, ever
so little.

Closer now and closer, and at last the aircar of the crimson splashes
was drawing away, losing in the race for life. It was falling back, as
though minded to turn about and race back for the Moon, now a ball in
the sky, far away, the outlines of its craters growing dim and misty
with distance. Now the men of Cleric, those who remained, were
breaking contact with the aircar, and forming a valiant rear-guard for
the retreat of Jaska.

* * * * *

Throughout the Earth, as the Beryls fought with ever increasing speed
to lower the rate of the earth's outward race from the Moon, was such
a trembling, such a vibration induced by conflicting, alien forces as
there had not been even in that moment when back there in its orbit,
the Earth could have either been kept within its orbit, or hurled
outward into space at the touch of a finger.

Now Jaska, surrounded by her father's men, was almost close enough to
touch the Earth.

She made it, weak and weary, and rested for a moment while her
father's men steadied her. Then, thrusting them aside, with gestures
bidding them return to their Gens, she lifted into the air again, and
fled straight for the laboratory of Sarka.

She entered tiredly through the exit dome, and all but collapsed into the
arms of Sarka. Gently he removed her helmet of the anti-gravitational
ovoid, noting as she leaned against him the tumultuous beating of her
heart. Then her gentle eyes opened and she whispered to Sarka.

"You trust me now?"

For answer he bent and kissed her softly on the lips--for the kiss,
from the far distant time when the first baby was kissed by the first
mother, had been the favored caress of mankind. Her face was
transfigured as she read his answer in his eyes, and the touch of his
lips. Then, remembering, fear flashed across her face. She
straightened, and grasping Sarka by the hand, hurried with him into
the observatory.

* * * * *

She took the seat in which Dalis had sat before he had gone out to the
command of his Gens, studied for many minutes the battle in space
between the two alien worlds.

"Dalis is winning," said the Elder Sarka quietly, "apparently!"

"The qualification is a just one," said Jaska softly. "'Apparently,'
indeed! You will note now that, though men of the Gens of Dalis swarm
all about the aircars, and even clamber atop them, no more are dying
in the grasp of those tenta