The Citadel in Space
FOR the time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main room of the Sirius. They were the of a leisurely, meal; but still their talk the of pure of more to the table; still their paid more attention to upon of paper than to the about them.
"But I tell you, Quince, you're full of little red ants, clear to the neck!" Brandon snorted, as Westfall one of his aside. "You must have had help to that off—no one man possibly be as as you are. Why, those will...."
"Hi, Quincy! Hi, Norman!" a voice interrupted. "Still as usual, I see! What of are you, anyway, to us in distress, and then know that we're alive?" A tall, had the two as she entered the saloon, and came over to their table, a hand to each in greeting.
"Ho, Verna!" men exclaimed, and came to their as they the smiling, newcomer.
"Sit here, Verna—we have started," Westfall invited, and Brandon looked at the girl in as she seated herself in the chair.
"Well, Verna, it's like this...." he began.
"That's enough!" she in. "That phrase always was your to one of the world's brainstorms. But I know that this is the time you have had time to eat like beings, so I'll you this once. Why all the of amazement, Norman?"
"I'm that you aren't being by some husband or other. Surely the officers of the Arcturus weren't so that they'd for your still being Verna Pickering, were they?"
"Not dumb, Norman, no. Far from it. But I'm still for my M. R. S. degree, and I haven't succeeded in it yet. You'd be at how those officers got after a of them had been captured. But they are just like any other game, I suppose—the that wild, you know," she concluded, plaintively.
"Well, that is one for a little girl," Brandon sympathized. "Quince, our little Nell, here, hasn't been done right by. I'm and you're a woman-hater, but us, some way, we've got to take steps."
"You might take longer steps than you think," Verna laughed, her regular, white teeth and by her skin and her hair, black as Brandon's own. "Perhaps I would like a scientist than an I-P officer, anyway. The more I think of it, the I am that Nadia Newton had the right idea. I that I'll catch me a physicist, too—either of you would do nicely, I think," and she the two men carefully.
Westfall, the and precise, had been able to himself against Verna Pickering's badinage, but Brandon's took up the challenge.
"Verna, if you to any man he wouldn't a in the world," he declared. "If you've already up your mind that I'm your meat, I'll come like Davy Crockett's coon. But if either of us will do, that'll give us each a fifty-fifty to your toils. What say we play a game of freeze-out to decide it?"
"Fine, Norman! When shall we play?"
"Oh, Wednesday and Thursday, any week you say," and the two on, but skilfully, with Westfall an and listener.
Dinner over, Brandon and Westfall to the room, where they Stevens already seated at one of the master screens.
"All x, Perce?"
"All x. The report no the last two watches," and the three into discussion. Long they talked, studying every of the them; until a and an enormous, master plates. Brandon's hand to a switch, but the image he the full-coverage screen.
"I'm on the upper band—take the lower!" he snapped, but Stevens' was already in action. Trained minds all, they that some had them, and all that it was of the to know what and where that was. Stevens the in his range and they their own along it, one of the Vorkulian fortresses, from Jupiter and almost directly them and the planet! Its screens were in operation, and no at their that of vibrations.
"What of an was that—ever see anything like it, Perce?" Brandon demanded.
"I don't think so, though of we got only an of it. It didn't look like the that those had—looked more like a eye, don't you think? Couldn't very well be hexan, though, in that of a ship."
"Don't think so, either. Maybe it's a purely that they use for observing. Anyway, old sons, I don't like the looks of at all. Quince, you're the of this outfit—shift the old into high and tell us what to do."
Westfall, into the of the micrometer, the size of the he toward Stevens and Brandon.
"It is hard to decide upon a of action, since anything that we do may prove to be wrong," he said, slowly. "However, I do not see that this latest can to the plan we have already adopted; that of away, out from the sun. We may have to our to the value the and can stand. A series of of our will, of course, be necessary to decide that point. It would be to go to Titan, for they would be powerless to help us. We not their upon either the Sirius or their against such as that has at her command. Then, too, we might well be upon them an enemy who would much of their world he be stopped. Both Uranus and Neptune are upon our present course. Do the Titanians know anything of either of them, Steve?"
