iron,
aluminum and calcium, and poor in gold, radium and those other
metals--and particularly poor in one element. We have located in the sun
the spectrum of an element we have named coronium--and I think you have
a specimen of coronium in your hand there! I'd say Venus came from a
coronium-rich region!"

The discussion ended there, for already the light outside had deepened
to a murky twilight. The Terrestrians were led quickly down to the
elevator, which dropped them rapidly to the ground. There was still a
large crowd about the _Solarite_, but the way was quickly cleared for
them. As the men passed through the crowd, a peculiar sensation struck
them very forcibly. It seemed that everyone in the crowd was wishing
them the greatest success--the best of good things in every wish.

"The ultimate in applause! Morey, I'll swear we just received a silent
cheer!" exclaimed Arcot, as they stood inside the airlock of the ship
once more. It seemed home to them now! In a moment they had taken off
the uncomfortable ventilating suits and stepped once more into the room
where Wade and Fuller awaited them.

"Say--what were you fellows doing?" Wade demanded. "We were actually
getting ready to do some inquiring about your health!"

"I know we were gone a long time--but when you hear the reason you'll
agree it was worth it. See if you can raise Earth on the radio, Morey,
will you, while I tell these fellows what happened? If you succeed, tell
them to call in Dad and your father, and to have a couple of tape
recorders on the job. We'll want a record of what I have to send. Say
that we'll call back in an hour." Then, while Morey was busy down in the
power room sending the signals out across the forty million miles of
space that separated them from their home planet, Arcot told Wade and
Fuller what they had learned.

Morey finally succeeded in getting his message through, and returned to
say that they would be waiting in one hour. He had had to wait eight
minutes after sending his message to get any answer, however, due to
time required for radio waves to make the two-way trip.

"Fuller," Arcot said, "as chef, suppose you see what you can concoct
while Wade and I start on this piece of coronium and see what there is
to learn."

At the supper table Wade and Arcot reported to the others the curious
constants they had discovered for coronium. It was not attacked by any
acid except boiling selenic acid, since it formed a tremendous nu