Hanford Webster, third officer of the space ship Polaris , was afflicted with what would have been known in the twentieth century as a first class jinx. However, more about the jinx later. He wasn't thinking about that right now where he was on duty standing his trick in the astrogation chamber. The fleet was nearing its destination—Uranus. And then it happened. One instant the ten-ship Earth fleet was streaking through space. The next moment nine of the ships broke up into small pieces, actuall