"Set off the emergency rocket flares," he ordered. Ga-Marr stared. "Are you mad, Mason? The Sirians will see us and...." "Which is just what I want," Standish replied. "Hurry, man!" Obediently Ga-Marr strode back along the passageway, began to push contact buttons at regular intervals along the bulkhead wall. As he did, long streamers of crimson fire erupted from the _Phantom's_ side. In a moment the destroyer was a flaming mass. Standish set his controls and took down two space suits. He donned one of them, motioned Ga-Marr into the other. Then he tied a rope to the lever controlling the magnetic grappling bar, trailing it across the floor to the airlock. "All right, Ga-Marr," he said. "Here we go." The lock door slid open at his touch. Then and not until then did Ga-Marr understand. Directly below them, held to the _Phantom's_ hull by the magnetic bars was their crude space ship. Balancing himself cautiously, Standish reached down and opened the hatch. He climbed in, and Ga-Marr quickly followed. Then the Earthman gave the rope a jerk. The grappling bars released, and the two ships drifted apart. Alone and unmanned, the _Phantom_ swept downward, her exploding rockets a blaze of glory in the black sky. "And there goes the fleet!" Standish said. "They've sighted the _Phantom_." * * * * * Aware that hundreds of glasses must now be turned upward, he headed south beyond the outskirts of the city. He selected a flat open space by the ocean shore and glided quickly to a landing. A hundred yards away the white expanse of a highway snaked through the dark countryside. No one apparently had noticed their descent. At a run, Standish headed for that highway. Twin head lights swept around a curve as he reached it, and a heavy gyro truck rumbled into sight. The truck slowed to manipulate the curve. An instant later Standish and Ga-Marr leaped, clutched at the swaying tailboard and drew themselves aboard. Before a large white building the two men dropped from the truck, darted across to the entrance. A Sirian guard stopped them armed with a ray gun. "Halt!" Standish used his pistol this time, smashing its barrel down on the Sirian's skull. Then a muffled voice sounded directly before them, and the Earthman leaped across to a door and ripped it open. On the threshold he stood rigid, staring inward. The room was a richly furnished office. At a large desk in the center sat a familiar figure. It was Drum Faggard, cigarette between his lips, microphone in his hand. "Put down that microphone, Faggard," Standish commanded. "If you speak so much as a single word, I fire." "Standish!" Faggard gasped. The Earthman dropped silently into a chair, while Ga-Marr pulled a small knife switch, disconnecting the microphone. Ga-Marr then paced to the window and drew the blinds.