"Well, then, while Dunark is doing that, I suggest that we go to this Third Planet, abduct a few of their leading scientists, and read their minds. Then do the same, visiting every other highly advanced planet we can locate. There is a good chance that, by combining the best points of the warfares of many worlds, we can evolve something that will enable us to turn back these invaders." "Why not send a copper torpedo to destroy their entire planet?" suggested Dunark. "Wouldn't work. Their detecting screens would locate it a thousand million miles off in space, and they would ray it. With a zone of force that would get through their screens, that would be the first thing I'd do. You see, every thought comes back to that zone. We've got to get through it some way." The course alarm sounded, and they saw that a planet lay directly in their path. It was "X," and enough negative acceleration was applied to make an easy landing possible. "Isn't it going to be a long, slow job, chopping off two tons of that metal and fighting away those terrible animals besides?" asked Margaret. "It'll take about a millionth of a second, Peg. I'm going to bite it off with the zone, just as I took that bite out of our field. The rotation of the planet will throw us away from the surface, then we'll release the zone and drag our prey off with us. See?" The _Skylark_ descended rapidly toward that well-remembered ledge of metal to which the object compass had led them. "This is exactly where we landed before," Margaret commented in surprise, and Dorothy added: "Yes, and there's that horrible tree that ate the dinosaur or whatever it was. I thought you blew it up for me, Dick?" "I did, Dottie--blew it into atoms. Must be a good location for carnivorous trees--and they must grow awfully fast, too. As to its being the same place, Peg--sure it is. That's what object compasses are for." Everything appeared as it had been at the time of their first visit. The rank Carboniferous vegetation, intensely, vividly green, was motionless in the still, hot, heavy air; the living nightmares inhabiting that primitive world were lying in the cooler depths of the jungle, sheltered from the torrid rays of that strange and fervent sun. "How about it, Dot? Want to see some of your little friends again? If you do, I'll give them a shot and bring them out." "Heavens, no! I saw them once--if I never see them again, that will be twenty minutes too soon!" "All right--we'll grab us a piece of this ledge and beat it." Seaton lowered the vessel to the ledge, focussed the main anchoring attractor upon it, and threw on the zone of force. Almost immediately he released the zone, pointed the bar parallel to the compass bearing upon Osnome, and slowly applied the power. "How much did you take, anyway?" asked Dunark in amazement. "It looks bigger than the _Skylark_!"