so
a long-range projector of the green light-beam. It is my idea, when
the city is abandoned by the enemy that we can take possession of
some prominent point of vantage. A tall building, perhaps." He
smiled again his quiet grim smile. "We will select one and be
careful to leave it standing. I will materialize with our giant
projector, dominate all the region and then we can barter with your
authorities. It is your long-range guns I most fear. When the
projector is materialized--and we are ready to bargain--then your
airplanes, warships lying far away perhaps, might attack. Suppose
now you explain those weapons to me."

[6] Materialization bombs, we afterward called them; they
played a diabolical part in the coming events. They were of
many sizes and shapes, but most of them were small in size
and shape, like a foot-long wedged-shaped brick, or the head
of an ax. They were constructed of organic material, with a
wire mesh of the transition mechanism encasing them, and an
automatic operating device like the firing fuse of a bomb.

* * * * *

For an hour or more he questioned us. He was no fool, this fellow;
he knew far more of the conditions ahead of him than we realized. I
recall that once I said:

"You have never been in New York?"

"No. Not materialized. But I have observed it very carefully."

As a lurking ghost!

"We have calculated," he went on, "the space co-ordinates with great
precision. That is how we have been able to select the destination
for this carrier now. You cannot travel upon impulse by this method.
Our engineers, as you might call them, must go in advance with
recording apparatus. Nothing can be done blindly."

It brought to my mind the three pilots now operating our vehicle. I
mentioned the lens on their left eyes like a monocle.

"With that they can see ahead of us a great distance. It flings the
vision--like gazing along a beam of light--to space-time factors in
advance of our present position. In effect, a telescope."

* * * * *

There were a few hours of the journey when Don and I slept,
exhausted by what we had been through. Tako was with us when we
dozed off, and I recall that he was there when we awakened. How much
time passed we could not tell.

"You are refreshed?" he said smilingly. "And hungry again, no doubt.
We will eat and drink--and soon we will arrive at the predestined
time and