and valley depths.

Upon every point of vantage, for two or three miles around us,
Tako's men were dispersed. To us, they were solid gray blobs in the
luminous darkness. The carriers, all arrived now, stood about a mile
from us, and save for their guards, the men had all left them. The
weapons were being taken out and carried to various points over the
mountains and in the valley depths. Small groups of men--some two
hundred in a group--were gathered at many different points,
assembling their weapons, and waiting for Tako's orders. Messengers
toiled on foot between them, climbing, white figures. Signals
flashed.

Fantastic, barbaric scene--it seemed hardly modern. Mountain defiles
were swarming with white invaders, making ready, but not yet
attacking.

* * * * *

We had had as yet no opportunity of talking alone with Jane since we
left the carrier. The incident with Tolla was to us wholly
inexplicable. But that it was significant of something, we knew--by
Jane's tense white face and the furtive glances she gave us. Don and
I were ready to seize the first opportunity to question her.

Tolla, by the command of Tako, stayed close by Jane, and the two
girls were always within sight of us. They were here now, seated on
the rocks twenty feet from us. And the two guards, whom Tako had
appointed at the carrier, sat near us with alert weapons, watching
Jane and us closely.[9]

[9] There was a thing which puzzled me before we arrived in
the carrier, and surprised me when we left it; and though I
did not, and still do not wholly understand it, I think I
should mention it here. Traveling in the carrier we were
suspended in a condition of matter which might be termed mid
way between Tako's realm and our Earth-world. Both, in
shadowy form, were visible to us; and to an observer on
either world we also were visible.

Then, as the carrier landed, it receded from this sort of
borderland as I have termed it, contacted with its own realm
and landed. At once I saw that the shadowy outlines of New
York were gone. And, to New York observers, the carriers as
they landed, were invisible. The mountains--all this tumbled
barren wilderness of Tako's world--were invisible to
observers in New York.

But I knew now how very close were the two worlds--a very
fraction of visible "distance," one from the other.

Then, with wires, disks