There he remained in a hopelessness which almost compelled our sympathy,
until Aina had so far recovered that she was once more able to act
as our interpreter. Then we made short work of the negotiations.
Speaking through Aina, the commander said:

"You know who we are. We have come from the earth, which, by your command,
was laid waste. Our commission was not revenge, but self-protection. What
we have done has been accomplished with that in view. You have just
witnessed an example of our power, the exercise of which was not dictated
by our wish, but compelled by the attack wantonly made upon a helpless
member of our own race under our protection."

We Dictate Terms.

"We have laid waste your planet, but it is simply a just retribution
for what you did with ours. We are prepared to complete the destruction,
leaving not a living being in this world of yours, or to grant you peace,
at your choice. Our condition of peace is simply this: 'All resistance
must cease absolutely.'"

"Quite right," broke in Colonel Smith; "let the scorpion pull out his
sting or we'll do it for him."

"Nothing that we could now do," continued the commander, "would in my
opinion save you from ultimate destruction. The forces of nature which
we have been compelled to let loose upon you will complete their own
victory. But we do not wish, unnecessarily, to stain our hands further
with your blood. We shall leave you in possession of your lives. Preserve
them if you can. But, in case the flood recedes before you have all
perished from starvation, remember that you here take an oath, solemnly
binding yourself and your descendants forever never again to make war
upon the earth."

We Show Mercy.

"That's really the best we can do," said Mr. Edison, turning to us. "We
can't possibly murder these people in cold blood. The probability is
that the flood has hopelessly ruined all their engines of war. I do not
believe that there is one chance in ten that the waters will drain off
in time to enable them to get at their stores of provisions before they
have perished from starvation."

"It is my opinion," said Lord Kelvin, who had joined us (his pair of
disintegrators hanging by his side, attached to a strap running over
the back of his neck, very much as a farmer sometimes carries his big
mittens), "it is my opinion that the flood will recede more rapidly than
you think, and that the majority of these people will survive. But I
quite agree with