et. But, why get excited? This is all
Schwartzmann's doing. The tentacles of that man's influence reach out
like those of an octopus."

* * * * *

Chet ranged himself alongside. Tall and slim and blond, he contrasted
strongly with this other man, particularly in his own quiet self-control
as against Harkness' quick-flaring anger.

"Take it easy, Walt," he advised. "We'll show them. But I judge that you
have been razzed a bit. It's a pretty big story for them to swallow
without proof. Why didn't you show them the ship? Or why didn't you let
Diane and me back up your yarn? And you haven't answered my other
questions: when do we go back?"

Harkness took the queries in turn.

"I didn't show the old boat," he explained, "because I'm not ready for
that yet. I want it kept dark--dark as the Dark Moon. I want to do my
preliminary work there before Schwartzmann and his experts see our ship.
He would duplicate it in a hurry and be on our trail.

"And now for our plans. Well, our there in space the Dark Moon is
waiting. Have you realized, Chet, that we own that world--you and Diane
and I? Small--only half the size of our old moon--but what a place! And
it's ours!

"Back in history--you remember?--an ambitious lad named Alexander sighed
for more worlds to conquer. Well, we're going Alexander one
better--we've found the world. We're the first ever to go out into space
and return again.

"We'll go back there, the three of us. We will take no others along--not
yet. We will explore and make our plans for development; and we will
keep it to ourselves until we are ready to hold it against any
opposition.

"And now, how soon can you go? Your injury--how soon will you be well
enough?"

"Right now," Chet told him laconically; "today, if you say the word.
They've got me welded together so I'll hold, I reckon. But where's the
ship? What have you done--" He broke off abruptly to listen--

* * * * *

To all three came a muffled, booming roar. The windows beside them
shivered with the thud of the distant explosion; they had not ceased
their trembling before Harkness had switched on the news broadcast. And
it was a minute only until the news-gathering system was on the air.

"Explosion at the Institute of Physical Science!" it stated. "This is
Vienna broadcasting. An explosion has just occurred. We are giving a
preliminary announcement only. The laboratories of the Sci