"Quedrin Radnor--Quedrin Vornel--" he called for minutes, with no response. Truly, something of grave import must have happened to cause complete desertion of _that_ laboratory. However, it mattered little; his messages would be recorded. He went on to describe in detail, tersely, accurately, and scientifically, everything that he had observed and deduced concerning the Chlorans, their forces, and their mechanisms. "We are now approaching the planet," he continued, now an observer reporting what he saw in the view box. "It is apparently largely land. It has north and south polar ice caps. A dark area, which I take to be an ocean, is the most prominent feature visible at this time. It is diamond-shaped and its longer axis, lying north and south, is about one quarter of a circumference in length. Its shorter axis, about half that length, lies almost upon the equator. We are passing high above this ocean, going east. "East of the ocean and distant from it about one fifth of a circumference lies quite a large lake, roughly elliptical in shape, whose major axis lies approximately northeast and southwest. We are dropping toward a large city upon the southeast shore of this lake, almost equally distant from its two ends. Since I am to be examined by a so-called 'Council of Great Ones,' it may be that this city is their capital. "No matter what happens, do not attempt to rescue me, as it is entirely hopeless. Escape is likewise impossible, because of the lethal atmosphere. There is a strong possibility, furthermore, that I may be returned to Valeron as a messenger to our race. This possibility is my only hope of returning. I am sending this data and will continue to send it as long as is possible, simply to aid you in deciding what shall be done to defend our civilization against these monsters. "We are now docking, near a large, hemispherical dome of force--My cell is being transported through the atmosphere toward that dome--It is opening. I do not know whether my beam can pass out through it, but I shall keep on sending--Inside the dome there is a great building, toward which I am floating--I am inside the building, inside a glass compartment which seems to be filled with air--Yes, it _is_ air, for the creatures who are entering it are wearing protective suits of some transparent substance. Their bodies are now globular and they are walking, each upon three short legs. One of them is developing an eye, similar to the one I descr--" [Illustration: _Their bodies were globular, and each one walked upon three short legs._]