fic magnetic field of the
beam and the currents in the wires of their power-board were mutually
opposed?"

"Lord, it must have ripped away everything in the ship. It'd tear loose
even the lighting wires!" gasped Wade in amazement.

"But if all the power of the ship was destroyed in this way, how was it
that one of their rays was operating as they fell?" asked Zezdon Afthen.

"Each ray is a power plant in itself," explained Arcot, "and so it was
able to function. I do not know the cause of the explosion, though it
might well have been that they had light-bombs such as the Kaxorians of
Venus have," he added, thoughtfully.

They landed, at Zezdon's advice, in the city that their arrival had been
able to save. This was Ortol's largest city, and their industrial
capital. Here, too, was the University at which Afthen taught.

They landed, and Arcot, Morey and Wade, with the aid of Zezdon Afthen
and Zezdon Fentes worked steadily for two of their days of fifty hours
each, teaching men how to make and use the molecular ships, and the rays
and screens, heat beams, and relux. But Arcot promised that when he
returned he would have some weapon that would bring them certain and
easy salvation. In the meantime other terrestrians would follow him.

They left the morning of their third day on the planet. A huge crowd had
come to cheer them on their way as they left, but it was the "silent
cheer" of Ortol, a telepathic well-wishing.

"Now," said Arcot as their ship left the planet behind, "we will have to
make the next move. It certainly looks as though that next move would be
to the still-unknown race that lives on world 3769-37, 478, 326, 894-6.
Evidently we will have to have some weapon they haven't, and I think
that I know what it will be. Thanks to our trip out to the Islands of
Space."

"Shall we go?"

"I think it would be wise," agreed Morey.

"And I," said Wade. The Ortolians agreed, and so, with the aid of the
photographic copies of the Thessian charts that Arcot had made, they
started for world 3769-37, 478, 326, 894-6.

"It will take approximately twenty-two hours, and as we have been
putting off our sleep with drugs, I think that we had better catch up.
Wade, I wish you'd take the ship again, while Morey and I do a little
concentrated sleeping. We have by no means finished that calculation,
and I'd very much like to. We'll relieve you in five hours."

Wade took the ship, and following the course Arcot laid out,