"Not a thing," the computer replied. "They can't nearly as as Uranus on their power beam—it's all they can do to make Jupiter. They to think, though, that one or more of the of Uranus or Neptune may be by beings to themselves, only more so. But the what we on the Jovian and on Titan, I'd say that anything might be out there—on Uranus, Neptune, their satellites, or else."
"Cancel Uranus, and that for Neptune," Brandon commanded. "Realize how away they are?"
"That's right, too," Stevens. "Before we got there, with any we can use now, this whole will be up, one way or the other."
WESTFALL the series of and calculated his results. Then, with a face, he to the medical officers. The women, children, and the two Martian scientists were sent to the sick-bay and the was slowly to twenty second second, above which point the physicians they should not go unless it necessary. Then the scientists met again—met without Alcantro and Fedanzo, who upon narrow hospital bunks, unable to their arms.
While Westfall another series of of the super-dreadnought of space so them, Brandon about the room, hands into pockets, clouds of from his pipe. The Venetians, Brandon's physical and by nature of disposition, sat motionless; minds hard at work. Stevens sat at the calculating machine, setting up and and meaningless integrals, while he also upon the problem them.
"They are still gaining, but slowly," Westfall reported. "They to be...."
"In that case we may be all x," Brandon interrupted, his pipe vigorously. "We know that they're on a beam—apparently we're the only ones having power. If we can keep away from them until their attenuates, we can 'em to our size and then take them, no how much they've got."
"But can we keep away from them that long?" asked Dol Kenor, pointedly; and his Venerian also had a question to propound:
"Would it not be to lead them in a wide circle, to a with the Space Fleet, which will be by the time of meeting?"
"I am that that would be useless," Westfall in thought. "Given power, that the entire Fleet almost as easily as she out the Sirius alone."
"Kenor's right." Stevens spoke up from the calculator. "You're too ahead of the situation. We aren't to keep ahead of them long to do much leading anywhere. The Titanians can a together from Saturn to Jupiter—why can't these snake-folks?"
"Several reasons," Brandon stubbornly. "First place, look at the of that thing, and that the the the it is to it together. Second, there's no that they around much in space. If their are designed for travel upon Jupiter, why should they have any range? I say they can't that forever. We've got a good long lead, and in of their higher acceleration, I think we'll be able to keep out of range of their stuff. If so, we'll a circle—only one a good than the one Amonar suggested—and meet the at a point where that enemy ship will be about out of power."
Thus for hours the scientists argued, upon nothing, while the Vorkulian closer. At the end of three days of the flight, the space ship was in plain sight, hundreds of of the screens. But now the size of the images was with slowness, and the scientists of the Sirius with attention the of those green pictures. Finally, when the pictured were about to moving across the finely-ruled lines, Brandon cut his own a trifle, and on it at such a that the still up, by foot.
"Hey what's the big idea?" Stevens demanded.
"Coax 'em along. If we away from them they'll power and go home, won't they? Their is fast, but they're still so much along it that we couldn't do a thing to stop them. If they think that we're power than they are, though, they'll keep after us until their beam's so thin that they'll just be able to stop on it. Then they'll or else go onto their accumulators—reverse, probably, since they'll be a long from home by that time. We'll reverse, too, and keep just out of range. Then, when we have stopped and are about to start back, their will be at its minimum and we'll go to work on 'em—foot, horse, and marines. Nobody can us as as they've been doing and away with it as long as I'm and a in the world of one onto their in retaliation. I've got a hunch. If it works, we can take those alone, and take 'em so they'll took. We might as well up—this is going to be an ordinary job of for a days, I think. I'm going up and work with the Martians on that hunch. You work out any ideas you want to. Watch 'em close, Mac. Keep 'em along, but don't let them close to us."
