'll have this thing figured out in
just a while."

From the engine rooms came the roar and hum of the laboring units and
the _Invincible_ shuddered once again as Greg grimly hurled one beam
after another, at the _Interplanetarian_.

The _Interplanetarian_ struck back, using radio frequency that flamed
fiercely against the _Invincible's_ outer screen. Simultaneously the
_Interplanetarian_ leaped forward with a sudden surge of accumulated
energy, driving at the star that lay not more than three billion miles
away.

Greg worked desperately, cursing under his breath. He pulled down the
outer screen that was fighting directly against the radio frequency,
energy for energy, and allowed the beam to strike squarely on the second
screen, the inversion field that shunted the major portion of the energy
impacting against it through 90 degrees into another space.

The engines moaned softly and settled into a quieter rumble as the
necessity of supplying the first screen was eliminated. But they
screamed once again as Greg sent out a tractor beam that seized and
held, dragged the _Interplanetarian_ to a standstill. Craven's ship had
gained millions of miles, though, and established a tremendous advantage
by fighting nearer to its source of energy.

"Russ," gasped Greg, "if you don't get that scheme of yours figured out
pretty soon, we're done for. They've stopped everything we've got.
They're nearer the sun. We won't stand a chance if they make another
break like that."

Russ glanced up to answer, but his mouth fell open in amazement and he
did not speak. A streak of terrible light was striking at them from the
_Interplanetarian_, blinding white light, and along that highway of
light swarmed a horde of little green figures, like squirming green
amebas. Swarming toward the _Invincible_, stretching out hungry,
pale-green pseudopods toward the inversion barrier ... _and eating
through it_!

Wherever they touched, holes appeared. They drifted through the
inversion screen easily and began drilling into the inner screen of
anti-entropy. Eating their way into the anti-entropy ... _into a state
of matter which Russ and Greg had thought would resist all change_!

* * * * *

For seconds both men stood transfixed, unable to believe the evidence of
their eyes. But the ameba things came on in ever-increasing throngs,
creatures that gnawed and slobbered at the anti-entropy, eating into it,
flaking it away