There was the familiar in the air as the space up and they were forward; the star-like of the as they at a speed than that of light. In a moment, it had to a disc; Arcot stopped the space control. Again they were moving on drive.
Very shortly, Arcot to decelerate. Within ten minutes, they were to the of the cloud-laden atmosphere. The of the sun was intense; the surface of the was, no doubt, a place than Earthmen would comfortable. They would have been to on the other planet, but they very were not wanted!
They through the atmosphere, for miles as the ship to the of the air and the power. Down they went, through mile after mile of cloud layer, unable to see the ground them.
Then, suddenly, the thick, all-enveloping that them were gone. They were along under skies—perpetual, dim, dark clouds. Despite the of the sun above them, the clouds the light and gray. They such an of the light that them that the was not as as they had feared.
The ground was dark under its of clouds; the hills, the that across wide plains, and the all looked as though they had been modeled in a great of greenish-gray putty. It was a world.
"I'm we didn't wait for our swim here," Wade. "It sure looks like rain."
Arcot stopped the ship and it at ten miles while Wade his chemical analysis of the air. The report looked favorable; of and a of mixed with nitrogen.
"But the water vapor!" Wade said. "The air is with it! It won't be the heat, but the that'll us—to coin a phrase."
Arcot the ship still farther, at the same time moving toward a sea he had in the distance. Swiftly, the ground them. The low plain toward the sea, a vast, level surface of gray, water.
"Oh, brother, what a world," said Fuller sarcastically.
It was not an scene. The skies, the clouds, the dark land, and the gray-green of the sea, always in half-light, the sun them endurance. It was a world.
They and the coast. Still no of was visible. Mile after mile passed them as the ship up the shore. Small and ran into a shallow, level sea. This world had no moon, so it was tideless, for the tides.
Finally, ahead of them, and well from the coast, Arcot a great range.
"I'm going to for that," he told the others. "If these people are at with our very friends of the other planet, are they'll put their in the mountains, too."
They had such cities. The Ancient Mariner had less than a hundred miles along the of the they saw, ahead, a great, cone-shaped city. The city was taller, larger than those of the other planet, and the ran up from the city buildings, the more room.
Arcot stopped and the city a long time through the telescope. It to the others in all respects. The same type of needle-like ships in the air above it, and the same type of projectors in the of the city's protection.
"We may as well take a chance," said Arcot. He the ship until they were a mile of the city, in plain of the inhabitants.
Suddenly, without any signal, apparently, all the air traffic wild—then it was gone. Every ship to have into some place of refuge.
Within a minutes, a of was its way toward the barrier. Then it was out, and, in a great semi-cylinder a of a mile high, and a of a mile in radius, they toward the Ancient Mariner.
Arcot the ship motionless. He that their only was the magnetic ray; otherwise they would have the long ago. And he he with magnetism.
Slowly the ships advanced. At last, they a of a mile from the Earth ship. A single ship itself from the and to a hundred of the Ancient Mariner.
Quickly, Arcot jumped to his feet. "Morey, take the controls. Evidently they want to parley, not fight. I'm going over there."
He ran the length of the to his room and put on his power suit. A moment later, he left the and himself into space, toward the ship. He had come alone, but as he was, he was more than a match for anything they to on him.
He directly toward the of that marked the room of the ship and looked in curiously.
The pilot was a man much like Arcot; tall, and of girth, with a and great powerful arms. His hands, like those of the Venerians, had two thumbs.
With equal curiosity, the man at Arcot, in the air without means of support.
Arcot there a moment, then that he to enter. The him around to the of the ship. Halfway the length of the ship, Arcot saw a port open. He and entered.
The man who there was a as tall as Wade and more muscled, with and chest. His thighs, under a close-fitting uniform, were with muscle.
He was larger than the man in the pilot room, and the other had been a yellow in color, this man was to a more healthy of tan. His were regular and pleasing; his was black and straight; his high a high of intelligence, and his clear black eyes, under black eyebrows, curious, but friendly.
His nose was thin, but not sharp, and his mouth was in a of welcome. His was and sharp, from his and neck.
They looked each other over, and Arcot as their met.
"Torlos," said the alien, pointing to his great chest.
"Arcot," the Earthman, pointing to himself. Then he pointed to the stranger. "Torlos." He he hadn't it as the had, but it would suffice.
The in approval. "Ahcut," he said, pointing to the Earthman.
Then he pointed to the thin arms of the Earthman, and to his own. Then he pointed to Arcot's and to the he on his back, then to his own head, and through the of walking with great effort.
Again he pointed at Arcot's head, his own in approval.
Arcot what was meant. The had that the Earthman was weak, but that he had no need of muscle, for he his and his work for him. And he had that the was better!
Arcot looked at the man's and on the idea of friendship, it with all his power. The black in surprise, which to as he to on one thought.
It was difficult for Arcot to the of the alien; all his were in a different form. At last, he the idea of location—but it was in the interrogative! How was he to that?
Then it him. Torlos was asking: "Where are you from?"
Arcot a of paper and a pencil from his pocket and to sketch rapidly. First, he the local galaxy, with for stars, and his hand around him. He one of the a little and pointed at the in the cloudy sky above them. Then he a circle around that and put another on it, at the same time the them.
Torlos that he understood.
Arcot continued. At the other end of the paper, he another galaxy, and Earth. Then he a line from Earth to the they were now on.
Torlos looked at him in wonder. Again he his respect for Arcot's brain.
