Over us was turmoil, that siren. Then it was and we the and of what on Earth would have been called and shouts.
Snap me. "Don't there, you fool!"
We up the passage. Figures it but they scattered; a at us, but missed. At the a group of and little away in terror to let us pass.
We the open air. With the small with upon the we like out of the cauldron. The upper in the starlight, but the us was with alarm, and again the was blaring.
I my way of direction, it to the ahead. The of my was as I down. Over me, I saw Snap use the same tactics. I to for where we had left the girls and Molo. I not see them there the crags; and a wild me. How had we them to Molo's trickery?
Then, ahead and me, I saw the of one of the girls, on a with arms to us. I my to in time to avoid crashing. The landing me in a heap. Twenty away, Snap came down. We ourselves up, saw Anita from the rock, and to her.
The girls were safe. Venza sat intent, with across the space to where Molo had himself against his rock, not to move.[118]
"Still got him," Venza exulted. "He wasn't to take any with us. You did it, Snap?"
"I'm a motor-oiler if we didn't. Come on; got to out of this. They're after us! We the whole place, Venza. Wandl's a normal now. No more of this of Earth."
We learned later that our and our that we had the entire of Wandl was proven to be a fact. Wandl was, in effect, a normal now. The planted in Greater New York, Ferrok-Shahn and Grebhar still across space. But there was no from Wandl to them, and Wandl now not move through space of her own volition. Like Earth, and all other planets, satellites, and asteroids, she was now to all the normal natural laws of mechanics. We had done a job of it.
Now I at Snap. "No time to talk. You the girls; I'll take Molo. Got to to the Star-Streak."
I over and Molo. "We did it. Now for your vessel! It will be for you if she is not where you say she is."
"She will be there, Gregg Haljan."
He put himself in position for me to my under his crossed, and him. Snap rose up past us, the girls. Over the a to and see the nature of this enemy, and then back.
With Molo to me, I with my ray, Snap and the girls into the starlight, with the of the until in a moment or so it was gone our horizon.
We now, not toward Wor, we had come, but over at an to the side. Our great soon left the behind. We the river, another of the forest, and came over lowlands.
It was a of under an hour. The pursuit, if anyone us, our little of horizon. Everywhere there was of the storm; the trees were flat, like over the area. The river had in places over its banks. The were thick with globe-dwellings. Some[119] were on their stems; others were from their place, and into a litter.
We well aloft. The surface were only of wreckage, moving lights and people. And there were which the wind had spared.
The from the was now with the from the station; the of the there was still us. As we into what now the of a city like Wor, with a of solid-looking metal the ahead, I saw a up and away. Wandl was with the of her space to oppose the ships of Earth, Venus, and Mars. No with the of the station, the masters of Wandl the of the battle.
The huge, globular, disc-like ship high over us, with the of its rocket-streams. In a moment it was in the stars. And then another rose and it.
There were many in the air around us now. I higher, and Snap with the girls me. The figures, upon their own affairs, did not to us.
Molo's alone upon a low metal cradle. No other ship was near it; but a mile away on we see others on their stages. Lights were moving around and upon them, but the Star-Streak was dark and neglected.
We a thousand over her, and to one side. I saw her as a long, low, pointed vessel, in color, longer than the Cometara, and narrower, but very in aspect.
"Meka and I are to be our crew," said Molo. "No one with my vessel. Will you take me to Wor now to Meka?"
"I will not."
Snap was with the girls. They were near us. His arm at me with a gesture. And then came the of his voice: "Shall we down, Gregg?"
"Yes, but cautiously. Have your gun ready."
Molo protested, "I would like to take Meka with us, and a[120] of my crew. You will have trouble the Star-Streak, just us three men."
"We'll take our chances."
We upon the dark and platform. The of the Star-Streak us, her still higher. An up to her opened deck-port.
"I'll go first," I said to Snap. "Come after me. Watch out: there might be someone on board."
Venza still to her weapon. Mine was in my hand as I Molo. And, the incline, the thirty for the deck-port. I safely, and Molo upon his feet. "Don't you move," I him sternly.
He against the of the superstructure. No one here. We had there might easily be one or two on board.
Snap and the girls came sailing, one after the other, and on the me. We silent, alert. No one appeared from the or from the lengths of the deck. Venza was Molo with her upon him. Snap and I had planned this boarding: Anita and Venza to here and Molo while we the ship, and the controls. We started for the door oval.
"Gregg!"
It was all the Snap give. I was the cabin, but he, me, was still on the deck. I to see a dozen dark from the of the superstructure. Snap was all but by them. These were not men of Wandl, but Molo's crew, Martians, Earthmen and Venusians. Snap's ray-gun as he down; one of the men away. I saw Venza turn with horror, as the of Meka upon her and Anita from the roof.
For an instant, in hand, I paused in the doorway. I not fire into the of that group, so into it, with my fists.
Molo was shouting, "Do not kill them! I was ordered not to kill them!"
These men, so different from the insect-like and the of Wandl, were solid in my grip; but we were all so weightless! I one, but others me, me.[121] A of bodies, arms and legs, we up to the and upon it. My was gone. Half a dozen had me pinioned.
Down on the I saw that Venza had her weapon; Molo and Meka were her. Snap was with antagonists. Anita was loose. She for the group in which Snap was struggling, them, and upward, to be by two of my own captors.
"Anita, don't fight! They'll kill you!"
I to loose, but four Martians were me.
"Oh, Gregg!"
There was in Anita's voice. Snap had away. At the open deck-port he stood, as though what to do. The was almost black around him; he was against the starlight. From almost at his side, in the darkness, a at his head. His arms out; he backward. At the top of the his to kick, and the it into the darkness.
The end of Snap! A through me. Snap, my best friend!
Molo the unknown man of his who had the shot. But none would admit who did it.
"Get to your posts," Molo in Martian. "Enough of you are here. Lash up the prisoners; we're away now." He his sister as she passed him. "Well played, Meka!"
These Martians! Molo had planned that Meka was to the and wait here at the ship for him and Wyk. If they returned with us as captives, it would be here that they would come. But if by adversely, Molo we would act just as we did; and Meka and her men were here in ambush, waiting for us.
All the many shut. Anita, Venza, and I, with arms and bound, were taken by Molo to the and room.
The ship was with signals. The in the hull-base the gravity-pull the to a to that of Earth. Within a minutes the Star-Streak from the stage. Strange, Wandl[122] away from us. We through the atmosphere, one of the Wandl vessels, and into space toward the point where, a miles distant, the ships of Earth, Venus, and Mars were gathering.
