ER EIGHT_

A giant cylindrical hull of finest beryl steel, the ship loomed in the
screen. A mighty ship, braced into absolute rigidity by monster cross
beams of shining steel. Glowing under the blazing lamps that lighted the
scene, it towered into the shadows of the factory, dwarfing the
scurrying workmen who swarmed over it.

"She's a beauty," said Russ, puffing at his pipe.

Greg nodded agreement. "They're working on her day and night to get her
finished. We may need it some day and need it in a hurry. If Chambers
really gets that machine of his to rolling, space will be the only place
big enough to hide in."

He chuckled, a grim chuckle, deep in his throat.

"But we won't have to hide long. Just until we get organized and then
will come the time when we'll call for the showdown. Chambers will have
to spread his cards."

Russ snapped the television switch and the screen went blank. The
laboratory suddenly was a place of queer lights and shadows, bulging
with grotesque machines, with sprawling apparatus, a place that hinted
darkly of vast power and mighty forces.

The scientist sat up in his chair. "We've come a long way, Greg. A long,
long way. We have the greatest power man has ever known; we have an
almost incomprehensible space drive; we have three-dimensional
television."

"And," said Greg dryly, "we took Chambers to the cleaners on the
market."

They sat in silence. Greg smelled the smoke from Russ's pipe, mixed with
the taint of lubricant and the faint lingering scent of ionized air.

"We mustn't underrate Chambers, however," he declared. "The man made one
mistake. He underrated us. We can't repeat his mistake. He is dangerous
all the time. He will stop at nothing. Not even murder."

"He's going easy now," said Russ. "He's hoping Craven can find something
that will either equal our stuff or beat it. But Craven isn't having any
luck. He's still driving himself on the radiation theory, but he doesn't
seem to make much headway."

"If he got it, just what would it mean?"

"Plenty. With that he could turn all radiations in space to work. The
cosmics, heat, light, everything. Space is full of radiation."

"If it hadn't been for Wilson," Greg said, his voice a snarl, "we
wouldn't have to be worrying about Chambers. Chambers wouldn't know
until we were ready to let him know."

"Wilson!" ejaculated Russ, suddenly leaning forward. "I had forgotten
about Wilson. What do you say we try to find him?"