Peter, I trust and pray that this, or one of its duplicates which I am dispatching, may reach you. I am launching five cylinders. Any one of them will answer the purpose, but if you can possess yourself of more than one, so much the better. I suggest, before you read further, that you guard against taking any stranger into the confidence of this communication. I ex-Smith and Dan Cain. I want them with you to read this; I know that I can depend upon them both, as I can upon you, my son. I glanced up from the page to the solemn, intent faces of Freddie and Dan. Neither spoke. Freddie's face was flushed with excitement; his breath came fast between parted lips. But Dan was pale and grim; his lean brown fingers gripped the table edge with whitened knuckles. There was a brief silence. "Go on," said Dan tensely. I went back to the page. "He wants secrecy." Unconsciously I lowered my voice. Freddie swung to the radio table to verify that the lever of the outgoing audiphone was well off. I went on reading: If this should fall into other hands than those of my son, I beg that you who read it will read no further than this paragraph. Or, if you do, that loyalty to your nation--to your world--will bid you hold it secret. And if you value your own welfare--the very lives of all those who are most dear to you--at once you will deliver this cylinder and its contents intact to the government of the United States of America, with instructions that my son, Peter Vanderstuyft, of the Amalgamated Broadcasters Association be located, and the cylinder delivered to him. Or to Frederick Smith, Royal Dutch Astronomical Bureau, Anco, Chile; or to Daniel J. Cain, Factor, Porto Rico. Peter, there is much that I would tell you--but I have no time now. We are safe. Hulda and Zetta are with me, and well. I have been ill, but am better now. The things, Peter, that I have seen and done! To name them, even if I could find the words, would be to no purpose. I am trying to communicate with you--and Dan and Frederick--to allay your immediate fears for our safety. But more than that, Peter! The threat against our earth--as we saw it thirty-four months ago--is far greater now! For that, I would caution you--or any one loyal to earth who may read this--of the necessity for secrecy. Enemies of earth--of a character, a plane of being, oh, Peter, you could not guess--may be on earth now. I do not know. I fear they are. Some may have made the trip at the conjunction of seventeen months ago. We suspect they did. Or if not, we fear some may be embarking from here now.