How's that for an idea?"

It was daring enough to have some hope of success, but its dangers were
obvious.

"What happens when you reach the end of the path the ray cuts?" I asked
grimly.

"You and Hendricks, with your men, will be on both sides of the path,
not opposite each other. When he passes, you'll let go your
disintegrator rays and the atomic bombs. He'll be in a dozen pieces
before we reach the end of the path."

* * * * *

Spread out here before me, in all its wordy detail, it would seem that a
long time must have elapsed while Captain Gole related his story, and my
officers and myself laid our plans. As a matter of fact, communicating
as we were by menore, it was only a minute or so since Correy had
emanated his first comment: "I believe the beast sees us. His head was
elevated and pointed this way."

And now Hendricks, who was peering over the ruffled edge of an
undulating, rubbery leaf of seaweed, turned and waved both arms.
Disobeying my strictest orders, he fairly screamed his frantic warning:

"He sees us! He sees us! He's coming!"

I ran up the twisted, concave surface of a giant stem of some kind. To
my left, I could hear the shrill whine of Correy's disintegrator ray
generator, already in action, and protesting against a maximum load. To
the right, Hendricks and his men were scrambling into position. Before
me was the enemy.

Slowly, deliberately, as though he did not doubt his terrible ability,
he unwrapped his coils from the _Kabit_. His head, with its graceful
antennae searching the air, and the tentacles around his mouth writhing
hungrily, reared itself ten times a man's height from the ground. His
small red eyes flashed like precious stones. Beyond, the mighty greenish
coils slashed the rotting weed as he unwrapped them from the _Kabit_.

I snatched off my menore and adjusted it again for maximum power.

"Captain Gole!"

"Yes. What's happening? Tell me! We're rolling and pitching."

"In a moment you'll be free. When I signal 'Rise!' ascend as quickly as
possible to a safe distance. Stand by!"

"Hendricks! Be ready to follow Correy's plan. It's our only chance. In a
second, now--"

The last coil moved, slipped from the blunt nose of the liner.

"Rise!" I ordered. "_Rise!_"

I saw the ship rock suddenly, and roar hollowly toward the sky. I felt
the rush of wind made by her passing.

Then, head still elevated and swaying, the two great reddish-br