In one of the fleeing ships was a broken, tired old man, and his staff.
Gresth Gkae looked back at the blank, distorted space behind them, at
the swiftly dwindling sun, and spoke. "I was at fault, my friends. Jarth
has spoken. _They_ are the stronger and the wiser race. Farth Skalt has
shown you--they use space fields of intensity 100. That means the energy
of the ultimate destruction. Jarth used us as his instrument of testing,
only to drive and stimulate that race. I do not--nay. There is no doubt
now, for look."

Plainly visible, rapidly overtaking them, the "S Doradus" appeared
sharp, and luminous on the jet of distorted space.

"We cannot escape, my friends. Shall we return to Sthor or remain in
space, lost?"

"Let us deflect our course--at least he may not know our destination."
The interstellar ship turned very slightly in her course. Plainly they
saw the "S Doradus" flash on, in a straight line, headed for distant,
red-glowing Mira. Gresth Gkae watched, and shrugged. Silently he put the
ship back on its course, at its utmost speed. Parallel with them, near
to them, the "S Doradus" flashed on. Day after day, the two hurled
through space faster than light. Gradually Mira brightened, and at last
became a disc.

* * * * *

Gresth Gkae slowed his ships, and Kendall, watching, slowed to match his
speed. Five billion miles from Sthor, they had reached normal space
speeds. Viciously the Miran fleet attacked the lone ship from Earth.
Their rays, their bombs, their every weapon was flaming. Great
interstellar ships flashed suddenly into speeds greater than that of
light, seeking to ram and destroy the smaller ship. The "S Doradus"
flashed into equal or greater speed, and eluded them.

Kendall had determined now, which was the leader's ship.

Gresth Gkae watched dully as his ships attempted to destroy the single,
small ship. He sighed in resignation, and turned to walk back to the
chapel aboard the ship. One last prayer to Jarth--

Gresth Gkae stopped abruptly. The great ship was lurching strangely. Men
shouted sudden, frightened cries. The clanking and thud of relays
sounded, the shrill of alarms. Then the alarms stopped, and suddenly the
whole great ship vibrated to an infinitely deep voice speaking in
perfect Sthorian. The voice remarked solemnly, in great, vibrant tones,
that they would certainly receive news presently from the Expeditions.
It went on for some seconds to discuss