Croft worked throughout the night. Robur offered to assist, but he refused. He wanted to be alone--to think--think--plan the future steps of those things he would do inside the coming year. He had sworn to make Aphur strong. And as he assembled the final portions of this first work of his genius, he considered that. The answer was plain. Aphur must arm--and Nodhur--and Milidhur from whence came the gentle, sweetly sympathetic Gaya, Robur's wife. And of arms he knew little, but--he could learn. Only he had to return to earth. There, not many miles from his own town, was the home of a man who before now had won fame as a maker of arms. Indeed, as Croft knew he had designed weapons afterward adopted by the royal nations of Europe and made by them on a patent lease from this man, Croft's friend. It would be easy, then, to learn what he desired; to bring back the plans of those self-same weapons and make them here under the patronage of Aphur's king. Then--well--let Zollaria plan and hold what bait she would before Cathur's eyes. Croft chuckled to himself as he worked, and the captain assisting him in Robur's place thought him pleased with their progress and smiled. "This motur of thine will surely draw the car in lieu of gnuppas, my lord?" he inquired. "Aye," said Croft with a nod. "By Zitu! Never was anything like it dreamed of in Tamarizia before thy coming," the captain rumbled in his throat. Croft nodded again. "Tomorrow I shall bring you orders to start all men working on those parts they have made for this, in untold numbers," he returned. "And hark you, captain. Each man shall make but the one part--which he makes the best. So shall we make many and build them together at once and produce a vast number of cars, and other motors to drive boats on the Na." "By Zitu! Then shall Aphur rule the seas indeed." "Tamarizia shall rule," said Croft with an assurance not to be denied. The captain gave him a glance. What he read carried conviction to his mind. "My lord," he said. "My lord." "Lord." They called him that now. Croft chuckled again to himself and went to work. Lord. And tomorrow night--no, the night of this day as it would be on earth--they would call him "lord" before Naia herself. He would meet her--speak to her, perhaps. He called upon the captain for assistance and redoubled his rate of work. And as the first rays of Sirius began to gild the red walls of Himyra, he finished filling the fuel tank with spirits, told the captain to open wide the doors of the building wherein they had toiled through the night, and seized hold upon the crank of the engine he had built. The motor roared out. Croft sprang to the driver's seat. He let in his clutch. And slowly--very slowly the car moved toward the open doors.