d, though, at a
distance of some thirty feet, the entire block of soil was crushed, and
cracked by the terrific impact of hundreds of thousands of tons striking
with terrific energy.

"Lord, it's a wonder they didn't kill themselves. I never saw such a
rotten landing," exclaimed Morey with disgust.

"Don't be too sure. I think they landed gently, and at very low speed.
Notice how little the soil directly under them was dented?" replied
Arcot, walking forward. "They have time control, as I suspected. Ask
them. They drifted in gently. Their time rate was speeded up
tremendously, so that what was hundreds of miles per hour to us was feet
per minute to them. But come on, get the handlers to bring that junk up
to the door--they are coming out."

One of the tall, kindly-faced canine people was standing in the doorway
now, the white light streaming out around him into the night, casting a
grotesque shadow on the landing field, for all the flood lights bathing
in it.

Zezdon Afthen came up and spoke quickly to the man evidently in command
of the ship. The entire party went into the ship, and the cream of their
laboratory instruments was brought in.

For hours Arcot, Morey and Wade worked at the apparatus in the ship,
measuring, calculating, following electrical and magnetic and sheer
force hook-ups of staggering complexity. They were not trying to find
the exact method of construction, only the principles involved, so that
they could perform calculations of their own, and duplicate the results
of the enemy. Thus they would be far more thoroughly familiar with the
machinery when done.

Little attention was paid to the actual driving plant, for it was a
molecular drive with the same type of lead-fuel burner they used in
their own ship. The tubes of the power bank were, however, a puzzle to
them. They were made of relux, so that it was impossible to see the
interior of the tube. To open one was to destroy it, but calculations
made from readings of their instruments showed that they were more
efficient, and could readily carry nearly half again the load that the
best terrestrian tubes could sustain. This meant the enemy could send
heavier rays and heavier ray screens.

But finally they returned to the _Ancient Mariner_, and as the Ortolian
ship whined its way out to space, the _Ancient Mariner_ started, rising
faster and faster through the atmosphere till it was in the night of
space. Then the molecular power was shut off.