Then, before he had lowered the glasses, the green light winked out. So sudden was the transformation, and so calm and natural did the moon appear, that it seemed to both observers that the thing had not really been—that it was a figment of their imaginations. Came a call from Bevans: “Three strange craft on the starboard quarter, sir. They seem to be coming this way.” The professor trained the binoculars in the direction indicated. “My word, what odd looking craft,” he exclaimed. “They are globular in form—globes, to each of which two whirling discs are attached.” “An International Patrol Plane is coming from the port quarter,” called Bevans. “It’s signaling the three strange craft, but they do not respond. They are running without lights.” “Ascend,” called Roger, “and turn off all lights.” There was an answering roar as the Blettendorf shot upward. “Too late for that,” said the professor. “We must have been seen.” As the two men watched the one sided aerial parley below, they saw two more Patrol Planes emerge from the upper cloud stratum and take places behind the first. “That makes the numbers even, at least,” said Roger. The two squadrons drew together without sign or signal from the strange craft, until the two leaders were within two thousand feet of each other. Then a narrow green ray suddenly shot out from the foremost globe, striking the first patrol plane. For a moment the plane seemed to shrink—to draw together as if crushed in from all sides. Then it crumbled asunder, and the pieces fell into the swirling clouds beneath. The forward turret guns of the two remaining planes immediately went into action, concentrating their fire on the foremost globe, but with no apparent effect. Green rays shot out from the two other globes simultaneously, and the planes shared the fate of their leader. Then a green ray from the first globe sailed upward. “Jump!” shouted Roger. “It’s our only chance. They’ll find us in a minute.” The professor tore the door open and jumped first. His parachute opened just as Roger leaped after him followed by Bevans. Roger could not see upward because of the parachute spread above him, but fragments of the shattered Blettendorf began falling around him before he had dropped far, and he was thankful that they had leaped in time. Looking downward to see how it fared with the professor, he saw to his horror that the linguist was falling directly onto one of the globes. Then he shot past the same globe himself, heard the hum of its rapidly whirling discs, and dropped into the enveloping grayness of the raging storm clouds beneath. IX. VICIOUS PLANT