For nightmarish creatures moved within the gleaming thing, moving on stiff tentacles, gesturing with others, while above, on a thin neck, fanged mouths opened and closed in sickening motions. And the shadows of their skins were of shades of lightness and darkness that were terrifying to Klon's senses that had never met the like before. He gasped audibly, swung back from the circle of lightness, shaking with horror at what he had seen. * * * * * Inside the gleaming space ship, three men were seated on the collapsible bunks. Kurt Overland, his muscular body unclad except for shorts, was speaking in his even tone. "Well," he said cheerfully, even his steady voice failing to conceal the burning eagerness within him, "we're finally ready. I've just made the last repair on the things broken by landing." Frank Barker grinned at him from across the cell-like room, stretched his six feet of blond-topped, lanky strength happily. "Suits me," he said, "I'm tired of being cooped in this animated bullet that's been home for so long." "We had to wait," gray-haired Professor Kent said mildly, "After all, if we are met by hostile beings, we want to be able to escape." Kurt Overland grinned. "Maybe you're right, Professor," he said. "But I'd hate to return to Earth and say that we'd been run off before we had a chance to bring back proof of our expedition's success." "That would be a calamity," Barker broke in. "Remember what a devil of a time we had getting permission to make this flight through space. The President told me, just before we took off, that because of the many deaths in faulty rockets a law was being passed to forbid any more flights. He said that it was only his influence that made it possible for us to leave Earth on a trip to Venus, and that if we failed to make good there would probably be no more flights for, possibly, hundreds of years." "So!" Professor Kent nodded his head. "Then I am glad that we did not fail; for it is apparent that we are the vanguard of a new phase of our civilization." Kurt Overland stood, flexed his arms. "Well, come on, let's go," he said. "It's time we took a look around." The three of them slipped into their space suits, each of them tight-breathed with eagerness to explore the second of the planets. They were strangely silent as they dressed. "Better slip the cover over that radi-light," Professor Kent tried to keep his tone even. "There may be poisonous insects outside that would be attracted by it. We will go outside without lights, then switch them on when the port is closed." Frank Barker moved toward the radi-light, slipped the cover over its eternal brightness with a gloved hand. Then he joined the other two at the port. For a long second the three of them stood shoulder to shoulder. "Professor Kent," Kurt Overland said softly, "please go first. It is your right that you should be the first to step onto a world made accessible only by your genius."