Bomb Scare by Vernor Vinge Of cruel monsters we might say quot...and a little child shall lead them.quot Prince Lal eDorvik dilated his mouth hole and casually picked at pointy fangs. With greatdeliberation he inspected the sky: the Maelstrom glittered across fifty degrees a spiral ofsilver mist. Its brilliance was dimmed by the gibbous blue planet that hung near the zenith.That blue light flooded through the transparent hull section onto the formal gardens of theImperial Dorvik flagwagon. The soft brown sand dunes of the gardens were transformed intorolling blue carpets. An occasional ornamental lizard scurried across the sands. Within hisvision Prince Lal could see no less than five shrub-cacti: the excess vegetation made thesince almost sickeningly lush. Except for the bluish tinge of the landscape Lal could almostimagine that he was back at Home in his winter palace. With feigned nonchalance he turned to look at his companion Grand General Harl eKraft. PrinceLal was thought harsh in a civilization where the execution of ten thousand soldiers wasconsidered moral-building discipline. Now he moved obliquely toward the subject at hand-withhis reputation he could afford to speak softly. quotIs it always nightquot quotYes Puissance we keep the wagon oriented with the sun beneath the gardens