"But--this is no minor tragedy, they have burst open the wall of this invulnerable ship, destroyed one of those enormous coils, and can do it again," exclaimed Zezdon Afthen, exceedingly nervous, so nervous that the normal courage of the man was gone. His too-psychic breeding was against him as a warrior. "Afthen," replied Stel Felso Theu calmly, "when our friends have smoked, and thought, the _Thought_ will be repaired perfectly, and it will be made invulnerable to that weapon." "I hope so, Stel Felso Theu," smiled Arcot. He was feeling better already. "But do you know what that weapon is, Morey?" "Got some readings on it with the _Banderlog_'s instruments, and I think I do. Twin-ray is right," replied Morey. "Hm-hm--so I think. It's a super-photon. What they do is to use a field somewhat similar to the field we use in making cosmium, except that in theirs, instead of the photons lying side by side, they slide into one another, compounding. They evidently get three photons to go into one. Now, as we know, that size photon doesn't exist for the excellent reason that it can't in this space. Space closes in about it. Therefore they have a projected field to accompany it that tends to open out space--and they are using that, not the attractive ray, on us now. The result is that for a distance not too great, the triple-ray exists in normal space--then goes into another. Now the question is how can we stop it? I have an idea--have you any?" "Yes, but my idea can't exist in this space either," grinned Morey. "I think it can. If it's what I think, remember it will have a terrific electric field." "It's what you think, then. Come on." Arcot and Morey went to the calculating room, while Wade took over the ship. But one of the ray-feeds had been destroyed, and they had three more in action, as well as their most important weapon, artificial matter. Wade threw on the time field, and started the emergency lead burner working to recharge the coils that the Thessians were constantly draining. Being in their own peculiar space, they could not draw energy from the stars, and Arcot didn't want to return to normal space to discharge them, unless necessary. "How's the air pressure in the rest of the ship?" asked Wade. "Triple normal," replied Morey. "The Thessian atmosphere leaked in and sent it up terrifically, but when we went into our own space, at the halfway point, a lot leaked out. But the ship is full of water now. It was a bit difficult coming up from the _Banderlog_, and I didn't want to breathe the air I wasn't sure of. But let's work."