EVERYTHING out as Brandon had foretold, and a days later, their less than gravity, he called another meeting in the room. He came in from ear to ear, by the two Martians, and seated himself at his power panel.
"Now watch the closely, gentlemen," he invited. "He is going to cut that beam."
"But you can't," Pyraz Amonar.
"I know you can't, ordinarily, when a is tight and solid. But that beam's as as right now. I told you I had a hunch, and Alcantro and Fedanzo out the right answer for me. If I can cut it, Quince, and if their screens go for a minute, shoot your into them and see what you can see."
"All x. How much power are you going to draw?"
"Plenty—it a little than four hundred thousand kilofranks. I'll it all from the accumulators, so as not to you on the intake. We don't if we do the some, but I don't want to that on the bus-bars very long. However, if my is right, I won't be on that five minutes it's cut from Jupiter—and I'll you four that you won't see the original in that when you into it."
He set upper and of to apply a powerful thrust, and the Sirius off her course. Flashing a minute pencil the heptagon, Brandon his until a spot in space him that he was with the heptagon's power beam. Micrometer were then and the until the gave that the two were and opposite in phase. Four closed, that pilot an of force, and as those two met in exact opposition and each other, a solid of appeared in the empty the Vorkulian fortress. As that into being, the green protection died from the of the heptagon.
"Go to it, Quince!" Brandon yelled, but the was superfluous. Even the wall-screen had died, Westfall's was trying to through it, and when the the of the heptagon, the and was from his calm.
"Why, they aren't the at all—they're hexans!" he exclaimed.
"Sure they are." Brandon did not turn his heavily-goggled from the of his own screen. "That was my hunch. Those about in a business-like fashion. They didn't me as being who would off such a wild as trying to us clear out of the system, but a of would do just that. Some of them must have that ship and, already having it in their cock-eyed that we were of what on Callisto, they to us off if it was the last thing they did. That's what I'd do myself, if I were a hexan. Now I'll tell you what's at the home power plant of that ship and what's going to next. I'm kicking up a out there with my interference, and a of at the other end of that must be up all of didoes, right now. They'll check up on that ship with the expedition, by radio and what-not, and when they out that it's clear out here—chop! Didn't to see much, did you?"
"No, they must have over to their almost instantly."
"Yeah, but if they've got to off our entire and to Jupiter besides, I'm a polyp! We're going to take that ship, fellows, and learn a of we of before. Ha! There goes his beam—pay me the four, Quince."
The of had out without warning, and Brandon's on through space, unimpeded. He it off and to his with a grin—a which as a him and he to his board.
"Sound the high-acceleration quick, Perce!" he snapped, and in after switch.
"Cosmic intake's gone to zero!" MacDonald, as the Sirius away.
"Had to cut it—they might shoot a through that band. Just of something. Maybe unnecessary, but no done if ... it's necessary, all x—we're taking a sweet right now. You see, though we're at long range, they've got some projectors, and they were to waste some power taking a good, solid at us—and if we hadn't been it, that would have been a sufficiency, me—Great Cat! Look at that meter—and I've had to in number ten shunt! The screen is five hundred and thousand!"
THEY at the in amazement. It was incredible, after they had those in action, that at such range any be with such power—power for its almost the full of the of by the Sirius! Yet for five, ten, fifteen, twenty minutes that against their screens, and Brandon's and hard as that attack continued. At the end of twenty-two minutes, however, the of the to the pin and every man there an of relief—the almost was over; the screen was only its load.
"Wow!" Brandon shouted. "I for a minute they were going to to us until we cracked, if it meant that they'd have to freeze to death out here themselves!"
"It would have meant that, too, don't you think?" asked Stevens.
"I so—don't see how they possibly have power left to to Jupiter if they that thing on us much longer. Of course, the more power they waste on us, the we can take them; but I don't want much more of that beam, I'll tell the world—I just about had failure they cut off!"
