"You maybe saved our lives, Mel. Anything we can do for you? Any place we can take you? Say the word and we'll do it." The purple sphere looked at Archie sadly. Then it sidled rapidly forward, knocked Archie unceremoniously off his feet, and climbed on top of him. Archie shrieked: "Hey! Ouch! Get off! Stop him, Ed! Stop him! He's hurting me something aw--" His voice became muffled and stopped. Ed stood petrified while Archie slowly disappeared into the purple sphere. All the while, the purple sphere looked up at Ed out of sad eyes. Then Archie was gone. Ed swore a terrible oath and possessed himself of another ugly looking steel tube. He leveled it to his shoulder and pushed a button. A terrible gaping crack appeared in one of the purple sphere's eyes and a green ichor trickled thickly out. The purple sphere rolled over and sidled away at an incredible speed. Ed fired again. He missed. "Damn purple punk," he yelled after the retreating purple sphere. "I'll get you yet. I'll get you!" He slammed the emergency hatch and leaped into the pilot's seat. He jockeyed the little rocket ship into the air above the strange planet. Miles away, he saw the purple sphere bowling hastily over the sand. He gained on it steadily, following as rapidly as he could. Shortly he was close enough: He sighted in an eyepiece mounted with crosshairs and saw there a greatly enlarged image of the speeding purple sphere. He threw an ugly looking steel lever. The ship rocked violently and a cloud of dust rose from the spot where the purple sphere should have been. "Stand still, damn you!" shouted Ed. Again he lined the purple sphere up in the crosshairs. Again he pressed the button, and again the purple sphere swerved aside in time. Ed pounded his fist desperately on the instrument panel. "I'll kill you," he shouted; "I'll kill you! I'll kill you if it takes a year--and if I don't have you then, I'll come back with the whole damned fleet and kill you!" He threw the lever again, and again, and again. _Mr. Bailey has wounded me in the eye, Mr. Simms._ _I am sorry that I hurt you, Mr. Simms, but it was the only way ... I have understood everything that you and Mr. Bailey have thought and said, Mr. Simms, but I cannot impress my thoughts upon you until I have taken you inside me. I am sorry that it was so painful for you when I brought you inside me; I am sorry that you are unconscious; but you can understand me, now. I did not wish to hurt you, but you were so large that I had difficulty bringing you inside me._