He dared not miss his lunge. He did not. His huge hand fastened in the throat of their keeper. Nobody--neither Sitsumi nor the Three--turned as Naka gasped and struggled. Eyer pulled the man back over the table and, his neck thus within reach of both hands, snapped it as he would have broken the neck of a chicken. Jeter was already searching the body for the keys. He found them. Their leg irons were just falling free when Sitsumi turned. Eyer was feeling for the automatics in Naka's belt. "We won't need them!" yelled Jeter. "There isn't time. Let's go!" Jeter was away at top speed, almost pulling Eyer off his feet because their hands were still fastened together with the handcuffs. They were outside on the floor level. And through many doors denizens of the lower control room, hurried out by the commands of Sitsumi, were racing to head them off. But nothing could stop them. One man got in their way and Eyer's right fist caved in his face with one deadly, devastating blow. They had now reached the stairs. * * * * * The space ship was being hurled at the five remaining planes. Even as the two men reached the stairs and started up, another of the dauntless rescuers paid with his life for his courage. Several bombs exploded as his plane struck the space ship, but they caused no damage whatever. The hard outer rind seemed to be impervious to the explosions. Obviously no explosive could destroy the space ship. "Quickly, Tema," said Jeter. "The rind can be shattered by vibration, and we've got to do it somehow." "And after that?" panted Eyer. "Our friends out there can then see the inner globe. They'll drop bombs. They'll smash in the globe and--" "I know," said Eyer. "Its inhabitants, including us, will start off in all directions through the stratosphere, with great speed, and probably in many pieces." Jeter laughed. Eyer laughed with him. They didn't fear death, for now they felt they were on the verge of destroying this monster of space. Their pursuers were following them closely. Jeter frantically tried to unfasten the handcuffs as they ran. He didn't manage it until the door was almost reached. He left one cuff dangling on his right wrist. Then, they were through the door. "Now, Tema," shouted Jeter, "if you believe in God--if you have faith--pray for strength to move this plane!" "Where?" "So that its wheels and nose go through this open door! Then it won't travel forward when we start the motor--and our pursuers won't be able to get through to stop us." "You think of everything, don't you?" There was a grin on Eyer's face. But his eyes were stern. He wasn't belittling their deadly danger. And there was also a chance that Jeter's vibration idea was wrong.