They cut jets and floated in over the jungle, side-slipping to lose speed. With feather-light fingers at their controls, the cruisers skimmed the trampled meadow grass and touched down their wheels. As they rolled, Pritchard and Sturgis flung open cockpit windows and let bright fire from their flamers spew over the ground, while Greene and Kemp sprayed right and left with their snappers. Things struggled in the crisping, burning grass, crackling and roasting. Even as he turned the nozzle this way and that, Pritchard's face was a mask of disgust. All around the slowing ships, Cornelia's "people" galloped and raced with a vengeful, slaying lust. "All out," said Pritchard. "Everybody take a flamer. We'll have to burn a path to the girl." They climbed out and began walking toward the mountain four abreast, flame billowing ahead of them. There seemed to be only dead things in their path. Then, suddenly, the girl was there, astride a magnificent six-legged equine type of animal, shaggy of coat and rather broad in the head. She had ridden around the wall of fire and her mount was trembling and shaking its head. They turned off the flamers and stared up at her. Rumbling, whinnying sounds came from the equine's throat. She grunted and cooed back, as if soothing it. Then she turned her eyes on the men below. "We wish to thank you." Her pale face was drawn and there was a suspicion of tears in her voice. "You came just in time." She seemed small and absurdly girlish perched on that long back. Those inadequate strips of hide were still her only covering. Pritchard nodded shortly. "If you'll be so good as to keep your be--people--out of our way, we'll sterilize this island. Just burn off all the cover and see to it there's none of them left. Why don't you herd your--uh--friends over onto what we've already--" "That won't be necessary," she cut in. "They'll all be gone in another minute." "What makes you so sure of that?" "The One is probably calling them off." "The--what?" She put her face in her hands. Pritchard frowned his puzzlement. How had so helpless a child managed to survive in a world like this? "I'd like very much to know what this is all about, Miss Boyce," he said gently. "In fact, the reason we happened along is that we are looking for you. We thought you might be able to explain what happened last night." As he told her, she lifted her face from her hands and her brimming eyes grew round. Before he had finished describing what they had found in the blower, she was shaking her head in despair. "This is all your doing. This world was at peace until you came. Now The One is aroused. You see, it was The One that went into your ship--" "The One?" A crispness came into his voice. "Miss Boyce, I think you'd better start at the beginning and give us a complete explanation. Just exactly what is this 'One' you keep talking about?" * * * * *