did not at all closely resemble flying saber-toothed tigers,
that was the first impression that leaped into Garlock's mind.

Two bow-legged guardians came leaping as usual, but one of them was a
fraction of a second too late. That fraction was enough. While the first
guardian was still high in air, grappling with one tiger, the other
swung on a dime--the blast of air from his right wing blowing people in
the crowd below thither and yon and knocking four of them flat--and took
the guardian's head off his body with one savage swipe of a
frightfully-armed paw. Disregarding the carcass both attackers whirled
sharply at the second guardian, meeting him in such fashion that he
could not come to firm grips with either of them, and that battle was
very brief indeed. More and more guardians were leaping in from all
directions, however, and the two tigers were forced to the ground and
slaughtered.

Since six guardians had been killed, eight guardians marched up the
street, dragging grisly loads. Eight bodies, friend and foe alike, were
dumped into a manhole; eight creatures squatted down and cleaned
themselves meticulously before resuming their various patrols.

* * *

Ten or fifteen minutes later, Garlock felt Lola's half-excited,
half-frightened thought. "Clee, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear."

"There's something coming that's certainly none of my business--maybe
not even yours."

"Coming," and with the thought he was there. "Where?"

She pointed a thought, he followed it. Far away yet, but coming fast,
was an immense flock of flying tigers!

Lola licked her lips. "I'm going home, if you don't mind."

"Beat it."

She disappeared.

"Jim!" Garlock thought. "Where are you?"

"Observatory. Need me?"

"Yes. Bombing. Two point four microgram loads. Focus spot on my
right--teleport in."

"Coming in on your right."

"And I on your left!" Belle's thought drove in as he had never before
felt it driven. Being a Prime, she did not need a focus spot and
appeared the veriest instant later than did James.

"Can you bomb?" Garlock snapped.

"What do _you_ think?" she snapped back.

A moment of flashing thought and the three Tellurians disappeared,
materializing five hundred feet in air, two hundred feet ahead of the
van of that horrible flight of monsters, drifting before it.

Belle got in the first shot. Not only did the victim disappear--a couple
of dozen around it were torn to fragm