almost none."

He was not as taciturn, as he had seemed, and presently we had him
talking. We learned several things regarding the gravity-controls of
Wandl, by which at will the planet could be rotated on its axis; and
by which also it could navigate space. We learned that the great
control station contained these gravitational mechanisms, as well as
the mechanism by which the Earth had been attacked. But we could not
discover where on Wandl that station was located.

Then, with our meal finished, Snap rose to his feet. "Those arms of
yours, seem very strange to us. But they must be mighty useful."

Snap had taken a cautious, shoving step. It wafted him directly toward
the guard.

The weird, brown-scaled face of Wyk, with its popping eyes upon stems
and its upended mouth, contorted with surprise.

"Back! Don't come near me!"

He flung himself back, but struck the wall of the room. All his arms
were writhing. Alarm was in his voice. It was the first time either
Snap or I had made an unexpected move, and it startled Wyk.

"Wait! Let me go!" Snap cried.

Wyk's longest arms were around Snap, like the tentacles of an octopus,
and Snap was struggling, fighting. We had not intended this at this
time, but the opportunity was here.

I scrambled from the floor. Now, with the need for powerful action,
the lack of gravity was a tremendous handicap. I went up with
flailing arms into the air. Wyk fired his weapon, but it missed me, a
soundless, dimly-white bolt. It hissed along the curving wall of the
room. The smell of it was a stench in my nostrils.

I hit the concave ceiling, shoved down, and like a swimmer in water
struck against the struggling bodies of Snap and the guard. The waving
little shoulder arm with the weapon came at me.

Snap shouted, "Gregg, look out!"

I seized the little arm; it felt like the shell of a huge crab. For a
moment we were all three entangled, floundering, unable to find a
foothold. Then suddenly I felt Snap pulling me loose.

"We've got him!"

The brown-shelled body of Wyk sank away from us, hit the floor and lay
still. I felt the floor under me, and Snap clutching at me.

In my hand I was clutching Wyk's little shoulder arm, with fingers
still gripping the weapon. I had jerked it out of his shoulder socket.
With a shudder I cast the noisome thing away. Whether Wyk was dead or
not we did not know. He lay on his back; the hideous face stared
upward.

"I cracked the shell," Snap gas