There was a self-conscious cockiness to Izmailova's stance.  "Nothing I don't know how to handle.  This is a diplomat-class device, the same design as saw action five years ago.  Nearly one hundred individual applications without a single mechanical failure.  That makes it the most reliable weapon in the history of warfare.  You should feel privileged having the chance to work with one."

Gunther felt his flesh turn to ice.  "Jesus Mother of God," he said.  "You had me handling a briefcase nuke."

"Better get used to it.  Westinghouse Lunar is putting these little babies into mass production.  We'll be cracking open mountains with them, blasting roads through the highlands, smashing apart the rille walls to see what's inside."  Her voice took on a visionary tone.  "And that's just the beginning.  There are plans for enrichment fields in Sinus Aestum.  Explode a few bombs over the regolith, then extract plutonium from the dirt.  We're going to be the fuel dump for the entire solar system."

His dismay must have shown in his stance, for Izmailova laughed.  "Think of it as weapons for peace."

"You should've been there!" Gunther said.  "It was unfuckabelievable.  The one side of the crater just disappeared.  It dissolved into nothing.  Smashed to dust.  And for a real long time everything glowed!  Craters, machines, everything.  My visor was so close to overload it started flickering.  I thought it was going to burn out.  It was nuts."  He picked up his cards.  "Who dealt this mess?"

Krishna grinned shyly and ducked his head.  "I'm in."

Hiro scowled down at his cards.  "I've just died and gone to Hell."

"Trade you," Anya said.

"No, I deserve to suffer."