The was now toward Jupiter at velocity. The were their power, for their screens did not on at the touch of the visiray. Through metal the Terrestrial sped, and the scientists every detail of the Vorkulian armament; while the regular to make a survey of every room and of the great fortress. Much of the and was familiar, but some of it was so that study was useless—days of personal and experiment, complete dismantling, would be necessary to the those mechanisms.
"They're trying to save all the power they can—think I'll make them some more," Brandon remarked, and against the a beam. "We don't want them to to Jupiter until after we've them and out we want to know. Come here, Quince—what do you make of this?"
Both men at the heptagon, puzzled; for the screens of the did not radiate, did the material of the under the terrible of the beam. The that green surface and vanished—disappeared without a trace, as a of water into a partially-soaked sponge.
"Do you know what you are doing?" asked Westfall, after a minutes' thought. "I that you are their at the of," he at a meter, "exactly thirty-one thousand five hundred kilofranks."
"Great Cat!" Brandon's hand to a and the expired. "But they can't just it and store it, Quince—it's impossible!"
"The word 'impossible' in that connection, from you, has a sound," Westfall said and Brandon actually blushed.
"That's right, too—we have got much the same idea in our fields, but we didn't as as they have done. Huh! They're us again ... but those thin little don't anything. They're just trying to make us them some more, I guess. But we've got to them some way—wonder if they can a field?"
The had out a times with their weapons, but, the Sirius unresponsive, had soon them off and were along toward Jupiter. Brandon out a and the of his upon it as it locked into those green walls. But as soon as the enemy its drag, their screens white, and the Terrestrial space-ship in every as that of was snapped.
"They cannot store up the energy of a tractor," Westfall, "but you will that they have no in when they to."
"Those two ideas didn't pan out so heavy. There's of not yet, though. Our next best is to around in of him and push back. If they away from more than fifty of a pressor, they're good."
The pilot the Sirius into line, directly Jupiter and the pentagon; and as the into action, Brandon a along their axis, into the center of of the Vorkulian fortress. For a moment it solidly, then, as the screens of the enemy into action, it and off in sparkling, torrents. But the hexans, with all their and turning, not present to that of any to it of its power, and the of the again into activity as the backward-pushing of the Sirius itself felt. In a time, however, the wall-screens were again cut off—apparently more power was to drive them than they were able to deflect.
Although the of the Terrestrial was in with the of metal to which she was opposed, so that the of her did not affect the monster's progress; yet Brandon and his were well content.
"It's a long to where they came from, and since they wanted to all the way, I think they'll be out of power they there," Brandon up the situation. "We aren't any power, either, since we are using only a part of our intake."
In a hours the had settled to a matter—the Sirius being pushed against the full drive of her every projector, every mile of space traversed. Assured that the regular and were of the vessel, the scientists were about to their when one of the called them over to look at something he had in one of the and smallest of the heptagon. All around the screens, and saw pictured there the winged, snake-like of one of the original of the Vorkulian vessel!
"Dead?" Brandon asked.
"Not yet," the photographer. "He is a little once in a while, but you see, he's cut up."
"I see he is ... he must have a of to have this long—may be he'll live through it yet. Hold him on the plate, and his exact measurements." He to the communicator. "Doctor Steiffel? Can you come to the room a minute? We may want you to upon one of these South Jovians after a while."
"Himmel! Es ... ... der...." The great surgeon, and massive, into the plate, and in his started to speak in his native German. He paused, his long, powerful the of the Vorkul upon the plate, then on: "I would like very much to operate, but, not our intentions, he would, of course, struggle. And when that struggles—schrecklichkeit!" and he his arms in a of destruction.
"I of that—that's why I am talking to you now of when we to him, two or three days from now. We'll give you his exact measurements, and a of will, under your direction, in the and to him rigid, from to wing-tips. We'll him there until we can make him that we're friends. It is of the to save that creature's life if possible; we do not want one of their against us—and in any event, it will not do us any to have a friend in the City of the South."
