Lowell stared fixedly at the now dead radio, a look of utter disbelief frozen on his face. Then pandemonium broke loose. Keenan and Barker jumped to their feet to do a war dance around the room. “Whoopee!” yelled Keenan. “This is it! We’re going home!” “Yeah!” Barker pounded Keenan on the back. “Aah, I can’t believe it. What’d they say? What’d they say?” “I told you, I told you: ‘Pack up your domes and go home.’ ” In the background static of the radio came the indistinct words, “. . . effect jettison and auto-destruct of all forest units. Kiss ’em all good-bye, boys.” Wolf leaned across the table to put out a consoling hand. “Lowell, I’m sorry,” he said, then added, after a moment’s thought: “Makes sense, though.” Lowell stared straight ahead of him, still unable to believe what had just come over.
