In his mind's eye Eyer could picture it--the outer rind "freezing" solid, and cracking with the thunderous report of snapping ice on a forest lake. No wonder Sitsumi and the Three must destroy the six planes. "Now!" yelled Sitsumi. "Shift positions! The space ship will be hurled directly at the formation of planes! Wang Li, to the beam controls!" Wang Li sprang to the table, pressed a button. The humming sound in the space ship grew to mighty proportions. The trembling increased. Jeter and Eyer kept their eyes glued to the six planes above. Without tilting their noses the six planes seemed to plunge straight down toward the surface of the space ship. Thus the two knew that the space ship was in motion--itself being bodily hurled, as its only present weapon of offense, against the earthling attackers. A split second-- One of the planes struck the surface solidly and crashed. Instantly its wheels and its motor were caught in the outer rind. The other five ships scattered wildly, escaping the collision by some sixth sense, or through pure chance. "Poor devil!" said Jeter. "But his buddies can see his plane and know that it marks the spot where they could conveniently drop their bombs." Eyer was on the point of nodding when Sitsumi shouted. "Quickly, Wang Li! Spin the outer shell before the enemy uses the wrecked plane as an aiming point!" * * * * * A whirring sound. The plane whirled around as though it were twirled on the end of a string. To the five other pilots it must have seemed that the plane had struck some invisible obstruction, been smashed, and now was whirling away to destruction after a strange, incomprehensible hesitation in the heart of the stratosphere. "Quickly, you fool!" shouted Sitsumi at Wang Li. "You're napping! You should have got all those planes! And you should have spun the outer globe instantly, before the remaining enemy had a chance to find out our location." "I can move away a half mile," suggested Wang Li. "We've got to silence those motors, fool!" yelled Sitsumi. "You know very well that we can't run. Charge them again, and take care this time that you crash into the middle of their formation." "They're scattered over too great an area. I should wait for them to reform." "Fool! Fool! Don't you think I know the weakness in my own invention? The proper vibration will destroy us! If the rind is softened we become visible. We dare not wait for them to reform! Attack each plane separately if necessary, and at top speed!" Jeter began to speak rapidly out of the corner of his mouth. Even Naka's attention was fastened on the five planes and Wang Li's efforts to destroy them. "Gag Naka!" said Jeter. "The keys! In some way we've got to get to our plane. It's barely possible. If we can start the motor.... Hurry! Now, while the whole outfit is watching our friends out there!" Eyer rose and reached for Naka with his right hand.