and the Venonian crowd which had collected,
stared in wonder at the giants, looming twice their height above them.

"You see not us, but images of us. We cannot withstand your gravity nor
your air pressure, save in the protection of our ship. But these images
are true images of us."

For some time then they communicated, and finally Arcot agreed to give a
demonstration of their power. At the suggestion of the cruiser commander
who had seen the construction of a spaceship from the emptiness of
space, Arcot rapidly constructed a small, very simple, molecular drive
machine of pure cosmium, making it entirely from energy. It required but
minutes, and the Venonians stared in wonder as Arcot's unbelievable
tools created the machine before their eyes. The completed ship Arcot
gave to an official of the city who had appeared. The Venonian looked at
the thing skeptically, and half expecting it to vanish like the tools
that made it, gingerly entered the port. Powered as it was by lead
burning cosmic ray generators, the lead alone having been made by
transmutation of natural matter, it was powerful, and speedy. The
official entered it, and finding it still existing, tried it out. Much
to his amazement it flew, and operated perfectly.

Nearly ten hours Arcot and his friends stayed at Venone, and before they
left, the Venonians, for all their vast differences of structure, had
proven themselves true, kindly honest men, and a race that our Alliance
has since found every reason to respect and honor. Our commerce with
them, though carried on under difficulties, is none the less a bond of
genuine friendship.

Chapter XXIV

THETT PREPARES

Streaking through the void toward Thett was again a tiny scout ship. It
carried but a single man, and with all the power of the machine he was
darting toward distant Thett, at a speed insanely reckless, but he knew
that he must maintain such a speed if his mission were to be successful.

Again a tiny ship entered Thett's far-flung atmosphere, and slowed to
less than a light speed, and sent its signal call ahead. In moments the
patrol ship, less than three hundred miles away, had reached it, and
together they streaked through the dense air in a screaming dive toward
Shatnsoma, the capital city. It was directly beneath, and it was not
long before they had reached the great palace grounds, and settled on
the upper roof. Then the scout leaped out of his tiny craft, and dove
for the door. F