As the power of the beams was increased and as the combatants drew nearer and nearer the ground, the lightning display grew ever more violent. Well below the canyon as the warring vessels were, the power-plant and penstock did not suffer at all and only a few discharges struck the _Forlorn Hope_--discharges which were carried easily to ground by the enormous thickness of her armor--but every prominent object for hundreds of yards below the _Hope_ was literally blasted out of existence. Radio tower, directors and fittings; trees, shrubs, sharp points of rock--all were struck again and again; fused, destroyed, utterly obliterated by the inconceivable energy being dissipated by those impregnable screens of force. Even almost flat upon the ground as the spectators were, each individual hair upon their heads strove fiercely to stand erect, so heavily charged was the very air. Stevens' arm was blue for days, such was Nadia's grip upon it, and she herself could scarcely breathe in that mighty arm's constriction--but each was conscious only of that incredibly violent struggle, of that duel to the death being waged there before their eyes with those frightful weapons, hitherto unknown to man. They saw the _Sirius_ triumphant, and Stevens led the dancing girl back into their dwelling of steel. "Danger's all over now. Radio's gone, but we should fret a lot about that. It has done its stuff--we can use the communicators. And now, sweetheart, I'm going to kiss you--for the first time in seven lifetimes." Locked in each other's arms, they watched the scene until Stevens thought it time to send his message. Then, running hand in hand toward the huge space-cruiser, they were snatched apart and drawn up toward the double airlocks of the main entrance. Pressure gradually brought up to normal, they were ushered into the control room, where Nadia glanced around quickly and almost took her father off his feet by her tempestuous rush into his arms. "Oh, Daddy darling. I just knew you'd come along! I haven't seen you for a million years!" she exclaimed, rapturously. "And Bill, too--wonderful!" as she fervently embraced a young man wearing the uniform of a lieutenant of Interplanetary Police. "Ouch, Bill--you're breaking all my ribs!" "Well, you cracked three of mine. Maybe you don't know how husky you are, but you've got a squeeze like a full grown boa constrictor!" He held her off at arms' length and studied her with admiration. "Gee, it's fine to see you again, Sis. You're looking great, too--I think I'll bring my girl out here to live. You always were a knockout, but now you're the loveliest thing I ever saw!" He made his way through the group surrounding Stevens, while Nadia and her father talked earnestly. "I'm Bill Newton. Thanks," he said, simply, holding out his hand, which was taken in a bone-crushing grip. "Bring him over here, Bill!" Nadia called before Stevens could find a reply.