"Right. I will also have prepared some of a space-suit in which he can be from his to ours," and the took the and to see that the "operating table" and were for Kromodeor, the Vorkul.
IT was not long until the of the out and she in space, power exhausted. Knowing that the screens of the enemy would any ordinary ray, the scientists had calculated the most they possibly project, a which, their showed, should be able to those screens by action—puncture them instantaneously, the react. To that end they had their to seven hundred sixty-five thousand kilofranks—the entire power of their and their possible intake—in one of density, less than one in diameter! Everything ready, Brandon in that that bolt—a so vehement, so intense, that it to blast the very out of as it its way along its line. The was to all the panels of the screens; parts so that without them the great would be helpless, and yet which the Terrestrials from their and drawings.
As that touched the Vorkulian wall-screen, the spot of through the and into the black the as that screen locally. Fast as it and though it was, it not that load. In the same of time every of in that beam's path into vapor—no material or that of energy—and the main of the Vorkulian wall-screen vanished. Time after time, as as he his and his switches, Brandon his of through the fortress, the secondary controls. Then, the unresisting, he cut in the larger, but less powerful, I-P ray, and with it the heptagon. Out through the in the the of Jupiter, and the in their hundreds died.
The Sirius was up the heptagon, so that her main air-lock was against one of the in the green metal of the enemy. There she was by beams, and the two hundred men of the I-P police, in full space equipment, prepared to the of the void. Brandon sat at his controls, to send his ahead of the against any that might in some as yet compartment. General Crowninshield sat the at an board, at ears and four infra-red plates in of him; through light or to direct and the attack, no where it might lead or how the might the was taken.
The space-line men—the of combat—led the van, protected by the of their fellows. Theirs the to set up of rope, along which the others advance. Power into metal, making to the eyebolts; fast every and corner; points of little were supported by powerful cups; and at were beam-fed lanterns, the line of march. Through and they went, the many in the metal through which Brandon's had their way; by Crowninshield along the path toward the little room in which Kromodeor, the Vorkul, lay. There were so many and in the that it had, of course, been to them all, and in some of the tight rooms were groups of hexans, to do battle. But the general's his men, and if such a room them, Brandon's entered it first—and where that entered, life departed.
But the were intelligent, as has been said. They had had time to prepare for what they them, and they were by the knowledge that, no what might happen, their was run. Their power was gone, and if the present enemy should be off, they would in space until they died of cold; or, more probably, toward Jupiter as they were, they would to death upon its surface as soon as they came its powerful field. Therefore some fifty of the creatures, who had had space in their vessels, had the days in space equipment. Let the weight-fiends plan upon of explosives, upon calculated to the invaders, the itself and all it. Let them plan upon any other such schemes, which were to be and against by the space-hardened who that all-powerful and football of metal. Space-fighters were they, and as space-fighters would they die; taking with them to their own death a full of the enemy.
THUS it came about that the of the of police had passed a door, when in the room it there to the half-hundred of the hexans. When the had approached that room, Crowninshield had it with his infra-red beams. He had it and airless, of life or of devices, and had passed on. But now the space-suited of the horde, in their by their own visirays, were there. When the center of the I-P that door, it open. There out into the corridor, into the very of the police, fifty hexans, with Berserk fury, by but one impulse—to kill.
Hand-weapons viciously, at and at space-suits. Space-hooks and tore. Pikes and were with the full power of arms. Here and there be and hexan, locked together in from any hand-line—six against four, all ten with in mortal, hand-to-hand, foot-to-foot combat.
"Give way!" Crowninshield into the ears of his men. "Epstein, back! LeFevre, advance! Get out of ten—give us a to use a beam!"
