n her. Without hesitation she jumped. Karn watched her fall until she
hit the street.

"This would happen to you too?" he asked Andra.

"If the Green Ones caught me. And eventually they will."

* * * * *

Rage welled up within Karn. The thought of Andra in the clutches of
these slimy things sent the blood roaring through him.

"They will not get you," he said.

"No? After Luma there won't be any place to retreat. The voyage that
Harus and Ven and I have just made was in search of another world where
we might be safe. But the others are as dangerous as Mahlo."

Karn reflected that a people who could not fight these Green Ones had
little hope of survival among the Turs and the beasts of his own world.
Compared to the great wolves and the saber-tooths the Green Ones were
nothing.

"We will kill the Green Ones," he decided aloud. "We will fight them and
destroy them."

"Don't make me laugh," Andra said. "You've seen our men when they were
in danger."

The ship had lifted and was leaving Nobla behind. Watching the horizon
ahead, Karn saw another city come into view within a short time. It
looked exactly like Nobla. They must be a great people who could build
cities like these, who could make ships that flew through the air.

But they could hardly be called men. What sort of man was it who did not
have even the instinct for self preservation? What sort was it who would
not defend his woman? Andra read Karn's thoughts.

"What kind of men?" she said. "I'll tell you. They never built the
cities of Mahlo. Those have stood for thousands of generations, erected
by some forgotten ancestors.

"The men of Mahlo have never had to fight. There was no danger here. So
they spent their time in idle chatter, in philosophy, in the invention
of luxuries. But they retained control of the government. When the Green
Ones came out of the forests of the south and began their conquering
march, our men decreed that we must retreat before them.

"When only Nobla and Luma remained to us, the men decreed that we must
retreat from Mahlo to a world without dangers. Unfortunately there is
no such place."

Karn thought for a moment. "What about the Green Ones?"

"They are more reptile than human, as you saw. But they do have a
rudimentary intelligence. Added to their instinct for aggression it is
sufficient to destroy us. Wait until you see our Council in session. You
won't wonder then."

*