was now becoming more and more visible was incredible.

Beneath was a vast, orderly checkerboard. Every alternate square was
covered by what seemed a jointless metal plate. The open squares,
plainly land under cultivation, were surrounded by gleaming fences
that hooked each metal square with every other one of its kind as
batteries are wired in series. Over these open squares progressed
tiny, two legged figures, for the most part following gigantic
shapeless animals like figures out of a dream. Ahead suddenly appeared
the spires and towers of an enormous city!

Metropolis and cultivated land! It was as unbelievable, on that raw
new planet, as such a sight would have been could a traveler in time
have observed it in the midst of a dim Pleistocene panorama of young
Earth.

It was instantly apparent that the city was their destination. Rapidly
the little ship was rushed toward it; and, realizing at last the
futility of its laboring, Brand cut off the atomic motor and let the
shell drift.

Over a group of squat square buildings their ship passed, decreasing
speed and drifting lower with every moment. The lofty structures that
were the nucleus of the strange city loomed closer. Now they were
soaring slowly down a wide thoroughfare; and now, at last, they
hovered above a great open square that was thronged with figures.

Lower they dropped. Lower. And then they settled with a slight jar on
a surface made of reddish metal; and the figures rushed to surround
them.

* * * * *

Looking out the glass panel at these figures, both Brand and Dex
exclaimed aloud and covered their eyes for a moment to shut out the
hideous sight of them. Now they examined them closely.

Manlike they were: and yet like no human being conceivable to an Earth
mind. They were tremendously tall--twelve feet at least--but as thin
as so many animated poles. Their two legs were scarce four inches
through, taper-less, boneless, like lengths of pipe; and like two
flexible pipes they were joined to a slightly larger pipe of a torso
that could not have been more than a foot in diameter. There were four
arms, a pair on each side of the cylindrical body, that weaved feebly
about like lengths of rubber hose.

Set directly on the pipe-like body, as a pumpkin might be balanced on
a pole, was a perfectly round cranium in which were glassy, staring
eyes, with dull pupils like those of a sick dog. The nose was but a
tab of flesh.