As the police out of the of the corridor, Brandon's through it, it from to with a of energy. In that energy walls, doorway, and space-lines, as well as most of the hexans, utterly. But the not be used again. Every enemy had himself into the ranks of the police and the than ever. It did not last long. The ends of the had already closed in. The police the and overflowed into the cut by the ray. Outnumbered, upon all sides, above, and by the Terrestrials, the with to the last man—and to the last man died. And though in of their own space-armor they had in weak, crude, and space-suits, which were to the resistant, of the I-P forces, the and of the had taken toll; and when the was resumed, it was with the entire neighborhood of the line of march.
Since the had entered the as close to their as possible, it was not long until the leading the door which Kromodeor lay. Tools and of air were up, and the pressure across the corridor. There was a from the valves, the in that walled-off space dense, and with their power the door of the room. It opened, and four but the long of the Vorkul in the space-suit to it. As that in its was through the air-locks into the Sirius, Crowninshield orders into his and the police reformed. They would now the fortress, to out any that might still be in hiding; to and any possible or which the enemy might have planted for their undoing.
Assured that the to the Sirius was over and that his presence was no longer necessary, Brandon his over to an and up to the Venerian rooms, where Steiffel and his staff were to upon the Vorkul. There, in the dense, air, but little different now from the of Jupiter, Kromodeor lay; to the solid of the by means of straps. So were the that he not possibly one of them; so closely were they that he have moved a had he tried. But he did not try—so near death was he that his did not at the bite of the surgeon's tools. Von Steiffel and his aides, with gowns, hoods, and gloves, in most style; and the by the of the hexans.
"Hi, Brandon," the as he up, the work completed. "I did not use much on him. Because of possible in blood and in of his native bacteria, I almost upon and his natural resistance. It is a good thing that we did not have to use an anaesthetic. He is in shape, but if we can him successfully, he may through."
"Feed him? I of that. What d'you he eats?"
"I have an idea that it is something concentrated, from his anatomy. I shall try him sugar, milk chocolate, something of the kind. First I shall try syrup. Being a liquid, it is easily administered, and its odor also may be a help."
ACAN of the liquid was in and to the of the Terrestrials, the long, of the Vorkul to as soon as the can was opened. Motioning for silence, Steiffel a bowl and it upon the Kromodeor's nose. The increased, until one dull, and slowly out upon its pedicle, toward the dish. His mouth opened and a long, red out, but as his quickened, he of the near him. The mouth shut, the retracted, and heaving, that powerful as he against the of him to the floor.
"Ach, kindlein!" The over that but head; soothing, German from his lips.
"Here, let's try this—I'm good on it," Stevens suggested, up the Callistonian exchanger. All three men headsets, and sent after of and toward that and brain.
"He's got his brain up like a clam!" Brandon snorted. "Open up, guy—we aren't going to you! We're the best friends you've got, if you only it!"
"Himmel, he himself killing!" Steiffel.
"One more that might work," and Brandon over to the communicator, that Verna Pickering be at once. She came in as soon as the air-locks would permit, and the her eagerly.
"This fellow's so he's himself to pieces. We can't make him a thought, and Steiffel's to use an anaesthetic. Now it's possible that he may hexan. I you time learning any of it, but maybe you didn't—see if you can make him that we're friends."
The girl and involuntarily, but herself to approach that head. Bending over, she over and over one harsh, barking syllable. The of that word was magical. Instantly Kromodeor struggling, an out, and that long, and into the syrup. Not until the last had been from the bowl did his attention from the food. Then the eye, now, was toward the girl. Simultaneously four other arose, one at each of the men and the other his and the room in which he was. Then the Vorkul spoke, but his whistling, manner of speech so the barking of the he was attempting to utter, that Verna's knowledge of the language was of no use. She therefore put on one of the headsets, the men to do the same, and approached Kromodeor with the other, the word of import. This time the Vorkul's brain was not sealed against the visitors and to flow.
"You've used those a lot," Brandon to Stevens in a quick aside. "Can you your thoughts?"
"Sure—why?"
