truction
that travels across their huge universe in less time than it takes us to
travel across a planetary system.

"Our cause is lost, which is by far the least of our troubles. Thett is
in danger. We cannot hope to combat that ship."

"Thalt--what means have we. Can we not better them?" demanded Sthanto of
his chief scientist.

"Great Sthanto, we know that such a substance can be made when pressure
can be brought to bear on cosmic rays under the influence of field
24-7649-321, but that field cannot be produced, because no sufficient
concentration of energy is available. Energy cannot be released rapidly
enough to replace the losses when the field is developing. The fact that
they have that material indicates their possession of an unguessed and
terrific energy source. I would have said that there was no energy
greater than the energy of matter, but we know the properties of this
material and that the triple ray which has at last been perfected, can
be produced providing your order for all energy sources is given, will
release its energy at a speed comparable to the rate of energy relux in
a twin ray, but that the release takes place only in the path of the
ray."

"What more, Scout?" asked Sthanto smoothly.

"The ship first appeared in connection with our general attack on world
3769-8482730-3. The attack was near success, their screens were already
failing. They have devised a new and very ionized layer as a conductor.
It was exceedingly difficult to break, and since their sun had been
similarly screened, we could not throw masses of that matter upon them.

"In another sthan of time, we would have destroyed their world. Then the
ship appeared. It has molecular rays, magnetic beams and cosmic rays,
and a fourth weapon we know nothing of. It has molecular screens, we
suspect, but has not had occasion to use them.

"Our heaviest molecular screens flash under their molecular rays.
Ordinary screens fall instantly without momentary defense. The ray power
is incalculable.

"Their magnetic beams are used in conjunction with cosmics. The action
of the two causes the relux to induce current, and due to reaction of
currents on the magnetic field--"

"And the resistance due to the relux, the relux is first heated to
incandescence and then the ship opens out as the air pressure bends the
magnetically softened relux?" finished Thalt.

"No, the effect is even more terrific. It explodes into powder," replied
the scout.