"But surely no seeds could survive the temperature they hit getting here." "No seeds such as we know, true. But what, after all, do we know of the types of life to be found on other planets?" "Nothing, of course. Only these didn't come from a planet. They came from a comet." "And who can say a comet is not a disintegrated planet? Or suppose we take the other theory, that it is an eruption from some sun, ours or another. In any event, who can say no life can survive intense heat? Certainly these seeds--or call them meteorites, if you choose--came through the ordeal curiously unscathed." "Yes, that's true. Funny, too!" "And another thing is true, Jim. If by chance they _should_ be seeds, and _should_ germinate, the life they would produce would be something quite alien to our experience, possibly quite inimical to--" Professor Wentworth broke off abruptly as a startled cry came from Joan, and, turning, they saw her standing with eyes fixed in fascinated horror on the laboratory table. * * * * * Following her gaze, Jim saw something that caused his own eyes to bulge. The color of those mysterious orange spheres had suddenly, ominously heightened. They lay glowing there like balls of fire. "Good God!" he gasped. "Look, Professor! Do you see that?" Professor Wentworth did not answer but himself stood gazing spellbound at the astounding scene. Even as they looked, the metal table smoldered under the fiery meteorites and melted, and in a little while the meteorites themselves sizzled from view. Flames licked up from the floor; dense, suffocating fumes rose and swirled through the laboratory. "Quick!" cried Jim, seizing Joan's arm. "Come on, Professor! Never mind trying to save anything. Let's get out of here!" They staggered from the laboratory and once outside, plunged down the hill. It was none too soon. Behind them, as they fled, came suddenly two deafening explosions. Looking back, they saw the roof of the observatory tilt crazily; saw the whole building shatter, and erupt like a volcano. But that, startling though it was, was not all they saw. For now, as they stood there speechless, two incredible forms rose phoenix-like from the flames--two weird monsters, orange against the red, hideous, nightmarish. They saw them hover a moment above that fiery hell, then rise on batlike wings to swoop off into the night. Nor was that all. As the awed trio stood there halfway down Observatory Hill, following the flight of that pair of demons, other explosions reached their ears, and, turning to the city below, they saw vivid jets of red leap up here and there, saw other orange wings against the night. While off across the southeast sky, receding fast, spread the Mystery Comet whose tail had sowed the seeds of this strange life. * * * * *