With these rays turned on, projectiles fired at the craft would be disintegrated before they could reach it. Concentrated rays of either contraction or dispersion, cold or hot, would be rendered harmless, even though they might be admitted in the form of mild, ghostly light. Sitting in the control cabin in the front of the craft, Roger watched the earth swiftly receding while Bevans, seated before a bewildering array of levers and buttons sent the craft hurtling swiftly toward the moon. The thick glass panels afforded a view upward, downward, straight ahead, and to either side, and mirrors connected with periscopes gave a clear view to the rear. “This baby sure can step,” remarked Roger, glancing at his speedometer. “Thirty-five miles per second on the head at this instant.” “She can that, sir,” replied Bevans, “and I haven’t opened her up all the way, either.” “A hundred and twenty-six thousand miles per hour,” calculated Roger, “and still accelerating. Why man, we’ll be there in a couple of hours at this rate—a day ahead of time! It’s all right, though. We can hide out in some crater, do a little exploring, get accustomed to the lunar gravity and have target practice with the degravitors. We’ll need it if P’an-ku sends a bunch of those fighting globes of his after us.” Presently Roger looked out the forward window, then said: “We’re getting pretty close to the moon, now. Start easing her down while I decide on a landing place. Better not go too close to Copernicus today. Too near the scene of activities. We might get into a scrap before our allies get there. On the other hand, if we land at Tycho we may be mistaken for enemies and have to fight Maza’s guards. I think the wise thing to do will be to land on the central peak of the crater, Pitatus. It’s sort of in line between Tycho and Copernicus, and far enough from the latter so we would not be involved in a battle before we’re ready. We can keep a sharp lookout, and duck down into that deep valley between Pitatus and Hesiodus if we don’t care to fight an approaching enemy.” Bevans, who had memorized the outstanding features of the moon, instantly pointed the craft toward Pitatus while he gradually slowed her headway with blasts from the forward exhaust arms of the atomotor. In less than two hours after they left Chicago, they landed in a slight depression on the sharp central peak of Pitatus. The rest of the day was spent in degravitor practice, and in preparation for the morrow’s battle. So far as light was concerned, the night was exactly like the day, nevertheless, officers and crew took their turns at sleeping and watching. It was nearly noon of the next day by their earthly chronometers when Roger, who was about to give orders for the flight to Copernicus, was startled by a call from a lookout in one of the turrets. The voice of the man came from a small electric speaker at his elbow. “A big fleet of globes coming from the northeast, sir.”