"All I can think of is that power of theirs, and he'd know what we were going to do, sure. And I'd be at it anyway. So you can that off your mind with a clear conscience—the of us will they've got there. Your job's to you can out of this bird's brain. All x?"
"All x."
"Why, you didn't put yours on!" Verna exclaimed.
"No, I don't think I'll have time. If I started talking to him now, I'd be here from now on, and I've got a of work to do. Steve can talk to him for me—see you later," and Brandon was gone.
He directly to the Vorkulian fortress, now of life and of and traps. There he and his day after day learning every of every item of and the heptagon.
"Did you up today, Norm?" asked Stevens one evening. "Kromodeor's to life fast. He's able to around a little now, and is that we take off the one we keep on him and let him use a plate, to call his people."
"All up. Guess I'll go in and talk to him—you all say he's such an egg. With this off my mind I can it well enough. By the way, what he eat?" And the two friends set out for the Venerian rooms.
"Anything that's sweet, apparently, with just milk to a little protein. Won't eat meat or vegetables at all—von Steiffel says they haven't got much of a tract, and I know that they haven't got any teeth. He's already most all the we had on board, all of the milk chocolate, and a of the sugar. But none of us can any of a out of him at all—not Nadia, when she him a whole box of chocolates."
"No, I what he eat when he's home?"
"It to be a of syrup, from the of plants, which they in on and on machinery. But he's a mutt—hard to get. Some of his are enough, but others we can't make out at all—they are so to all nature that they do not register as at all. One thing, he isn't the least about anything. He doesn't want to anything, doesn't ask us any questions, and won't tell us anything about anything, so that all we know about him we out purely by accident. For instance, they like and sports, and to have families. They also have love, liking, and respect for others of their own race—but they to have no for outsiders. They're inhuman—I can't it—you'll have to it for yourself."
"Did you out about the Callistonians who to see them?"
"Negatively, yes. They arrived. They couldn't see in the and must have missed the city. If they to land in that jungle, it was just too bad!"
"That would account for everything. So they're neutral, eh? Well, I'll tell him 'hi,' anyway." Now in the sickroom, Brandon up the and sent out a of greeting.
To his amazement, the mind of the Vorkul was to his thoughts. Not disdainful, not inimical; not appreciative, friendly—simply to a unknown and to any mind. He sent Brandon only one message, which came clear and emotionless.
"I do not want to talk to you. Tell the doctor that I am now to be allowed to go to the screen. That is all." The Vorkul's mind again an of thoughts. Not were Kromodeor's hidden; he was unable to himself in the or of any intelligence.
"Well, that for that." A puzzled, look came over Brandon's as he called Steiffel. "A duck, if there was one. However, their ship will us, that's one good thing; and I think we've got about of theirs that we want, anyway."
The surgeon, after a of his patient, the with which he had been the over-anxious Vorkul, and supported him at the panel. As surely as though he had used those for years Kromodeor the out into space. One hand upon each of the and one upon each meter, it was a only of for him to in touch with Vorkulia. To the Terrestrials the screen was a and blank; but the and from the in response to Kromodeor's it plain that his message was being with enthusiasm.
"They are coming," the Vorkul thought, and back, exhausted.
"Just as well that they're comin' out here, at that," Brandon commented. "We couldn't to that near Jupiter—in fact, we wouldn't want to very close ourselves, with aboard."
Such was the power of the Vorkulian that in less than twenty hours another to a the Sirius and two of its were aboard.
They were into the Venerian room, where they talked with their they him in a space-suit, which they with air to their own pressure. Then all three were into the air, and without a word or a were through the air-locks of the vessel, and into an opening in the of the heptagon. A green out, the derelict, and away at such a that in a minutes they had in the black of space.
"Well—that, as I may have before, is and that." Brandon the surprised, almost stunned, that the of the visitors. "I don't know to at the knowledge that they won't us, or to they won't have anything to do with us."
He sent the "All x" to the pilot and the Sirius, once more at the of Terrestrial gravity, again on through space.
