The air where he stood was being rapidly vitiated by its sudden contact with the tenuous atmosphere of the outer surface, but Ted stayed long enough to gesture toward the glazed top of the shaft, patted his degravitor, and then pointed one finger downward. Roger nodded as if he understood, and the Luna started for the glazed opening. Then the young scientist, gasping for breath, plunged down the stairway to the platform where Maza, the professor, and the Ho brothers awaited him. The Luna had already cut through the glazed top when he arrived, and was descending toward the little group on the platform. She drew alongside, opened a door and admitted them before there was any notable change in the quality of the air. In the happy reunion that followed, Ted, with his arm around his radiant little Princess, presented each of his friends in turn. Then he said: “We still have work to do. The army of the Princess is storming the city and, I’m afraid, fighting a losing battle against the globes of P’an-ku.” “We can settle those globes in short order,” replied Roger. “After ’em, Bevans! You should have seen what we did to the fleet sent against Ultu.” “What did you do to them?” “Cleaned ’em out to the last globe,” replied Roger. “Then you saved my city!” exclaimed Maza. “How can I thank you?” “Don’t thank me,” replied Roger, “thank Ted. Besides, he’s in a better position to collect a reward than I am. Excuse me, please, while I direct the degravitor fire.” Protected by her degravitor barrage, the Luna first descended to a position just above the great docks of P’an-ku, where she made short work of the reserve fleet. Then she rose and circled the city, safe from the menace of either red or green rays, leveling the walls with her keel degravitors while the gunners in the turrets picked off the globes. Quickly recognizing a friend in the strange and seemingly indestructible craft, the hosts of Ultu cheered, and went into the battle with redoubled vigor. In less than twenty minutes after the Luna had come on the scene, the last globe was destroyed and the city was in the hands of Maza’s army. The Luna stopped in the palace courtyard for several hours, during which time Maza proclaimed Shen Ho Viceroy of Peilong—then proceeded to Ultu, where Ted and his Princess were married in regal magnificence, according to the ancient rites and customs of Maza’s people. OTIS ADELBERT KLINE has been described by the founder of The Burroughs Bibliophiles as “the only author to be compared with Edgar Rice Burroughs, but whose work is as original as Burroughs’ own.” A contemporary of the author of Tarzan, Kline wrote his own series of novels of interplanetary adventures, all of which have become classics of science-fiction. Available from Ace Books are the following: THE SWORDSMAN OF MARS (D-516) THE OUTLAWS OF MARS (D-531) PLANET OF PERIL (F-211) PRINCE OF PERIL (F-259) THE PORT OF PERIL (F-294)