e enough, sir," chuckled Correy. "The beggars
are ready to run for it right now." He gave a command, and as though
the microphone itself released the bomb, it dropped from the bottom of
the _Ertak_ and diminished swiftly as it hurtled earthward.

Again the swift spread of white that turned to gray; again the vast red
crater. Again, too, a flank crumpled.

As though I could see the faces of the brown men, I saw terror strike
to the heart of the Neens. The flanks were melting away, and the panic
of fear spread as flame spreads on a surface of oil. Correy has a good
eye for such things, and he said there were fifty thousand of the enemy
massed there. If there were, in the space that it takes the heart to
tick ten times, fifty thousand Neens turned their back to the enemy and
fled to the safety of their own jungles.

* * * * *

The Libars made no effort to pursue. They stood there, in their
military formations, watching with wonderment. Then, with crisp
military dispatch, they maneuvered into great long ranks, awaiting the
arrival of transportation.

"And so it is finished, John Hanson," said Artur slowly, his eyes
shining with a light that might almost be called holy. "My people are
saved! He spoke well, as always, when He said that those who would come
after Him would be our friends if we were their friends."

"We are your friends," I replied, "but tell me, who is this one of whom
you speak always, but do not name? From what I have seen, I guess a
great deal, but there has been no time to learn all the story. Will you
tell me, now?"

"I will, if that is your wish," said Artur, "but I should prefer to
tell you in the Place. It is a long story, the story of toma annerson,
the story of He Who Speaks, and there are things you should see, so
that you may understand that story."

"As you wish, Artur." I glanced at Correy and nodded. "Back to the
city, Mr. Correy. I think we're through here."

"I believe we are, sir." He gave the orders to the operating room, and
the _Ertak_ swung in a great circle toward the gleaming city of the
Libars. "It looked like a real row when we got here; I wouldn't have
minded being down there for a few minutes myself."

"With the _Ertak_ poised over your head, dropping atomic bombs?"

Correy shook his head and grinned.

"No, sir!" he admitted. "Just hand to hand, with clubs."

* * * * *

Artur and I wer