It that the small room had a very through my pane. Narrow were visible. It was a triangular-shaped space, fifteen or so one side, with a overhead. I was on the floor. The at had been impenetrable. The which had me and my knife were gone; I had not them where they went.
For a moment I by my suit. When I to my feet, I was almost weightless. The movement of me as though I were a feather. My the metal ceiling, so a that I for an I had the helmet.
From the ceiling, with arms and legs, I to the grid-floor; and in a moment I was able to with so a of weight that I have been a of to away in the least wind.
There was, as I there myself, a of me. A hope; for in the ship's funnel—larger than it had from a distance—I had what appeared to be a small projectile, in some landing gear. The me had settled on a stage alongside it. Was that the from Earth?
[68]
A air pressure was around me; the Erentz my had been immovable, but now they were pressure. I waiting. Whatever were here I not tell. Then presently the stopped. They registered seventeen pounds—whatever that might here. I the and took it off.
With the my reeled. I to the floor, and though I to replace the helmet, it was too late. My were fading. A chemical odor was in my nostrils. It was like a thin, water.
The away was pleasant.
Tortured came with my awakening. I myself in the same room upon the floor. I breathe now, and in a more hours the had almost gone. I now that I was not injured, but I was hungry.
Again, as before, I up and my space-suit from me; and now I was aware of movement and sound. The floor-grid were apparent. And there was a dim, distant, throbbing; it was much like the of the Cometara while in flight.
And there were other sounds, faint, yet clear. I they might be voices.
I took a step. I see a blank with what a bowl-like article of on the against the wall. For all my caution, I upward; but this time I my balance. And I that with my weight, I almost swim in this air! I the and slowly it to the again, like a man to the of a tank.
It to me to put my ear against the wall. At once the all louder. It was a of sound: the of the vessel, some of which I I identify, and some not; the and of what might have been people moving; and there were voices.
The voices from everywhere. The of the was very strange. It no of how away from me the voices might be. There were so many of them I only think they were about the ship; and yet they all together. After a moment, the was less confusing. Again, very my able to one from the other.
I was to learn that the from that of Earth. Voices had a tone, as though they were smothered. There was undoubtedly[69] a distortion; and a sound-wave speed slower than Earth's normal-pressure of 1,050 a second, as slow as 700. Yet over longer than on Earth.
In this now, as I with my ear to the of the ship, I was all its up and by the metal.
Now I a tongue: two of voices, slow, measured, carefully-intoned phrases, and voices of a sepulchral, sound. My mind to the Red Spark restaurant room.
And I that the I was English. A man's voice, talking English. I caught, very the phrase:
"Master, yes. She means well. Can you not see it?"
Molo's voice! Then the girls must be here also.
Another voice: "I am not sure. Perhaps. The Great Intelligence will talk with her when we are arrived." It was the slow voice of one of the brains.
"When will that be? Pretty soon now, won't it, Molo?"
Venza! A great of me. And then I Anita. "Your two captives, where are they? You're not going to kill them, are you?"
"No," said Molo. "Perhaps not. No one has the new one yet. The other is being for. The Great Intelligence will question him when we arrive."
"We are arriving," said Venza. "That's your world, Wandl, there, isn't it?"
"Yes. We are fast."
The voice of the brain: "Come, Wyk. The are events on our worlds. Take me to watch. I am of movement."
"Yes. Master."
It that the brain was being away; Molo and the two girls were being left alone. I had at that they were in the room to me, but they have been distant. They had mentioned two captives. One, obviously, was myself. Was the other Snap?
"Come," Molo was saying, "stand here with me and we will watch this world. Not mine, Venza chia, as you just called it,[70] But my world. And it will be yours, until we the new Mars."
I them moving to through the window-port. Then came Anita's voice: "If it's anything like this ship, it will be very strange."
"Strange indeed, little dove. I was there only once, a month ago, and for a hours only. The Great Intelligence, as they call him, talked with me, my knowledge: they call it that. And he was much by me, and very promises in for my fidelity. And for my sister, too."
I learned how Molo and Meka with the Wandlites; it was as we had suspected.
"You will Mars?" Venza was saying. "When this is over, you you will be Mars to rule?"
"I would live on the Earth," said Anita. "There was a man there."
"He will not be there much longer." Molo laughed. "You are very lucky that I you!"
"Lucky indeed," Venza echoed. "No death for me. I'm too young."
"But all those millions dead. It so terrible."
"It is, for them!" Molo was in high good humor, pleased with himself and with these girls. "See there; that is the air. We're almost into it now."
I the of someone joining them, and then the voice again: "Molo! Bad come from Mars. One of the Masters was there in Ferrok-Shahn. They him as they did the one on Earth. But he did not die unyielding. He spoke and told our plans!"
"Hah! Did I not you to keep those on Wandl?"
"But it is done now. The worlds know our purpose. They are preparing spaceships. Already some are from Ferrok-Shahn, from Grebhar and from Greater New York."
"We they were doing that."
"But now they know our purpose. The Master Intelligence that they will come Wandl. Our are being to go out and them."
The voice ceased.
"Your purpose discovered?" asked Anita. "What that[71] mean? Won't you tell us now? Twin for your Mars, and you us like children!"
"That light-beam he so planted in Greater New York," Venza hinted.
"Yes, I will tell you. Without me in New York and my men who with these Wandlites to Ferrok-Shahn and Grebhar, the have been planted. The was complicated; you saw it. You saw the labor I had making the contact?"
"But what are the light-beams for?"
I listened, breathless, as he told them. The not be destroyed; a of the had been set up. With each of the Earth it was the sky. From a great station, Wandl was upon that beam, using it as a upon the of Earth. With every daily passage now the was being exerted. The was slowing. In a days it would stop, with the end of the to Wandl and there.
And the from Grebhar and Ferrok-Shahn were the same. Three chains! Then Wandl, traveling of its own volition, would from our system. The would the Earth, Venus and Mars after it!
Titanic tow-ropes! The destruction, not of our worlds, but of all life upon them, for the cold of space would no organism. Three worlds; Wandl would them to her own Sun and then free them, send them, with new orbits, around the star. Three new worlds home by Wandl to join the little family of around this other Sun. Three and worlds, by the other to be green untenanted, to the new beings who would come and them.[72]
