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“And now they have the overwhelming strength that makes us powerless against them.” His voice broke, he turned his face away, that I might not see the agony written there.

“Toma annerson!” he muttered. “Ah, toma annerson!” The words were like a prayer.

“Just a minute, Artur!” I said sharply. “What weapons have they? And what means of travel?”

He turned with a hopeless gesture.

“They have the weapons we have,” he said. “Spears and knives and short spears shot from bows. And for travel they have vast numbers of monocars they have stolen from us, generation after generation.”

“Monocars?” I asked, startled.

“Yes. He Who Speaks gave us that secret. Ah, He was wise; to hear His voice was to feel in touch with all the wisdom of all the air!” He made a gesture as though to include the whole universe.

* * * * *

There were a score of questions in my mind, but there was no time for them then. I snatched my menore from its clip on my belt, and adjusted it quickly. It was a huge and cumbersome thing, the menore of that day, but it worked as well as the fragile, bejeweled things of today. Maybe better. The guard posted outside the ship responded instantly.

“Commander Hanson emanating,” I shot at him. “Present my compliments to Mr. Correy, and instruct him as follows: He is to withdraw the outside guard instantly, and proceed with the Ertak to the large domed building in the center of the city. He will bring the Ertak to rest at the lowest possible altitude above the building, and receive further orders at that time. Repeat these instructions.”

The guard returned the orders almost word for word, and I removed the menore with a little flourish. Oh, I was young enough in those days!

“Don’t worry any more, Artur,” I said crisply. “I don’t know who He was, but we’ll show you some tricks you haven’t seen yet! Come!”

I led the way down the ramp, Hendricks, Artur, and the three Zenians following. As we came out into the daylight, a silent shadow fell across the great avenue that ran before the entrance, and there, barely clearing the shining roof of the auditorium, was the sleek, fat bulk of the Ertak. Correy had wasted no time in obeying orders.

Correy could smell a fight further than any man I ever knew.

* * * * *

From her emergency landing trap, the Ertak let down the cable elevator, and the six of us, Hendricks, Artur, the three Zenians of the crew, and myself, were shot up into the hull. Correy was right there by the trap to greet me.

“What are the orders, sir?” he asked, staring curiously at Artur. “Is there trouble brewing?”

“I gather that there is, but we’ll talk about that in a moment–in the navigating room.” I introduced Artur and Correy as we hurried forward, and as soon as the door of the navigating room had closed on the three of us, I turned to Artur with a question.

“Now, where will we find the enemy, these Neens? Have you any idea?”

“Surely,” nodded Artur. “They come from their own country, to the south. The frontier is the narrow strip of land that connects Libar with Neen, and since the alarm has been sounded, the enemy is already at the frontier, and the forces of my people and the enemy are already met.”

“I don’t know anything about the set-up,” put in Correy, “but that sounds like poor management to me. Haven’t you any advance guards, or spies, or outposts?”

Artur shook his head sadly.

“My people are not warlike. We who spread His teachings have tried to warn the masses, but they would not listen. The land of the Neens was far away. The Neens had never risen against the Libars. They never would. So my people reasoned.”