away. "If
they have, that outfit will get something more than a load of iron when
they get there!"

More weeks passed; weeks during which a blue-white star separated itself
from the infinitely distant firmament and began to show a perceptible
disk. Larger and larger it grew, becoming bluer and bluer as the flying
space-ship approached it, until finally Nevia could be seen, apparently
close beside her parent orb.

Heavily laden though the vessel was, such was her power that she was
soon dropping vertically toward a large lagoon in the middle of the
Nevian city. That bit of open water was strangely devoid of life, for
this was to be no ordinary landing. Under the terrific power of the
beams braking the descent of that unimaginable load of allotropic iron
the water seethed and boiled; and instead of floating gracefully upon
the surface of the sea, this time the huge ship of space sank like a
plummet to the bottom. Having accomplished this delicate feat of docking
the vessel safely in the immense cradle prepared for her, Nerado turned
to the Terrestrials, who, now under guard, had been brought before him.

"While our cargo of iron is being discharged, I am to take you three
Tellurians to the College of Science, where you are to undergo a
thorough physical and psychological examination. Follow me."

"Wait a minute!" protested Costigan, with a quick and furtive wink at
his companions. "Do you expect us to go _through water_, and at this
frightful depth?"

"Certainly," replied the Nevian, in surprise. "You are air-breathers, of
course, but you must be able to swim a little, and this slight
depth--but little more than thirty of your meters--will not trouble
you."

"You are wrong, twice," declared the Terrestrial, convincingly. "If by
'swimming' you mean propelling yourself in or through the water, we know
nothing of it. In water over our heads we drown helplessly in a minute
or two, and the pressure at this depth would kill us instantly."

"Well, I could take a lifeboat, of course, but that...." The Nevian
Captain began, doubtfully, but broke off at the sound of a staccato call
from his signal panel.

"Captain Nerado, attention!"

"Nerado," he acknowledged into a microphone.

"The Third City is being attacked by the fishes of the greater deeps.
They have developed new and powerful mobile fortresses mounting
unheard-of weapons and the city reports that it cannot long withstand
their attack. The inhabitants are aski