Arcot and the city. "Can we go there?" he into the other's mind.
Torlos and toward the end of the corridor. There was no one in sight, so he an order in a deep, voice. Instantly, another man came the with a that power, controlled. He by his left hand over the right of his chest. Arcot noted that for reference.
Torlos spoke to the other for a moment. The other left and returned a minute later and said something to Torlos. Torlos to Arcot that he should return to his ship and them.
Arcot his and looked directly into the black of the alien. "Torlos," he projected, "will you come with us on our ship?"
"I am of this ship. I can not go without the permission of my chief. I will ask my chief."
Again he and left Arcot. He was in a minutes a small handbag. "I can go. This me in with my ship."
Arcot his weight to zero and out the doorway. He rose about six above the landing, then to Torlos that he was to Arcot's feet, one in each hand. Torlos closed a of about each and off the platform.
At once, they dropped, for the power had not been to the load. Arcot in pain as Torlos, in his at not floating, tighter. Quickly, Arcot on more power and as he the weight swiftly. He had Torlos' weight at two hundred seventy or so—and it was more like three hundred and fifty! Soon, however, he had the weight adjusted, and they easily up toward the Ancient Mariner.
They in through the door of the ship, and, once inside, Torlos his hold. Arcot was to the with a weight of three hundred and fifty pounds!
A moment later, he was again on the floor, his back. He his and frowned, then and to limp.
"Don't let go so suddenly," he telepathically.
"I did not know. I am sorry," Torlos contritely.
"Who's your friend?" asked Wade as he entered the corridor. "He looks husky."
"He is," Arcot affirmed. "And he must be with lead! I he'd my off. Look at those arms!"
"I don't want to him at me," Wade grinned. "He looks like he'd make a opponent. What's his name?"
"Torlos," Arcot, just as Fuller in.
Torlos was looking at a that had been in a on the wall. He it up and it a bit, as a man might a to test its material. Then he it out in of him and to tie a in the inch-thick metal bar! Then, still in puzzlement, he it, it as best he could, and put it in the rack.
The Earthmen were in to see the the man displayed.
He as he to them again.
"If he do that at arm's length," Wade said thoughtfully, "what he do if he tried?"
"Why don't you try and see?" Fuller asked sweetly.
"I can think of easier—but no quicker—ways of suicide," Wade replied.
Arcot laughed and, looking at Torlos, the meaning of the last remarks. Torlos joined them in the laugh.
"All my people are strong," he thought. "I can not why you are not. That was a tool? We not use it so; it is too weak."
Wade and the others up the thought, and Wade laughed. "I they use old I-beams to tie up their Christmas presents."
Arcot a moment of with Torlos, then to the others. "We are to these men to their city to have some of an audience with their ruler, according to Torlos. Let's started; the of the is waiting."
Arcot Torlos through the main engine room, and was going into the main room when Torlos stopped him.
"Is this all your drive apparatus?" he thought.
"Yes, it is," Arcot projected.
"It is smaller than the power of a small private machine!" His surprise. "How you make so great a distance?"
"Power," said Arcot. "Look!" He his pistol. "This alone is powerful to all your without any on our part. And, despite your strength, you are against me!"
Arcot touched a on his and vanished.
In amazement, Torlos out a hand to the spot where Arcot had stood. There was nothing there. Suddenly, he turned, the of his head. Something had at his hair!
He looked all around him and moved his arms around—to no avail. There was nothing there.
Then, in the of an eye, Arcot was in the air him. "What against air, Torlos?" he asked, smiling.
"For safety's sake," Torlos thought, "I want to be your friend!" He widely.
Arcot the way on into the room, where Morey had already started to the great toward the city.
"What are we going to do at the city?" Arcot asked Torlos telepathically.
"This is the of the world, Sator, and here is the commander-of-all-military-and-civil-forces. It is he you will see. He has been summoned," Torlos carefully.
"We visited the third world of this first," Arcot told the alien, "and they us. We to be friendly, but they us at once. In order to keep from being damaged, we had to one of their city-protecting buildings." This last was hard to transmit; Arcot had pictured a in which the was out of the ground and into the air.
In and concern, Torlos into Arcot's eyes. And in that look, Arcot read what had heretofore.
"Did you the city?" asked Torlos anxiously. But it was not the question of a man for the of his enemies' cities; Arcot got the picture of the city, but with it, he up the idea of "home"! Of course, the ideas of "city" and "home" might be with these people; they to their cities. But why this of worry?
"No, we didn't want to them," Arcot thought. "We the only in self defense."
"I understand." Despite efforts, Torlos positively a of relief!
"Are you at with that world?" Arcot asked coolly.
"The two worlds have been at for many generations," Torlos said, then the subject. "You will soon meet the leader of all the of Sator. He is all-powerful here. His word must be obeyed. It would be wise if you did not him. I see from what your mind tells me that you have great power, but there are many ships on Sator, more than Nansal can boast.
"Our commander, Horlan, is a commander, but since every man is necessarily a soldier, he is a true ruler."
"I understand," Arcot thought. He to Morey and spoke in English, which Torlos not understand. "Morey, we're going to see the top man here. He the army, which everything. You and I will go, and Wade and Fuller as a guard. It may not be dangerous, but after being off one world, we ought to be as as possible.
"We'll go armed, and we'll in radio at all times. Watch yourselves; we don't want them to touch this ship until we know what of people they are."
They had the Satorian ships toward the city. The magnetic opened for them, and the Ancient Mariner followed. They were the city.
