feet. Emmett looked up in
time to see an outer air-lock panel swiftly blot out the stars.

Brief seconds later, the compartment was filled with a brilliant light
and tiny nozzles in the ceiling sprayed a bluish gas about them.

Gloria leapt quickly to one side. "What's that?" she asked, in alarm.

"It's the Agronian atmosphere," George said. "Although their locks are
mechanically different, the principle behind them is the same as ours."

"It's a strange-looking atmosphere," Emmett remarked. The pain in his
arm and the numbness that was gradually spreading throughout his body
had relaxed his mind. He felt so physically detached from his
surroundings that he could look at the fog-like gas that swirled about
them with interest rather than concern.

"It's poisonous," George said. "We managed to analyze some. One breath
is enough to kill a human--"

An inner door abruptly glided to one side and George leaped into the
room beyond. Emmett followed as quickly as possible, although he felt
sleepy and his every action seemed a study in slow motion.

Except for the level expanse of the floor, the room before them was
entirely alien. The thick atmosphere swirled eerily. The control board
was recognizable as such, but being adapted for tentacles instead of
human hands, it appeared to be a meaningless maze of equipment. Strange,
angular devices lined the walls and hung from the low ceiling on thin
wires. As Emmett scanned the odd artifacts, he could understand only
one--a group of web-like hammocks that were obviously used by the aliens
to sleep in.

Two Agronians stood before the large control board at the far side of
the room. It was the first time Emmett had seen the enemy other than in
pictures and the sight of the thousands of snakelike, wriggling antennae
nauseated him.

George hesitated briefly and then ran toward the Agronians. Again Emmett
followed the pilot's lead. One of the creatures aimed a weapon before
George had crossed half the distance and Gloria's shrill scream of
warning brought him up short. But before the weapon could be discharged,
the other Agronian viciously flung a tentacle and sent it spinning from
his companion's clasp.

George leaped at the nearest Agronian but the creature easily eluded
him. He made another attempt and failed again.

The man and the alien cautiously surveyed each other.

"They're too fast for us," George admitted. His voice was filled with
the bitterness of defeat and his