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As soon as Hendricks’ quick acknowledgment came back, I called down to Tipene.

“Tell your friend to inspect the little hole we drilled,” I said. “Tell him to crawl down into it, if he wishes to see how deep it is. And then inform him that we have several ray tubes like this one, and that if he does not immediately produce his hostages, unharmed, we’ll rise above his city and blast out a crater big enough to bury the Ertak.”

Tipene nodded and communicated with the aged Aranian, who had cowered from the shaft in the earth disintegrated by our ray, and who now, very cautiously, approached it, flanked by his two far from eager guards.

At the lip of the slanting tunnel he paused, peered downward, and then, circling cautiously, approached the lidded tunnel whence he had emerged.

“He agrees,” Tipene called up sullenly. “He will deliver Inverness and Brady to us. But we must come and get them; he says they have barricaded themselves in one of the cubicles, and will not permit any Aranian to approach. They still have their atomic pistols; the Aranians did not realize they were weapons.”

“Very well; tell him a party from the ship will be ready in a few seconds. You will go with us as interpreter; you understand how to communicate with them.”

* * * * *

I pressed Correy’s attention signal and he answered instantly.

“Pick five good men for a landing party, two of them portable disintegrator ray operators, with equipment. The others will be provided with ethon lamps, pistols, and atomic grenades. Get the men to the trap as quickly as possible, please.”

“Immediately, sir!”

I had the cage drawn up, and by the time I had secured my own equipment and returned, Correy was waiting with his men.

“One second, Mr. Correy, and we’ll leave,” I said, calling the navigating room. “Mr. Kincaide, I’m leaving you in command. We are going into the Aranian city to pick up Inverness and Brady. I anticipate no trouble, and if there is no trouble, we shall return within an hour. If we are not back within three hours, blast this entire area with atomic grenades, and riddle it with the rays. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir,” said Kincaide.

“And then proceed immediately to Base and report. I have made an entry in the log regarding this expedition, as official evidence, if needed.”

“Right, sir,” said Kincaide, who was as near a perfect officer as I have ever seen.

“Mr. Correy, you’ve heard my orders. So have you, men. We’re going underground, into a veritable warren of these spider creatures. If any of you wish to refuse this service, you have my permission to withdraw.”

Not a man moved. Correy hardly repressed a grin. He knew the men he had picked for the job.

“Good!” I said, and signaled to the cage operator. Swiftly we dropped to earth, where Tipene and our three hairy guides awaited us.

* * * * *

The descent into the white-lined tunnel was a terrifying experience. The lining was tough and fibrous, a sort of coarse material corresponding to the silk of a spider of normal size, although these strands were as large as my little finger, and strong as cables.

A close inspection of our guides added nothing to my confidence or bravery; their eight beady eyes, set at strategic spots about their heads, seemed unwinkingly ominous. And their mandibles, with fangs folded back like the blades of a pocket-knife, paired with their bristly palps, seemed like very capable weapons.

The Aranians ran ahead of us, our ethon lamps making strange and distorted shadows on the curving walls of the tunnel. Correy and I herded the unwilling Tipene just ahead of us, and the five picked men brought up the rear.