ciousness he turned his aim on the quartz tubes, pierced
them through and through. Before his very eyes, the quartz seemed to
run and melt around the holes, to seal them tight as if he had never
shot. The blue flames leaped and surged mockingly. The Mercutians were
jeering now; raucous calls went up.

* * * * *

Hilary felt a sinking despair. He had failed; would have to run for it
now. Small chance to make it, too. Then he heard Grim's deep bass.
"Hold it a moment," he said as if he had read his thoughts.

Fascinated, Hilary saw the giant's pistol slowly thrust its long
barrel around the edge of the crystal slide. A half dozen rays leaped
viciously, for it. But a flaming pellet streaked out of its orifice
before it was jerked back.

Hilary could see its red path as it struck the sphere of the machine.
The next instant there was a dull explosion and the whole machine
disintegrated into a smother of flying fragments. The expanding dynol
had done the trick where lead had failed. There would be no more
weather control.

But Hilary did not pause to see the finish. Even as the machine burst,
he was running across the room, bending low. Fragments whizzed by him
at a fearful clip; rays crisscrossed all about him.

But somehow he was through. Grim's finger was on the slide button. It
closed with a snap behind him, cutting off the pursuing howls of rage.

Silently the two men darted up the ramp to the pent-apartment, dashed
into the master bedroom. The Mercutian guard whom they had left
securely bound, was gone. The Earthmen looked at each other, a great
fear in their eyes. In one bound Hilary was at the door slide,
thrusting it open. He tore out upon the open terrace, Grim right
behind him.

* * * * *

They looked wildly about. The terrace was empty. There was no sign of
the _Vagabond_, or of Joan and Wat. High overhead hovered a great
burnished diskoid. Long streamlined Mercutian fliers darted through
the air, but nowhere was there a sign of the familiar sphere.

Hilary gripped his companion's arm. "They've been captured, Grim," he
choked.

"Nonsense," the giant said gruffly, to hide his own misgivings. "They
just took alarm at something and winged off."

"But where is the guard then?"

Grim shook his head. He could not answer that. Despair overwhelmed
Hilary. After all he had gone through, to have Joan snatched away from
him at the moment of succes