"But see here," I said, "did they mention the Martian, Molo, at all?"
"They were Molo you arrived," Grantline told us.
We had from the doorway. The conference, with the thing removed, was proceeding. Snap and I had Anita and Venza; but now we were in a panic to to the Red Spark.
"But you can't go," said Grantline. "Brayley ordered you here. He'll want to see you in a moment."
"Well, why doesn't he see us now?" Snap protested. "I'm not going to myself off here."
"Oh yes, you are."
Grantline sent word to Brayley that we were here. In a moment the answer came. We were to wait a time; he would want to see us.
We told Grantline what had at the Red Spark, and that already he knew. Francis had it to the conference, and Halsey was in with the officials here.
"Then what is happening?" I demanded. "Where are the girls? Has Halsey from them?"
Again Grantline to a room.
"Anita sent a message," he said, when he returned. "They are with Molo. Halsey is ordering a of men to be ready."
Grantline told us what had been in the Red Spark. Anita and Venza, with a skill for acting which I of them possessed, had joined Molo's party. Perhaps if Meka had been there she would have through them.
But Molo did not. And they have since told me that the Martian himself was from sober, although he was not aware of it. He to their to the restaurant with him. He wanted, as we know, to unobtrusively; and Venza a unless she go.
He took them, openly in a public fare-car. Doubtless[30] he at to de-rail them somewhere, but they him that he was not being followed. Twice he used his detector, and Anita and Halsey were to off their in time to avoid it. Then Halsey with the car, and after that Molo his mind about the girls.
"But where are they now?" I demanded.
"You," said Grantline sternly, "are out of it. Do you think that Halsey, under Brayley's orders, will neglect any to out where Molo is hiding? Something is about to happen. This is with it. In Grebhar and Ferrok-Shahn they're to out what it is. Something now. Helios are in here from Venus and Mars. They're their spaceships, just as we are."
Grantline at last was out all his on us, with this burst. "Halsey didn't tell you that the entire of his organization are out upon this thing tonight. Here at this there's a room of information-sorters. That's just where I came from a moment ago. Every country on our Earth is making ready—for what, nobody knows!
"He's had two calls from Anita. He has a hundred men to to their aid, and to Molo's lair. He another message from Anita any moment. This here every movement that is being made, ten or twenty of its making. Perhaps upon Anita and Venza the whole outcome of this thing may hang."
We had no answer to that. "Do you know who Molo is? He's an pirate; his ship is the Star-Streak."
"Good Lord!"
We had of him. For five years past, a spaceship, with a in the Polar of Mars, had been shipping.
"They think," Grantline on, "that Molo was with his ship. He has, as you know, a of from all the three worlds. There are about fifty of them, by his sister and himself. We think that Molo the three ships which that new sent out. The Star-Streak was captured, destroyed. Molo and his band, joined with this new enemy, to save themselves, and they have been promised rewards."[31]
"But why should these want their help?" Snap demanded.
"Wouldn't you say it was because, in Ferrok-Shahn, Grebhar and here in Greater New York, tonight, something has to be accomplished, something the themselves not do? Molo and his know all three cities. How they here in Greater New York nobody knows; the enemy is 200,000 miles out. Obviously they came from it, with some smaller ship on Earth and their way here."
A us. A voice commanded: "Grantline, Gregg Haljan and Daniel Dean to room six at once."
In room six we the War Secretary, who had there a moment ahead of us.
"Ah, Haljan and Dean. I'm to see you."
He was still white and shaken. Beads of upon his forehead. He them off.
"I've just had a terrible experience." He did not that we down. He on crisply: "Grantline no has told you of what's going on. Disturbing, terrifying. Haljan, we have a ship being into tonight. You know her, the Cometara."
"I know her," I said.
"Quite so. She is taking off as soon as we can her. She will about fifty men. Grantline is in of the and men. You, Dean, we want to her radio-helio."
"Right," said Snap.
"And you, Haljan, we can think of no one to her."
He away my appreciation. "Within a time we shall have thirty such ships in space. Mars and Venus also are mobilizing."
He up. "We feel, Haljan, that if anyone can the Cometara with skill to this enemy, it will be you."
"I'll do my best, sir."
"We know that. The ship is from the Tappan Inter[32]planetary Stage after dawn. When have you and Dean last slept?"
"Last night," we said.
"Quite so. Then you need sleep now. I want you to go at once to the Tappan Fieldhouse. The there will make you comfortable. Eat, and sleep if you can. We want you in good shape. You're to keep out of this night's here in the city; you understand?"
"Yes sir."
An was Brayley. "I'll be in a moment, Rollins."
He hands with us. "I may not see you again it's over. Good luck, lads. Grantline, they need you for a moment in the hall; something about space weapons, for the Cometara. Then you'd go to Tappan House too, and some sleep."
We were dismissed. Snap and I each other hesitantly. I said impulsively, "Mr. Brayley, Detective-Colonel Halsey is using two girls."
