er seen it, but it shone
only for an instant. Blankets of cloud and fog hid it from view. Rain
fell incessantly. Lush, rank vegetation covered the ground and rose in a
tangle far overhead. The Jovians emerged from the space ship, the
prisoners in their midst. A huge lizard, a hundred feet long, rushed at
them but a flash of the disintegrating tubes dissolved it into dancing
motes of light. The Jovians made their way through the steaming jungle
until a huge city, roofed with a crystal dome which covered it and
arched high into the air, appeared before them. Toward this city the
Jovians marched.

"The crystal cities of Venus!" cried Turgan. Damis nodded in assent.

Again the scene changed and the Martian plain was before them. From the
space ship the Jovians emerged, but instead of the easy victory they had
had in the earlier scene, they found the task a difficult one. From all
sides the Terrestrials charged at them and Damis found himself fighting
against his compatriots. A sword flashed before his eyes and the scene
was gone.

"Have you learned that which you sought?" came a Martian thought
inquiry.

Damis hastily formed his thoughts into an affirmative message of thanks
and turned to Turgan.

"We know now where to go," he cried exultingly. "Lura is safe until they
land on Venus and enter the crystal cities, for Havenner would not dare
to do otherwise than carry out the orders of Glavour. The Martian
weapons which we have will insure us an easy victory. Come, let us
hasten."

A thought message from the Martians stopped him.

* * * * *

"Those weapons on which you are planning, Nepthalim, were given to you
by our Grand Mognac for the purpose of ridding your planet of your
oppressors and of defending your planet against further Jovian attacks,
not for the purpose of invading another planet with which we have no
quarrel. If you will use them for the purpose for which they were given
you, you may depart with them in peace. If you plan to go to Venus, the
weapons will remain on Mars."

"We will go to the Earth and rid her of her oppressors," replied Damis,
"but first we must go to Venus and rescue Lura."

"Venus lies beyond the sun," was the Martian answer, "while your planet
and Mars are on the same side. It will take you five times as long to go
to Venus as to go to the Earth. Meanwhile the Jovian fleet will have
landed and your efforts will be in vain to dislodge the