll be retreating from now on.Giving ground, instead of taking it. It'll be like this today--losingfights, draws. Stalemates and worse."
He raised his feverish eyes toward the ceiling of the little metalhousing unit, face wild with passion and misery.
"But, by God, we'll give them a run for their money. All the way back!Every inch!"
Tony and the Beetles Page 3
