d of the service!"

"I have an idea," he told the scientist, "that our scarlet friend who
owns this place intends to treat us decently, even though his helpers
are a bit rough. My hunch is that he wants to get some information out
of us. That old bird back there in the council chamber told me as plain
as day that they think they are going to conquer the earth. Maybe that's
why we are here--as exhibits A and B, for them to study and learn how to
lick us."

"You are talking what I would have termed nonsense a month ago,"
replied Sykes, "but now--well, I am afraid you are right. And," he said
slowly, "I fear that they are equally correct. They have conquered
space; they have ships propelled by some unknown power; they have gas
weapons, as you and I have reason to know. And they have all the
beastly ferocity to carry such a plan through to success. But I wonder
what that sky-splitting blast meant."

"Bombardment," the flyer told him; "bombardment of the earth as sure as
you're alive."

"More nonsense," said Sykes; "and probably correct.... Well, what are we
to do?--sit tight and give them as little information as we can? or--"
His question ended unfinished; the alternative, it seemed, was not plain
to him.

"There's only one answer," said McGuire. "We must get away; escape
somehow."

* * * * *

Professor Sykes' eyes showed his appreciation of a spirit that could
still dare to hope, but he asked dejectedly: "Escape? Good idea. But
where to?"

"I have an idea," the flyer said slowly. "An idea about an island." He
told the professor what he had observed--the fact that there was one
spot of land on this globe from which the traffic of these monsters of
Venus steered clear. This, he explained, must have some significance.

"Whatever is there, God only knows," he admitted, "but it is something
these devils don't like a little bit. It might be interesting to learn
more. We'll make a break for it; find a boat. No, we probably can't do
it, but we can make a try. Now what is our first step, I wonder."

"Our first step," said Professor Sykes, measuring his words as if he
might be working out some astronomical calculation, "is into the
inverted shower-bath, if you feel as hot as I do. And our next step,
when all is quiet for the night, is through the window I see beyond. I
can see the branches of one of those undernourished trees from here."

"Last one in is a lop-eared Venusian!" said McGui