No doubt, Peter, by now you will have been able to possess yourself legally of my money. Perhaps you have been able to realize upon the Washington property--though this I doubt, in view of the chaotic world conditions. Use what you have freely, Peter. Take from Dan as little as possible--Heaven knows what financial stress you all must have been laboring under-- The light over my head suddenly dimmed to half its volume. Freddie gave a startled exclamation. Dan cursed. "Something seems determined to interrupt us," I said. I held the letter up to the light. "I can read it." "What--" Freddie began. "Two o'clock," said Dan. "They only give us half strength light after 2 A.M. New ruling in Porto Rico for the night months." Freddie sank back. I read: Financial stress you all must have been laboring under. Do your best. You ought to be able to start at the next conjunction. Your start--your navigation--all that you will find in my instruction sheets. Before you arrive here, open the special sealed envelope marked "Landing instructions." Follow them implicitly. I will meet you. I have had fairly good facilities for scientific work here, Peter. You will find my instructions accurate--all my data fully explicit. You should have no trouble. Hulda sends love. She says, love to Dan especially. Good old Dan! We feel very close to you all in spirit, Peter--in spite, or perhaps even because of the void between us. You will cross it--oh, my son, be very careful! Follow every detail of my instructions. We will be waiting, impatiently. Zetta is here, watching me as I write-- Ah, that I had divined! Strange, dear little Zetta. So remarkable a friend-- A cry from Dan interrupted me. I had been standing awkwardly holding the letter up to the light. The room was dim, with shadows crowding close upon us. At our feet the opened cylinder lay under the half strength blue light. It was partly in shadow. At Dan's startled cry I looked down. A red radiance hovered across the cylinder in the gloom there! A faint glow of crimson! And there sounded a low guttural whine. The crimson sound! In the room here with us! Dan leaped. From within the cylinder one of its metal boxes was coming out! It came up with a jerk, as though raised by some invisible hand. A small, dead-white metal cube. Enveloped in a vague red glow, it came up to the level of my waist and moved away through the air. [Illustration: From within the cylinder one of the metal boxes was coming out! Enveloped in a vague red glow, it began moving through the air.] Dan went leaping over the cylinder; struck something solid; fell prone on the floor with the metal cube clattering beside him. There was a confusion of sounds. A sudden unearthly scream. Dan's voice shouting: "I've got it. Freddie! Oh, Peter--"