Великий военный синдикат

           TherewasonlyonegunontheAdamantwhichcouldbebroughttobearuponCrabK,anditwouldbethepartofwisdomtointerferewiththepersistentuseofthisgun.AccordinglythebowoftherepellerwasbroughttobearupontheAdamant,andhermotorgunwasaimedattheboomfromwhichthecannonwassuspended.Theprojectilewithwhichthecannonwasloadedwasnotaninstantaneousmotor-bomb.Itwassimplyaheavysolidshot,drivenbyaninstantaneousmotorattachment,andwasthusimpelledbythesamepowerandinthesamemannerasthemotor-bombs.Theinstantaneousmotor-powerhadnotyetbeenusedatsogreatadistanceasthatbetweentherepellerandtheAdamant,andtheoccasionwasoneofintenseinteresttothesmallbodyofscientificmenhavingchargeoftheaimingandfiring.Thecalculationsofthedistance,ofthenecessaryelevationanddirection,andofthedegreeofmotor-powerrequired,weremadewithcarefulexactness,andwhentheproperinstantarrivedthebuttonwastouched,andtheshotwithwhichthecannonwaschargedwasinstantaneouslyremovedtoapointintheoceanaboutamilebeyondtheAdamant,accompaniedbyalargeportionoftheheavyboomatwhichthegunhadbeenaimed.Thecannonwhichhadbeensuspendedfromtheendofthisboomfellintothesea,andwouldhavecrasheddownupontheroofofCrabK,hadnotthatvessel,inobediencetoasignalfromtherepeller,looseneditsholdupontheAdamantandretiredashortdistanceastern.