to visit him. Apparently an empty space-suit stood
there; a peculiarly-fitted suit of some partially transparent, flexible,
glass-like material; towering fully a foot over the head of the tall
Terrestrial. Closer inspection, however, revealed that there was
something inside that suit--a shadowy, weirdly-transparent being,
staring at them with large, black eyes. The door clanged shut behind
them; they heard the faint hiss of inrushing air, and the inner door
opened; but their enveloping suits remained stretched almost as tightly
as ever. They felt the floor lurch beneath their feet, and a little
weight was granted them as the space-ship got under way. Stevens waved
his arms vigorously at the stranger, pointing backward toward where he
supposed their own craft to be. The latter waved an arm reassuringly,
pressed a contact, and a section of the wall suddenly became
transparent. Through it Stevens saw with satisfaction that the _Forlorn
Hope_ was not being abandoned; in the grip of powerful tractor beams,
every fragment of the wreckage was following close behind them in their
flight through space.

* * * * *

Stevens and Nadia followed their guide along a corridor, through several
doors, and into a large room, which at first glance seemed empty, but
in which several of the peculiarly transparent people of the craft were
lying about upon cushions. They were undoubtedly human--but what humans!
Tall and reedy they were, with enormous barrel chests, topped by heads
which, though really large, appeared insignificant because of the
prodigious chests and because of the huge, sail-like, flapping ears.
Their skins were a strikingly, livid, pale blue, absolutely devoid of
hair; and their lidless eyes, without a sign of iris, were chillingly
horrible in their stark contrast of enormous, glaring black pupil and
ghastly, transparent blue eyeball.

As the two Terrestrials entered the room, the beings struggled to their
feet and hurried laboriously away. Soon one of them returned, dressed in
an insulating suit, and carrying three sets of head harnesses, connected
by multiplex cables to a large box which he placed upon the floor.
He handed the headsets to the first officer, who in turn placed two of
them at the feet of the Terrestrials, indicating to them that they were
to follow his example in placing them upon their heads, outside the
helmets. They did so, and even through the almost perfect insulation,