ckened; glared at each other across a
three-mile expanse that had now turned to cinders. And that was all.
Practically indestructible, and evenly matched, they had fought to a
standstill. Neither ship had lost a man.

"See how it is, Nors-King?" Gunnar said as he drew his fingers across the
shaft of his sword. "It is as I told you before. We have the same weapons.
The same defenses. I will use the Blood-Drinkers yet, before this is over."

There was a demanding buzz from the loudspeaker.

Ato turned the dial. A strange, harsh voice was calling. "You there, on the
Second ship. You on the second ship. Answer."

"Yes!" Ato replied gruffly. "Who are you?"

"I am the head man of the city--the city within the dome."

"How did you know our language?"

"We have known it for thirty years. For that long have we been in contact
with Grim Hagen."

* * * * *

Jack Odin was never quite able to cope with the passing of time on these
planets, while the ships scurried through Trans-Space in what appeared to
be a matter of a few days.

The voice continued. "We invited Grim Hagen to our world. We did not invite
you. Go away."

"I don't think I like his tone," Gunnar interrupted. "Some day I will catch
the owner of that voice and make him eat his ears."

"We are not going away," Ato told the voice stubbornly.

"Then you can stay where you are. We have just witnessed the battle. We do
not have weapons such as yours. But we do have a defense. An electric
screen nearly half a mile across has been placed about you. Watch."

They looked at the screen, and a tiny drone-torpedo came winging its way
from the violet dome. It came to within a thousand yards of them and
suddenly crashed into an unseen barrier. Broken and blazing, it came
falling down like a crippled bird.

"There," the voice said triumphantly. "That is what will happen to you. Why
don't you leave us? You are not wanted. Leave us."

"Faith, he's a hospitable soul," Odin murmured.

Ato's voice was shaking in wrath when he answered. "We can find a way to
smash that curtain. We want Grim Hagen and his prisoners. When we have them
we will depart."

"Grim Hagen is our ally. We have already sworn our allegiance. I have no
more words for you."

There was a clicking sound and the loudspeaker died with a sputter of
static.

It sputtered again, and this time Grim Hagen's voice mocked them.
"There, Ato. You have your answer. You are wasting