"Miss O’Malley, we are being blackmailed by a technique called 'bluffing' on your planet. My scanners indicate that the invisibility effect is a temporary result of some unique radiation, which is emanating from a cloud of pink vapour, which floated through the city. Its effects will soon pass, and the cloud will drift back into outer space. It may drift for hundreds of years, radiating temporary invisibility, or it may drift towards a black hole and therefore leave our known universe," said Butler One.

"So the bandits just noticed it and decided to take the blame for it, so that they could threaten us," said Arella.

"That's exactly what Butler One means," said Ann, "We won't wait for it to end, now that we know they are not controlling it. They are as weakened by this as we are, in fact more so, because now their cloaking device advantage is irrelevant. They cannot see us any more than we can see them, but you can track them, can't you Butler One, unless Arella dreamt their destination."

"No. I only dreamt to the middle of the attack. I did not even know that you and Space Force would be involved in defending the city."

"Hmm," said Ann.

“Huh?” said Wendell.

"Well Ann," said Arella.

"Hmm," said Ann.

“Huh?” said Wendell.

"Destination, Miss O’Malley? Should I track the bandits?"
"Hmm," said Ann O’Malley.

“Huh?” said Wendell.

"Well what?" said Arella Kayne, "Where are we going to head for now?"

"Hmm," said Ann.

“Huh?” said Wendell.

"Well aren't you going to answer us, Ann?" asked Arella, frustrated at the thought that Ann could not see the confusion in her eyes.

"Hmm," said Ann, "You know that this could be rather funny. Somewhere, somebody has dropped a coin, and they'll be wondering if they will ever find it; and imagine somebody watching television, who suddenly says, 'Mummy, I can't see what's on television any more. I can't even see the television set any more, but I can still hear it'."

Arella laughed.

"Yes you're right, and it could be funny, but hadn't we better track the raiders?"

"Of course. Butler One, start tracking."

"We're on our way, Miss O’Malley. I can feel the controls of Wildstar with my own probes."

"Just think of the implications of this, Arella. Someone could be under the shower and suddenly they're still getting wet, but they cannot see the water. People will think that they have gone blind. In fact, that's what it's like. You just see nothing, nothing but pink, which is like the nothing but black that you would see if you closed your eyes."
Ann and Arella could not even see the floor of Wildstar. Ann thought of Butler One. He would not need to see anything. He could fly the spacecraft just as well by feeling with his probes.

*          *          *          *

Ann waited until she heard Butler One's calm mechanical warning, heralding the fact that Wildstar was approaching the spacecraft belonging to the bandits.

"What are we going to do when we get to them?" asked Arella, "We'll probably crash into them or something."

"Not correct, Miss Kayne. I can detect them and steer to avoid them."

Butler One decided that to battle the starcruiser in the pink invisibility plague would be futile. Butler One would be the only member of the Wildstar crew who could use other means of locating his opponents.

"It will be impossible to win this battle in the invisibility cloud, Miss O’Malley. We are the victims of a temporary stalemate."