n before, the Earth was a giant half-moon; like a
mirror-sphere it shot to them across the vast distance the reflected
glory of the sun. But the globe ahead was a ghostly world. Its black
disk was lost in the utter blackness of space. It was a circle, marked
only by the absence of star-points and by the halo of violet glow that
edged it about.

Chet cut down the repelling blast. He let the circle enlarge, then swung
the ship end for end in mid-space that the more powerful stern exhaust
might be ready to counteract the gravitational pull of the new world.

Again those impalpable clouds surrounded them. Here was the enveloping
gas that made this a dark moon--the gas, if Harkness' theory was
correct, that let the sun's rays pass unaltered; that took the light
through freely to illumine this globe, but that barred its return
passage as reflected light.

Black--dead black was the void into which they were plunging, until the
darkness gave way before a gentle glow that enfolded their ship. The
golden light enveloped them in growing splendor. Through every lookout
it was flooding the cabin with brilliant rays, until, from below them,
directly astern of the ship, where the thundering blast checked their
speed of descent, emerged a world.

* * * * *

And, to Chet Bullard, softly fingering the controls of the first ship of
space--to Chet Bullard, whose uncanny skill had brought the tiny speck
that was their ship safely back from the dark recesses of the
unknown--there came a thrill that transcended any joy of the first
exploration.

Here was water in great seas of unreal hue--and those seas were his!
Vast continents, ripe for adventure and heavy with treasure--and they,
too, were his! His own world--his and Diane's and Walt's! Who was this
man, Schwartzmann, that dared dream of violating their possessions?

A slender tube pressed firmly, uncompromisingly, into his back to give
the answer to his question. "Almost I wish you had missed it!" Herr
Schwartzmann was saying. "But now you will land; you will set us down in
some place that you know. No tricks, Herr Bullard! You are clever, but
not clever enough for that. We will land, yess, where you know it is
safe."

From the lookout, the man stared for a moment with greedy eyes; then
brought his gaze back to the three. His men, beside Harkness and Diane,
were alert; the scientist, Kreiss, stood close to Chet.

"A nice little world," Schwartzman