"Yes, we're that, Haljan."
"They're the girls we're to marry," I added. "May we with Colonel Halsey?"
"Yes. Call him from here." He wanly. "But keep out of it; we need you at dawn."
The Tappan departure-stage was only a miles up the Hudson; we there in an hour. It was now nearly trinight, midnight and dawn. I had my portable and got Halsey at once.
"You Gregg?"
"Yes. They're through with us at the Conclave. Where is Anita?"
"We from her twice. I'm expecting...."
We someone him. Then he came back. "Gregg? Molo took them somewhere. I didn't after them. He had his going, and Anita me not to try it. She had to stop herself. God how she was able to to me at all."
His voice, like Brayley's, had the ring of a man to the point. I how Halsey must feel, to at his with its banks of instruments; all the network of his activities[33] centralized; his decisions, his in a hundred places almost simultaneously, while his sat there inactive.
"Gregg, the girls must have at Molo's place by now. If only they know where they are! I have the city with and complete equipment. Gregg, I must disconnect."
"Colonel, give me Anita's frequency. Maybe Snap or I can up the message."
He named the frequency, then disconnected.
"Try that frequency," Snap suggested. "We've got to do something."
The door-slide opened and an appeared. "Haljan?"
"Get the away," Snap. "We've had our orders; we don't want any from you."
"Gregg Haljan and Daniel Dean are on the mirrors."
Someone in the city wanted us; our names were appearing on the mirror-grids publicly the city in the that we would answer.
"That's different," said Snap. "Answer it for us, that's a good fellow. We're busy."
"It must be important," the insisted. "The registered a at the Search Bureau; that's how they you here. He paid the to search you. An call."
It was against the law to the services of the Search Bureau unless upon danger. "We'll take it," I said.
"Come with me." He to the left and the corridor.
We with him to a cubby. Upon the there I was at once with a voice, and an man's with a two-day upon it.
"Haljan! Thank God you answered. This is Dud Ardley. Me and Shac are here. Listen, this is the corridor, Lateral 3, under Broadway. Me and Shac just have your girls here."
News of Anita and Venza! I see in the mirror-image, Dud's the of the little public from which he was calling. He and his brother, on some of their own in East Side Manhattan, had[34] from a fare-car. They had a of the of Anita and Venza. The girls were and cloaked; a man was with them. The fare-car rolled away, and the figures, their magnetic cloaks, had vanished.
"S'elp me, we couldn't do nothin'. You know we take no with the police by carryin' cylinders. So I you in a hurry."
"Dud, that's of you. Where are you now? Tell me again."
The Ardleys, nothing of the events of this night, that the girls were being abducted, and I should be informed.
"Damn right, Dud. We'll come at once. You two wait for us?"
"Sure. If you got instruments, maybe we can 'em. It wasn't a of a mile from here, over toward the river. Plenty of there."
"Wait for us, Dud. We'll come in a rush."
I the audiphone. Snap, me, had it all. He the out of the way.
"What's the nearest exit-route out of here?"
"To the city roof, sir. Up this incline."
We up the incline, through a low exit-port, and were in the of the city roof.
"Connect it, Gregg! You can't tell; her message might come over any minute."
I my to the used which Halsey had told us Anita's was sending.
"Anything, Gregg?"
"No. Dead channel."
The air, in Anita's channel, was silent.
We had been by a roof-guard when we appeared from the upper port of the Conclave Hall; the city was not open to public traffic. But with our identifications, he us a single-seat hand-tram, and started us on the route.
It was a night, with like thickly-strewn dia[35]monds on velvet. The city in the starlight. In my great-grandfather's time there had been no here; the open city was to all the weather. But the and overhead viaducts, and which the the a roof. It spread, now and to top the buildings, like a great by the of sleeping giants. Some of the was of alumite, dark patches, with the great which in places the daylight.
Our little tram along southward, its way over the terraces. Save for the and in their occasional cubbies, and the air-traffic in their towers, we were alone up here. The was with air-pipes, line-wire conduits, aerials, of the and devices. As as one see the the night like ears. There were water tanks, great cross-bulkheads and to the rain and snow. A traffic towers order in the overhead air-lanes. Their up into the sky when the lights marked the thinly-strewn traffic.
We were stopped at intervals, but in each case were passed promptly.
"Nothing yet, Gregg?"
"No."
Anita's empty. It was, I suppose, no more than ten minutes which we south along the of the roof; but to us it was an eternity. If only some message would come!
"I'll up here."
"Yes."
I up my little audiphone, it under my dark cloak. If only our were magnetic!
We from our car. "In a rush, Haljan?" asked a guard.
"That's us. Orders from Mr. Brayley."
We left him and into a lift. A of a thousand feet; we past all the levels, past the ground-level, the lanes, the sub-river tubes, the sub-cellar, to the very of the city.[36]
"Come on, Gregg. Two from here."
