ne of metal structures
surmounting the mid-Westchester hills; above them, in the brightening
sky of dawn, Venus was just rising. Mars had already set at our
longitude. Venus, fairly close to the Earth now, was the "Morning
Star."; it mounted now above that line of metal stages in the
distance.

And as Grantline gestured, I saw from Venus the same sword-like beam
streaming off almost to cross our own.

Grantline and I, with a mutual thought, ran around the balcony and
gazed to where Mars had set. A narrow radiance was streaming up among
the stars off there.

Three swinging swords of light in the sky! With the rotation of the
planets, they swept the firmament. The mysterious enemy had planted
them--but why? What was coming next?

And as though to answer us, from far to the south, over mid-Jersey,
came a new manifestation. We saw a speck rising, a distant mounting
speck of something dark, with streamers of tiny radiance flowing from
it.

"A spaceship, Gregg."

It seemed so. It came slowly from above the maze of distant
structures, gathered speed, and in a moment was gone.

But others, better equipped, had observed it. It was a cylindrical
projectile, with stream-fluorescence propelling it upward, an unusual
form of spaceship. Telescopically it was seen until well after dawn.
Speeding out in the direction of the Moon.

Molo and his weird allies had escaped, I thought. With their work
done here on Earth, they were off to rejoin the hovering enemy ship
200,000 miles out.

I stood gripping Grantline on that balcony, and gazed with sinking
heart. Were Anita and Venza prisoners on that mounting ship? And Snap:
I prayed he was there with the girls to lend them the protection I had
failed to give.

"Haljan and Grantline wanted below."

The voice of a mechanic on the balcony behind us roused us from our
thoughts. We went down through the busy building.

The workshops of Tappan Interplanetary Headquarters had for hours been
ringing with busy activity. The _Cometara_ rested upon her departure
stage outside, with a score of workmen conditioning her.
Newly-installed additional armament was aboard, ready to be assembled
after the start. The men to handle it were embarked. My half dozen
officers and the ten members of the crew I had already briefly met.
They were waiting for me.

"On we go, Gregg. Let's wish ourselves luck." From grim, silent
abstraction, Grantline had now sprung into his familiar dynamic self.

Ther