been taken severely to task for her wanton massacre of the Rulans of
the Tritu Nogaru. But that is neither here nor there; it is merely a
sidelight I am giving you.

"The important thing is this k-metal of yours and its relation to the
plans of the Llotta. Antrid, as you know, is a dying world; coming
rapidly to the end of its resources. And, as our ancestors did before
us, the Llotta have been casting their eyes about for a new home. The
inner planets beckoned, especially your Earth, but it was manifestly
impossible to reach them as there is insufficient fuel in all Antrid to
provide for the voyage of even one space ship. Then, with the long
range searching rays of the crystal ball television and sound
reproducers, they discovered the use of this k-metal. The sending of
Antazzo to your Earth followed.

"The rest you know insofar as his activities are concerned, but what
you do not know is this: The Llotta have constructed a huge steel tube
that is set deep into the crust of Antrid; an enormous rocket-tube if
you please, like one of those on your space ship. They plan to use the
energy of this supply of k-metal in setting up tremendous streams of
electronic discharges from the great tube and thus to swing the
satellite from its natural orbit. They would send this entire world
hurtling through space toward the inner planets, and, by proper control
of the rocket discharges, bring it close to your Earth where it would
become a secondary satellite at close range. Then they could war on you
at their leisure and finally take Earth as their new home. Thus have
the Llotta planned."

"What!" Blaine exclaimed. "Why, we'd blast them from the skies before
they were started. They haven't a chance."

* * * * *

Dantor nodded gravely. "I am sure of it," he agreed: "I have seen your
great guns in the crystal. But they are blind to that possibility. And
there are other serious flaws in the plan. The incentive, of course,
lies in the certain knowledge that we are using up the internal heat of
Antrid so rapidly that less than a century of life now remains to its
peoples. Our power is produced by admitting water to the interior
through myriads of tubes that serve the double purpose of introducing
the water and conveying the generated steam back to the surface, where
it produces electricity by driving great turbine generators. This
electricity is distributed by charging the copper shell and the