o acute that something had to be done. It was
suggested that we seek another habitable planet to which our people
could migrate.

"Your Earth was thought to be the world with physical conditions most
closely resembling those of Acor, or Venus. Our scientists set to work
immediately, using forces and devices with which you are totally
unfamiliar, and constructed several missiles which they hurled at
Earth. These missiles, spherical masses closely resembling meteors,
were set to explode after a certain period of contact with an
atmosphere similar to our own. By their explosion we on Venus could
determine whether or not this world had a breathable atmosphere.

"Upon our deciding that the Earth was habitable, we built this great
machine. It is chiefly composed of our greatest heat-resister, a
metal we call thoque; I see no corresponding word in your vocabulary;
evidently you are unfamiliar with the element, or else it is unknown
on Earth.

"After our flight through space, automatically controlled, by the way,
on Venus, we landed here. With our thoque disintegrator, we bored a
passageway to the surface of this great sphere. Then we entered the
car, rose to the top of the passageway, and discovered you.

"That is a brief synopsis of our actions--and it must suffice! Ask no
questions; we do not wish to be disturbed by the blind gropings of
your primitive mind!"

There was a cold finality in the Venerian's voice that convinced
Parkinson that for the moment, at least, he had better forget the many
questions that had surged up in his mind.

The Venerian leader spoke again. "From our observations of your mind,
we know that you have not had food or water for a rather lengthy
period of time. It is not our purpose to starve you: you shall eat and
drink."

A minute later Parkinson sat at a very high table in one of the rooms,
drinking water from Venus, and eating the fare of an alien world.

* * * * *

Days passed by, merging into weeks, while Parkinson lost all track of
time. The bacteriologist's existence became a ceaseless round of toil.
The Venerian had said that he would be given some measure of freedom,
because he would be of use to them; he had not been with them long ere
he learned what that use was.

One of the rooms was filled with great slabs of thoque; it was
Parkinson's task to carry the slabs to the vehicle at the base of the
shaft, one by one; to rise to the surface with them,