rning, for there was
only one man visible: Tipene.

The Zenian, bedraggled and weary, had lost or discarded the protective
suit he had worn, and his lean, dark face was haggard.

"We leave immediately, Commander Hanson," he said as he disembarked.
"Please give the necessary orders."

"But the others, sir? Where are Inverness and Brady?"

"Dead," said Tipene. "The Aranians got them. I barely escaped myself."

"And who are the Aranians?" I asked.

"The creatures which control this world. The spider creatures.
Aranians, they call themselves. Do we leave at once, as I ordered?"

I thought quickly. I didn't like Tipene, and never had, and I fancied
even less the high-handed attitude he was taking.

"I would suggest, sir, that you first give us an account of what has
happened," I said shortly. "If there is anything we can do for the
other two, perhaps--"

"I said they were dead," snapped Tipene. "You can't do anything for
dead men, can you?"

"No. But we must have a report to enter on our log, you understand,
and--I'll be very busy on the return trip. I'd like to have your story
before we start." Somehow, I was suspicious of Tipene.

"Very well. Although I warn you I shall report your delay to your
superiors." I shrugged, and led the way to the dining saloon which,
small as it was, held chairs enough to seat us all.

* * * * *

"My story is very brief," he said, when my three officers, Tipene, and
myself were seated. "We proceeded up the river to a spot which we
deemed suited as a point of entry into the country, and far enough
from the ship so that its presence would not be alarming to the
inhabitants.

"We permitted ourselves to be captured by the Aranians, knowing that
our protective suits would prevent them from doing us serious bodily
injury.

"You have seen the creatures--word of your adventure with them
precipitated our misfortune, I might say here--and you know of their
tunnels. We were taken down one of these tunnels, and into a still
larger one. This in turn gave onto a veritable subterranean avenue,
and, in time, led to a sort of underground metropolis."

"What?" growled Correy. "An underground city of those things?"

"I should like to ask that you do not interrupt," said Tipene coldly.
"This metropolis was really no more than a series of cubicles, opening
off the innumerable crisscrossing tunnels, and many layers in
thickness. Passage from one level to another w