Praana turned her head away. Tal Horan said bitterly, "I wish I had stayed to die with him! At least our work--" "Yes! I am aware, Tal Horan, that you were working with Bedril on the atomic breakdown of the new Mercury metal, with which you hoped to combat the plague." Kueelo's eyes became bright. "I am sure you must have gone far. Well ... _we_ have worked on the same principle, and I'm sure your formula will be useful to us!" "We?" Tal was puzzled. Kueelo merely grinned, waved a hand at the televise. They were skirting Mars. Now a tiny world moved unerringly toward them. It was a dark, airless little world of crags and shadows, but it was unmistakable. Mars' smaller moon ... Phobos! IV "You may watch if you wish. I'm going to treat you to as masterful a piece of navigation as you've ever seen." Kueelo stood at the control board, hands ready, eyes fastened on the panorama spreading below them. "You especially should appreciate this, Earthman! Naric, keep them covered." Phobos rushed up before them, a horribly barren world that seemed to encompass all of space. Closer it came, but Kueelo didn't check his drive. They could see vast plains dotted with craters, and huge serrated cliffs reaching up. At last Kueelo applied his forward thrust, and they levelled out. Half around the planet they raced. A mountain range loomed. The spacer dipped sharply, driving straight at it! Ric was taut, sweat glistening on his brow. No ship could ever brake in time at that suicidal speed! He merely closed his eyes, awaiting the inevitable. A sudden force sent him reeling. A profound nausea made him retch. Then Kueelo was at his side, touching his shoulder. "How was that, Earthman?" Kueelo laughed. "Don't worry, we're safe now!" White-faced and shaken, Ric opened his eyes. They had entered a place of semi-darkness, but were still moving ahead. "Where are we?" "Inside the cliffs! We've entered a magnetic field that arrests speed and mass synchronously. We are being slowed in a graduating net of force." In a few minutes they had come to a complete rest, but Kueelo told them, "Stay where you are! Our trip isn't over yet." Ric peered into the forward screen. Darkness encompassed them. He turned questioningly. Kueelo grinned and gestured downward. "You mean we're going inside this planet?" "Yes. _Very_ far inside. We're on the downward beams now. Patience, Earthman, you'll see many amazing things before we're through." It took a long time, and there was no telling how far they'd gone or with what speed. They seemed not to be moving at all. But at last a faint blue radiance appeared, and Kueelo opened the lock.