But it wasn't enough! It struck the Curtain and penetrated part way, and there it dangled. There came a scintillant hell of fire and flaming metal. In seconds, the spacer's hull became cherry red and then white. Huge molten blobs of it dripped down, then an explosion sent them scattering across the compound. What was left of the spacer came slipping out of the gaping rent in the Curtain. Gravity took it. It fell in a fiery tangle of wreckage. Curt was scarcely aware that his legs propelled him away from the scene. He caught sight of Lorine and Tor Ekkov, and hurried toward them. They huddled in a doorway and looked out upon the scene. Flames crackled up from a few of the buildings. None of the other men were in sight; they had scurried somewhere to safety. "There went our last chance! Jeffers fixed everything!" Curt's voice was a well of bitterness. These _Energon_ forces weren't finished by any means, and Curt knew it. Their work would go on.... But his mission for DeHarries was finished. The secret of this place was still secret. The fate of the Federation had rested upon Curt's shoulders, and he had failed. * * * * * As if in answer, a blaze of violet light appeared far across the compound. It was the Zemmd again!--a smaller entity now, but Curt knew it would increase in power as more and more of the _Energons_ revived to join it! It moved slowly, as if searching. _Searching for the Curtain--and Lorine._ It disappeared, appeared again, and once more vanished from sight. "No use fighting that thing." Curt looked down at his hands, then laughed bitterly. He had lost the radiant-rifle somewhere. Even his electro was gone. "Maybe if we keep out of sight, it'll think we perished in the spaceship!" "Curt!" Lorine's huddled figure came suddenly erect, she stood taut with excitement. Then they all heard the sound. Somewhere overhead, but coming nearer. The sound of a spacer! It sped past the broken rent in the Curtain a hundred feet above. It returned, braked, hovered on underhull repulsion beams. Then it eased through the hole in the Curtain with little room to spare, trailing part of the K'Yarthan fog with it. Already Curt was racing toward the spacer, as it settled down. A man stepped from the lock, others crowding behind him. "Back! Back there, you!" The man levelled a deadly power-rapier at Curt. "Who are you, and what is this place?" "Never mind who we are," Curt grated, "lift us out of here!" He recognized the Imperial Venus Emblem on the man's tunic. "We were Tele-casting, and a strange beam cut into our etheric channel! The Empress Aladdian ordered that it be traced. Our directional-finders brought us here." The Venusian Guard stared around at the flaming holocaust. "Man, if you value your lives, get us in that ship and lift gravs!"