t what happened to them? Where did they go?" Jarvis took
nervous bites from his second chocolate bar. Then he, too, peeled off
his suit. He sniffed the air distrustfully, as he wiggled his shoulders
to free them from the clinging, damp shirt. Then he took a few
experimental steps forward.

"Seems all right, Mark. But how do you explain about Hank and Garland?
Never were two more careful guys."

"Probably a simple miscalculation. Or an accident. We know it couldn't
have been enemy action. Tests prove conclusively that we wiped them
out--to a man." He took deep gulps of air into his lungs, and stretched
like a cat. "We'll find out soon enough. Boy, I feel great!"

* * * * *

They deflated and folded their safety suits and added the bundles to the
other equipment on their backs. Then, with their instruments held before
them, they probed their way into the twisted wreckage, still following
the faint, dust-filled footprints.

Bent and rusted girders rose on all sides like the bones of prehistoric
monsters. Nothing stirred. The dust lay ages-thick on everything.

"Gives you the spooks, doesn't it?" Jarvis was still tense, poised to
respond to the first signal of danger. "Feels like we're the last men
alive!"

"Funny about Hank and Garland. There's nothing here to harm anyone."

Jarvis looked at his watch. "Better contact HQ for instructions."

The two stepped off the path, into the shade of a grotesque chunk of
broken masonry. Mark set up the radio and twirled the dials. "Team Four,
calling HQ. Team Four, reporting!"

"HQ here." The voice from the radio blared loud in the stillness. "Give
your report, Team Four."

"Looks like nothing's moved here in a thousand years. Safe as a baby's
dream. Rock-solid, air morning-pure. But--" He hesitated, trying not to
sound like a scared school boy. "No sign of Team Three. Or of Teams One
and Two, either. Over."

"Look here, Team Four. It's your job to find out. The earth didn't just
swallow them. Final report from each team placed them well within the
city. It's been ten days since the last contact. Probe every inch of the
place."

"Right!"

"But be careful. We can't afford to lose any more men! Roger!"

"Roger!"

There was only one way now--ahead. It lay clearly marked. The dim
footsteps never strayed or faltered. Three hours of search revealed no
pitfalls, no dangers, and no trace of the missing men. Then night was
upon them and they b