l me
like he's planning. You be ready!"

The Jovian slipped out of the opening in the back of the hut. They saw
him presently, casually approaching the door of the _Falcon_.

John Dark stood, a tall, dominant figure in the moonslight, barking
orders to the scores of pirates who were bolting in the last of the
new rocket-tubes. Kenniston's eyes swung toward the shimmering
electric wall, and the horde of Vestan-dominated animals outside it.

The wall suddenly died! And as the electric barrier vanished, into the
clearing came rushing the swarm of asteroidal animals.

"The wall's down!" John Dark yelled, his atom-gun leaping into his
hand. "Get back into the ship--get back--"

The crash of his atom-gun drowned his own shout. Other pirates were
firing wildly at the hideous creatures assailing them.

For the little gray Vestans had detached themselves from their animal
victims and were swarming upon the pirates, clambering with blurring
speed up their legs and backs, sinking into their necks the tiny
antennae.

Kenniston glimpsed John Dark, with a hideous little gray bunch now
fastened to the back of his neck, drop his gun and stalk stiffly away
toward the jungle. His face was an unhuman, lifeless mask--he was a
human automaton, dominated utterly by the alien creature.

"Come on!" Kenniston yelled to his friends. "Now's our chance to get
into the ship!"

* * * * *

They plunged out of the hut into the gruesome melee. Screaming pirates
were now running into the jungle in vain effort to escape the hordes
of Vestans. More than half the corsairs were now overcome.

Kenniston heard a scream from Gloria as they ran, felt a swift
scurrying up his back, then the needle-like stab of antennae sinking
into his neck.

But the parasitic creature did _not_ overpower his will! He reached
around, grasped and tore loose the hideous little thing, and with
strong revulsion flung it to the ground.

"Your formula works, Ricky--we're immune to them!" he gasped. "But
hurry!"

Other Vestans were clambering up on them like ghastly gray spiders as
they ran, but were powerless to overcome them. They tore away the
creatures and plunged on.

Holk Or appeared in the door of the _Falcon_, his green face blazing
as his atom-pistol pumped crashing fire into pirates inside the ship.

"I've got the ship cleared of them!" the Jovian shouted to Kenniston.
"Let's get out of here!"

It was time they did so. Alm