"And are all the creatures on Earth two-handed, as large as you, and able to communicate thoughts without a word-box?" "The inhabitants of Earth are just as you see us. But they do not live beneath the crust of the planet. The sun’s rays are so tempered by the time they reach the Earth that beings are able to live in comfort on the outer shell." The king clapped two of his hands at this, and gave other evidence of his pleasure on the word-box. "Most wonderful!" he exclaimed, and launched into a series of questions concerning the physical attributes of our mother planet and the character and institutions of its people. Quinn answered him fully, expatiating on the progress in arts and sciences already made by the Earth dwellers. The king’s wonder grew into awe and admiration. Rising from his chair he paced back and forth in front of us, thinking deeply. "What sort of weapons have your people?" he inquired at last. The professor described our powder-and-shot machines to the best of his ability. The king was puzzled. "Don’t they know anything about zet on your native orb?" he inquired. "No," answered the professor. "There is no zet in our atmosphere." "Suppose a company of my soldiers were to land on Earth, fully equipped with zetbais. Could they be resisted?" Quinn shuddered. "No, your majesty, they could not be resisted. With your wonderful zetbais you could conquer and lay waste the entire planet. Candor compels me to tell you this, knowing full well that such a result would not be possible to you." "Why impossible?" cried the king, with wild enthusiasm. "You and your friends must have come hither in that strange house which fell into the crater. Why could I not load a company of my soldiers into the house and go back with you?" Then, and only then, did we see what this crack-brained monarch was driving at. Quinn was in trepidation over the outcome. "Such a thing is not to be thought of!" he cried. "Your majesty, let me beg you not to give your attention to such a quixotic project!" "I am fully resolved!" exclaimed the king, striding up and down with clinched hands. "It is a very alluring picture you give me of this planet called Earth. I’ll conquer it, annex it and own it." He halted and raised his word-box. "Ho, there, Olox!" he cried. The high chief stepped forward and made the royal salaam of four hands. "We are going forth to conquer the solar system, Olox," paid the king in a brisk, matter-of-fact way. "Yes, your majesty," answered Olox, as readily as though the capturing of a planet or two was an every-day occurrence. "You have overheard what this strange two-handed creature has been telling me?" went on the king. "Yes, your majesty."