We at a run. At this hour of night, a was in evidence. It was an corridor, almost a tunnel, blue-lit with lengths of at on the ceiling. For all the of our time, the air here was and fetid. Moisture from the roof. It on the metal of the ground; the of it was dank, tomb-like.
There were cross-tunnels. We into one of them. For a there were the to the of the overhead. We passed a place where the tunnel-corridor into a great plaza. The and wire-pipes like on its floor. Half across it, by the of temporary lights on a cable, a group of were working. We passed them, in to where the again and there were now occasional to dwellings.
It was a from here to the river, by and by families, many of saw the for at a time. The voices of the city here, so that an upon everything.
"That next crossing, Gregg. They said they'd wait for us there."
Occasional upward. In of us was a narrow intersection. There were a lights in the of the rooms, but most of them were dark.
"Easy, Snap. Not so fast."
I Snap to a walk. We over against the side. We had passed a small cubby, the one from which Dud and Shac had us. They should have been here waiting; but there was nothing but the empty, tunnels.
"Something is coming!" Snap at me; we our around us and waited in a recess. Down a incline, a us, a small food came lurching. It up at an entrance. Its driver the portals, deposited his cases of food, locked the panel[37] after him; and in a moment he and his were gone up the incline.
We heard, in the silence, a low near at hand; then it stopped. We saw, twenty of us, two dark on the in a black of where the came in a and into the wall.
We over the of two men. They together, one upon the other, black-garbed with white, faces. One a little and then still.
They were Shac and Dud Ardley.
"Murdered, Gregg! Good Lord!"
Both were dead, but we see no marks on either of them.
I my wits. "Snap, we can't like this visible."
I Snap away. We a feet. The light of the was directly over us. "Not here, Snap! Run!"
Under the a little along, we shelter. Snap murmured: "The girls past here. But which way, Gregg?"
As though I knew!
I at that moment, under the shirt against my skin, the of my tingling. A signal! In the gloom, I see Snap's white as he me it out.
We a voice, Anita's voice.
"Colonel Halsey. Yes I have the location. Lafayette 4—East corridor, level. A entrance. Don't you speak again; I've only a minute! Venza safe—but send help. Something we don't understand—a here."
Then Halsey's voice. "Anita, escape! You and Venza!"
"We can't. They've got us!"
"I'm sending men. They'll be there in ten minutes."
"Ten minutes will be too late. Molo is...."
It that we her scream; then the and died.[38]
Lafayette 4—East corridor, level. "Snap, that's here! A entrance."
We against the great of the tube. Within it I the and as a past. Halsey's orders must be going out now. His men nearest this place would come in a rush. But Anita said that would be too late.
Snap and I were searching. Somewhere here was an entrance to Molo's lair. It in the that Anita's was still in my ears. Had it been from the instrument, or were we so close that we had its echoes?
"Gregg, help me." Snap was at a door-slide, like a in the floor, under the tube. "Stuck!" he gasped.
It with our efforts. It aside. Steps into blackness. We in, gone from us. The steps some twenty feet; we were in another smaller corridor. It was by a from somewhere, and as my expanded, I see this was a alley, opening ahead into a passage with the slide-port above us like its gate. A of was here, a little of dwellings.
We peering, listening. "Shall I try the eavesdropper, Gregg?"
"Yes. No, wait!" I I sounds.
"Voices, Snap. Listen."
More than voices. A thud: running. A commotion, in this warren, a hundred of us.
"This way," I murmured.
We into a black gash. There was a of light, a in a house nearby. The was louder, and under it now we a humming: something electrical. It was an sound, like nothing I had before.
Snap at me. "In here, but where is the door?"
There was a pane, but we no door. In our hands we small bolt-cylinders, short-range weapons.
The and was louder. It to throb[39] us, as though were to every of our bodies.
Light was through the pane, and we the of the room. The light now came from a set in the center of the metal cubby. I only an instant's of it, a thing of and wires. The metal of the room was cut away, the of Manhattan Island. And against the rock, in a ten-foot circle, a series of were contacted, with leading from them to the coils.
The whole was with light. It was dazzling, blinding. Within in it the of Molo was moving, the contacts. He stooped. He straightened, from the light.
Only an instant's glimpse, but we saw the girls, with black on their eyes. Meka, like her brother, was them. A tall shape a black box through the light and ran. Molo for the girls; the had to a wild scream. Molo his sister out of the light.
They all vanished. There was nothing but the light, and the scream.
Beside me, Snap was on the panel. I joined him. Everything was dreamlike, as though was upon me.
Where was Snap? Gone? Then I saw him nearby. He had a door, but it wouldn't yield. I saw his arm go up in a to me.
He ran; I myself after him, but I and fell. Then over me the into a great of sound. It so intense, so a that it must ring around the world.
And the light with an puff. The black metal to melt like in a dream. A titan's blowtorch, the light upward, a ten-foot beam, its way through all the city as though they were paper, up through the city roof.
Molo's was gone. His was by the light and destroyed. There was only this motionless, beam, here with the Earth, like an into the sky.[40]
