lease her. But how?

"Well, we're all right," Ven said. He came from some other chamber in
the great ship. "We're running free now. At the next force field we'll
cut into Mahlo's orbit."

There was more strange talk which Karn did not understand. More debate,
too. It seemed that these men spent half their time arguing with the
woman.

Apparently the men held the supremacy, but a very shaky one. The woman
seemed not to know too much about this ship. But she had a good deal to
say nevertheless.

Then Harus' voice came out of nowhere. "Better strap in again. We've hit
Mahlo's orbit."

Again there was the awful pressure, the crushing weight. Violent forces
shook the ship. Andra moaned softly. Strange words issued from her lips.
Then they were out of the clutch of the awful force.

"Landing at Nobla," Ven said. Panels slid away and Karn could see
through the walls of the ship.

Below them was a city. They dropped toward it and its gargoyle-topped
towers reached up to meet them. Strange birds winged across an azure
sky. They came down over the city and landed gently in a meadow next to
the mouth of a great cavern.

* * * * *

"Nobody around," Ven said. "I don't understand it."

"They weren't expecting us to land at Nobla," Andra said. "You're always
worrying about something. Come on, let's get out."

The ramp came down and the four descended, Harus leading the way. Karn
wondered why they moved so warily. This was their own land. What were
they afraid of?

To one side the mouth of the cavern yawned dark and forbidding as they
went toward it. Andra explained to Karn that it was the mouth of a
tunnel which led to the city proper. There were walls about the city
which were never opened.

They were almost to the tunnel when the green things came at them. Slimy
beings, as tall as Harus and Ven, covered with green scales and
four-armed, more lizards than men, they poured from the tunnel.

Emitting bird-like cries they swarmed forward, long spears pointing
ahead at waist level. With a scream of fear, Ven spun around and ran.
Andra and Harus stood petrified.

Their reactions were typical, apparently, for the Green Ones came on as
though used to encountering little resistance. Even the sight of Karn,
huge of frame and heavy-thewed, draped in his wolfskin, failed to
register. It was a fatal mistake.

As the first of the Green Ones reached him Karn side-stepped nimbly,
sweeping the spe