Hoshawk watched, almost without breathing. For the first time he was aware that the forty statesmen of the Western Hemisphere were watching through the glass windows of the Chamber.

At that instant purple glows began to surround the green lights, starting on the east coast of Florida and spreading upward.

“Amphibian submarines,” whispered the President. “Their aerial torpedoes are exploding!”

“And up around the Great Lakes,” said Hoshawk. “There it’s amphibian tanks.”

The President sat, and watched. The glows spread. They absorbed flamethrowers, tractors, mine-heavers. The Map of America was a clustered mass of lights, with the purple glow beginning to consume everything in its reach.

“The planes,” said Jeffrey. “They’re still untouched. They anticipated something like this.” He barked into the microphone. “All stations, ascending frequency!” he ordered, and turned to Hoshawk. “We don’t know how effective this will be. It isn’t as powerful as the static ranges. But⁠—”

“It is! They’ve got the range!” cried Hoshawk.

Jeffrey looked. Near Albuquerque, New Mexico, a cluster of orange lights was being consumed by the purple glow. Jeffrey shot a glance at a dial. “All stations! All stations! Frequency seventy-two thousand, nine eighty. Emergency. Frequency seventy-two thousand, nine eighty.”

And the purple glow rolled and spread and consumed Forgacs’ bombers by the thousands.

At last Wadsworth looked at the Map, with nothing left but the dead embers of a mighty army.