ter XVIII

EARTH'S DEFENSES

"I am sorry, Arcot. I did not know, for I see I might have helped, but
to me, with my ideas of horror, it was as you said, amusement," said
Torlos. They were sitting now in Arcot's study at the cottage; Arcot,
his father, Morey, Wade, Torlos, the three Ortolians and the Talsonian.

"I know, Torlos. You see, where I made my mistake, as I have said, was
in forgetting that in doing as I did, picturing horror, like a snowball
rolling, it would grow greater. The idea of horror, started, my mind
pictured one, and it inspired greater horror, which in turn reacted on
my all too reactive apparatus. As you said, the things changed as you
watched, molding themselves constantly as my mind changed them, under
its own initiative and the concentrated thoughts of all those others. It
was a very foolish thing to do, for that last Thing--well, remember it
_was_, it existed, and the idea of hate and lust it portrayed was caused
by my mind, but my mind could picture what it would do, if such were its
emotions, and it would do them because my mind pictured them! And
_nothing_ could resist it!" Arcot's face was white once more as he
thought of the danger he had run, of the terrible consequences possible
of that 'amusement.'

"I think we had best start on the ship. I'll go get some sleep now, and
then we can go."

Arcot led the way to the ship, while Torlos, Morey and Wade and Stel
Felso Theu accompanied him. The Ortolians were to work on Earth, aiding
in the detection of attacks by means of their mental investigation of
the enemy.

"Well--good-bye, Dad. Don't know when I'll be back. Maybe twenty-five
thousand years from now, or twenty-five thousand years ago. But we'll
get back somehow. And we'll clean out the Thessians!"

He entered the ship, and rose into space.

"Where are you going, Arcot?" asked Morey.

"Eros," replied Arcot laconically.

"Not if my mind is working right," cried Wade suddenly. All the others
were tense, listening for inaudible sounds.

"I quite agree," replied Arcot. The ship turned about, and dived toward
New York, a hundred thousand miles behind now, at a speed many times
that of light as Arcot snapped into time. Across the void, Zezdon
Fentes' call had come--New York was to be attacked by the Thessians, New
York and Chicago next. New York because the orbits of their two forts
were converging over that city in a few minutes!

They were in the atmosphere, screaming through