la arose through the parting
waters.

Then the sea was below them and they were still rising. The scanner showed
the sea receding. They were looking down at a segment of a curved world.
Far away was land, and Odin saw two dark specks in the distance which he
thought were Galveston and Houston. The world below them became half of a
sphere that filled the viewer. And then it was a turning globe, growing
smaller and smaller. As it diminished, the stars winked out on the screen's
background.

The sensation of rushing upward was no worse than being in a fast elevator.
And yet, as Odin watched the earth recede, he realized that they must have
risen from the water at a speed much faster than a bullet.

Soon the earth appeared no larger than a basketball. The viewers were
changed. The moon appeared upon it--a growing sphere, with its mountains
and craters all silver and black in the reflected light.

Wolden turned to Odin. "See how it is done. We left there quietly. Not a
drop of water entered Opal. We left so fast that I doubt if your world even
noticed us. Grim Hagen always loved the sensational. There was no need for
the havoc that he made--"

In less than an hour, the onrushing moon filled the screens. And with
scarcely a quiver of excitement the Nebula circled it swiftly--and landed.

CHAPTER 7

Wolden and Ato, acting as pilot and co-pilot, set The Nebula down with as
much ease as a housewife putting a fine piece of china upon the drainboard.

There was no fuss and no noise. Jack Odin had seen B-47's come in with a
great deal more hubbub and dithers than the Nebula had caused.

The screens were still on. Out there all was dark, and a wealth of stars
was in the purple-black sky. They seemed larger and brighter. Wolden
touched a knob and the stars on the screen before them slowly grew larger
and larger. "An astronomer's paradise," he said to Odin. "Look closely and
you can see Centauri's binary suns. Here, with no refraction, a small
telescope can do as well as the best that your people have made. There is
no telling what your large ones could do. Ah, the riddles that could be
answered."

Odin shrugged. Like almost everyone else, he had often fancied how it would
be to land on the moon. Now he was here, and the surface of the moon was
blacker than the blackest night he had ever seen. Moreover, there had been
no change in gravity. The Nebula had been built to take care of that.

As though sensing his thoug