ur horizon.

We headed now, not toward Wor, whence we had come, but over at an
angle to the side. Our great bounding arcs soon left the mountains
behind. We crossed the river, another portion of the forest, and came
over undulating lowlands.

It was a flight of under half an hour. The pursuit, if indeed anyone
followed us, remained below our little segment of curving horizon.
Everywhere there was evidence of the storm; the forest trees were laid
flat, strewn like driftwood over the area. The river had in several
places lashed over its banks. The lowlands were dotted thick with
globe-dwellings. Some were hanging awry on their stems; others were
pulled from their place, cracked and piled into a litter.

We kept well aloft. The surface scenes were only glimpses of wreckage,
moving lights and people. And there were areas which the wind had
seemingly spared.

The confusion from the storm was mingled now with the spreading alarm
from the gravity station; the sound of the danger siren there was
still audible behind us. As we advanced into what now seemed the
outskirts of a city like Wor, with a pile of solid-looking metal
structures ranging the horizon ahead, I saw a distant spaceship rise
up and wing away. Wandl was proceeding with the dispatching of her
space navy to oppose the distantly gathering ships of Earth, Venus,
and Mars. No doubt with the wrecking of the control station, the
masters of Wandl immediately recognized the paramount importance of
the coming battle.

The huge, globular, disc-like ship sailed high over us, rotating with
the impulse of its rocket-streams. In a moment it was lost in the
stars. And then another rose and followed it.

There were many human figures in the air around us now. I mounted
higher, and Snap with the girls followed me. The figures, intent upon
their own affairs, did not seem to heed us.

Molo's vessel lay alone upon a low metal cradle. No other ship was
near it; but half a mile away on both sides we could see others
resting on their stages. Lights were moving around and upon them, but
the _Star-Streak_ was dark and neglected.

We poised a thousand feet over her, and to one side. I saw her as a
long, low, pointed vessel, dead gray in color, longer than the
_Cometara_, and seemingly narrower, but very similar in aspect.

"Meka and I are supposed to be gathering our crew," said Molo. "No one
bothers with my vessel. Will you take me to Wor now to get Meka?"

"I will not."

S