enough heat in the cave now to use the infra-red filters. The
rock walls stood out harshly black and white as the advance continued.

"No signs of life since entering the cave," the officer reported.
"Gnawed bones at the entrance and some bat droppings. It looks like a
natural cave--so far."

Step by step the advance continued, slowing as it went. Insensitive as
the Pyrrans were to psi pressure, even they were aware of the blast of
hatred being continuously leveled at them. Jason, back in the ship, had
a headache that slowly grew worse instead of better.

"_Watch out!_" Kerk shouted, staring at the screen with horror.

The cave was filled from wall to wall with pallid, eyeless animals. They
poured from tiny side passages and seemed to literally emerge from the
ground. Their front ranks dissolved in flame, but more kept pressing in.
On the screen the watchers in the ship saw the cave spin dizzily as the
operator fell. Pale bodies washed up and concealed the lens.

"Close ranks--flame-throwers and gas!" Kerk bellowed into the mike.

Less than half of the men were alive after that first attack. The
survivors, protected by the flame-throwers, set off the gas grenades.
Their sealed battle armor protected them while the section of cave
filled with gas. Someone dug through the bodies of their attackers and
found the pickup.

"Leave the bomb there and withdraw," Kerk ordered. "We've had enough
losses already."

A different man stared out of the screen. The officer was dead. "Sorry,
sir," he said, "but it will be just as easy to push ahead as back as
long as the gas grenades hold out. We're too close now to pull back."

"That's an order," Kerk shouted, but the man was gone from the screen
and the advance continued.

Jason's fingers hurt where he had them clamped to the chair arm. He
pulled them loose and massaged them. On the screen the black and white
cave flowed steadily towards them. Minute after minute went by this way.
Each time the animals attacked again, a few more gas grenades were used
up.

"Something ahead--looks different," the panting voice cracked from the
speaker. The narrow cave slowly opened out into a gigantic chamber, so
large the roof and far walls were lost in the distance.

"What are those?" Kerk asked. "Get a searchlight over to the right
there."

The picture on the screen was fuzzy and hard to see now, dimmed by the
layers of rock in-between. Details couldn't be made out clearly, but it
was