dicated the great orb
of Saturn with its gleaming rings. Now, as they drew near to the
enormous planet, it did indeed seem that there was a sinister quality in
its shifting luminosity. Carr shivered, thinking of Ora.

"You mean," Mado asked, "that there are vibrations in the ether
hereabouts that are set up electrically by the planet?"

"Precisely. Or rather I should say they are set up by the vast number of
whirling particles of which its encircling rings are composed. The wave
form propagated is of a characteristic that is in tune with those
portions of the brain which control the savage impulses. We may
certainly expect to find superstition-ridden ignorance and all manner of
vice prevalent in the races of Titan."

"You think these vibrations will affect us?" Carr inquired anxiously.

"Not if we make our visit short. The intensity is quite low."

"It'll be a short visit, all right. We'll be in Titan's atmosphere in
about forty minutes now, and, if I have my say, we'll be out of it and
away again inside of an hour."

"Best thing you've said today," Mado approved. "But let's have another
look in the rulden. We may find other gaps in the clouds."

* * * * *

The mechanism of the radio telescope whirred into life as he spoke and
its disk shone bright with the reflected light of Titan as it pictured
the body. The _Nomad_ was speeding toward the ill-omened satellite at
the rate of more than a thousand miles a second.

But the surface was nowhere visible and Mado adjusted the focus so that
the view of the billowy cloud-covering fell rapidly away. Though
actually they were approaching the satellite with tremendous velocity,
it receded swiftly in the rulden's disk until the entire body showed as
a perfect sphere of uniform brilliancy. All surface markings were
concealed by the blanket of clouds.

"Just a moment, Mado," said Detis. "I believe I saw something."

The Martian pressed a button and the image was stationary. A tiny black
spot had appeared near one edge of the satellite's disk and this now
spread rapidly like a blot of spilled ink. Then it stretched out into a
wriggling line that quickly streaked its way across the equator,
completely banding the body as they watched. A moment it lay there like
a great serpent encircling the globe, and then it vanished in a flash of
intense light that left them blinking in amazement. It was as if a trail
of gunpowder had been laid across the