creen. Instantly Zezdon
Afthen, who had carefully refrained from learning the full nature of
their plans, felt the intense emotion of the discovery, called out to
the others, while his thoughts were flashed to the Sirians below.

From the attacking ship, a body shot with tremendous speed, it flashed
by, barely missing the _Ancient Mariner_, and buried itself in the
hillside beyond. With a terrific explosion it burst, throwing the soil
about in a tremendous crater. The _Ancient Mariner_ spun about, turned
toward the other ship, and let loose a tremendous bombardment of
molecular and cosmic rays. A great flame of ionized air was the only
result. A new ray reached out from the other ship, a fan-like spreading
ray. It struck the _Ancient Mariner_, and did not harm it, though the
hillside behind was suddenly withered and blackened, then smoking as the
temperature rose.

Another projectile was launched from the attacking ship, and exploded
terrifically but a few hundred feet from the _Ancient Mariner_. The
terrestrial ship rocked and swayed, and even the distant attacker rocked
under the explosion.

A projectile, glowing white, leaped from the Earthship. It darted toward
the enemy ship, seemed to barely touch it, then burst into terrific
flames that spread, eating the whole ship, spreading glowing flame. In
an instant the blazing ship slumped, started to fall, then seemingly
evaporated, and before it touched the ground, was completely gone.

The relief in Zezdon Afthen's mind was genuine, and it was easily
obvious to the Sirians that the winning ship was friendly, for, with all
its frightful armament, it had downed a ship obviously of Thett. Though
not exactly like the others, it had the all too familiar lines.

"They welcome us now," said Zezdon Afthen's mental message to his
companions.

"Tell them we'll be there--with bells on or thoughts to that effect,"
grinned Arcot. Morey had appeared in the doorway, smiling broadly.

"How was the show?" he asked.

"Terrible--Why didn't you let it fall, and break open?"

"What would happen to the wreckage as we moved?" he asked sarcastically.
"I thought it was a darned good demonstration."

"It was convincing," laughed Arcot. "They want us now!"

The great ship circled down, landing gently just outside of the city.
Almost at once one of the slim, long Sirian ships shot up from a
courtyard of the city, racing out and toward the _Ancient Mariner_.
Scarcely a moment later hal