sel and started to walk slowly in the direction of it.
The leader of the skymen walked by his side and the other men from
Lodore followed close after them.

Dirk, Steinholt and Lazarre brought up the rear, while the soldiers
remained motionless in their serried array.

* * * * *

Innumerable planes were circling overhead and hundreds of them had
landed on the water in the vicinity. Dirk saw that the wanderers from
the stars regarded them curiously as if they never before had seen
aircraft of that particular type.

When the cabin door of the plane was thrown open, Teuxical turned to one
of his captains.

"Remain here, Anteucan, with the soldiers," he commanded, "and await our
return."

Teuxical then entered the plane with his men and Fragoni, Steinholt and
Lazarre followed after them. Then Dirk took his seat at the controls.

"These are strange craft you use," he heard Teuxical say. "I have seen
them in only one of the multitude of other worlds on which I have set my
feet, worlds which all pay tribute to Malfero of Lodore. It is safer and
swifter to ride the magnetic currents than it is to ride the unstable
currents of the air."

Dirk caught the significance of the reference to tribute and he admired
the clever diplomacy of Teuxical while, at the same time, he wondered if
the earth and all of those who dwelt upon it were doomed to fall under
the sway of some remote and unseen despot.

He also realized that the Lodorians had, in some way, devised a craft
that rode the great magnetic streams which flowed through the universe
in much the same way that men, in ships, navigated the streams of the
earth.

He threw on the helicopter switch and the plane rose swiftly into the
air, the myriad other flying craft which were circling nearby keeping at
a safe distance from it.

"Land on the grand terrace," Fragoni directed. The flight was short and
rapid and it was only a matter of seconds before Dirk brought the plane
down on the landing stage which they had left only a scant half-hour
before.

He opened the cabin door and stepped out of the plane and the others
filed out after him.

* * * * *

Fragoni led the way along the stage, walking and chatting with Teuxical,
and Dirk, following after the others, was the last to turn a corner that
brought him a sweeping view of the magnificent terrace that fronted the
private apartments of the banker and his daug