Sarka was not to be so easily beaten. There still remained an
infinite number of possible changes of speed by manipulation of ovidum
by vibration set up by the Beryls, without which this flight from the
beginning would have been impossible. But for two hours, while the
white robed men of Cleric fought against the car of the crimson
splashes to prevent the capture of the daughter of their
Spokesman--and died by hundreds in the grip of those grim
tentacles--Sarka was forced to labor with the Beryls until
perspiration bathed his whole body and his heart was heavy as he
foresaw failure. And failure meant death or worse for Jaska.

But at the end of two hours, while the men of Cleric fought like men
inspired against the aircar of the crimson slashes, a cessation in the
outward speed of the earth could be noted. At the end of three hours
the body of Jaska, all this time fighting manfully to attain to
landing place on the Earth, was at last bulking larger; but the
tentacles of the aircar were groping after her, reaching for her,
striving to catch and clasp her to her death.

The two Sarkas watched and prayed while the might of the Beryls,
traveling at top speed, fought against the force of whatever was used
by the Moon-men to compel the Moon to withdraw. Still the men of
Cleric fought that single car, and died by hundreds in the fighting.
White robed figures which became shriveled and black in the grip of
those tentacles.

* * * * *

Countless of the men of Cleric deliberately cast themselves against
those tentacles, throwing their lives away to give Jaska more leeway
in her race for life.

"Will she make it, father?" queried Sarka in a whisper.

"If the courage and loyalty of her people stand for anything, she will
make it," he replied.

On she came at top speed, and now through the micro-telescopes the
Sarkas could see the agony of effort on her face, even through the
smooth mask used by the people of Earth for flight in space where
there was no atmosphere. Courage was there, and the will of
never-say-die; and Jaska, moreover, was coming back to the man she
loved. In a nebulous sort of way Sarka realized this, for though these
two had not mated there was a resonant inner sympathy between them
which had rounded into an emotion of overpowering force since Jaska
had proved to Sarka that she was to be trusted--that he had been
something less than a faithful lover when he had mistrusted her