. "She will lead the Gens to
destruction!"

"Who, then, will be blamed if she does? Your Gens believe she is their
new Spokesman at your wish! If they are told otherwise, they will think
that Dalis himself is afraid to lead them!"

"We shall see," said Dalis, "if I could win honor by leading my Gens in
a successful attack against the Moon-men, how much greater will be my
glory if Jaska attacks, is repulsed--and I go in to turn defeat into
victory!"

Thus spake the colossal selfishness of Dalis, who took no thought of the
possible, nay, certain, loss of countless lives because of his
obstinancy.

"I suggest," he said, "that you instruct your beloved Jaska to make
ready; for if I am not mistaken, when we return to the Observatory we
will discover that the Aircars of the Moon-men have left their craters
and are racing outward from the Moon to meet us! Or perhaps you would
lead my Gens, to safeguard Jaska!"

CHAPTER IX

_The Attack of the Yellow Stars_

"Why should I safeguard Jaska?" asked Sarka quietly. "She is a true
daughter of Cleric! If Cleric does not fear for her to be Spokesman of a
Gens, why should I? He is her father. If she wins, the more glory will
be hers! If she loses, she will at least have tried!"

"Meaning," snarled Dalis, "that I have refused even to try!"

Sarka shrugged expressively, and the three stepped once more into the
Observatory, took their places before the Micro-Telescopes. For a moment
they could not see the outline of the Moon, for during their brief
sojourn in the laboratory the Moon seemed to have disintegrated, flying
into countless spheroidal pieces.

"You see?" said Dalis. "The Moon-men do not wait for us! They attack!"

It was all too true that the Aircars which had been mustered at the rims
of the Moon's craters had been hurled outward into space, outward toward
the on-rushing Earth, and the myriad numbers of them for a time shut out
all view of the surface of the Moon.

"God!" spoke Sarka, and it was like a prayer. His cheeks were pale as
death, for in a moment he would speak the word which would send the Gens
of Dalis, under the leadership of Jaska, out against these formidable
Aircars of the Moon-men, and the appearance of the on-rushing cars was
terrifying. That their flying radius, outward, was a great one, was
manifest by the fact that the Earth would not for another hour reach its
closest estimated point with the Moon.

* * * * *