ome of
them seeking the heights and others dropping down.

The great towers of Long Island were all aglow, and it was apparent that
few people were sleeping that night. The scarlet sky over Manhattan
indicated that the center of the metropolis, too, was alive to the
menace of the weird visitant that now was so plainly visible.

All night long they remained on the terrace. Dirk and Inga seated close
together and Stanton, at a distance, brooding alone over the disaster
which he felt was impending.

The illuminated dial of the great clock that was a part of the
beacon-tower on the Metropole Landing Field told of the slow passing of
the hours.

All night long they listened to the reports that came through the
radiovisor and watched that immobile, threatening monster of metal.

But it remained static during the rest of the night. And, with the
coming of a gray and sunless dawn, it still hung there, motionless,
silent and sinister.

* * * * *

The next morning the President of the United States of the World, from
the capitol at The Hague, issued a proclamation of martial law, to
become effective at once in all parts of the world.

The edict forbade people to leave their homes, and it was vigorously
executed, wherever the police themselves were not in a state of
demoralization.

At about the same time a special meeting of the Supreme Congress was
called, the body to remain in session until some solution of the mystery
had been arrived at.

At the same time that martial law was declared, however, and the special
assemblage of lawmakers convened, a statement was issued in which an
attempt was made to eliminate from the minds of the people the idea that
the undefinable object above the metropolis was at all dangerous.

It was, indeed, suggested that it very probably was some sort of new
device which had been constructed on the earth and which was being
introduced to the people of the world in a somewhat sensational manner
by the person or persons who were responsible for it.

The fears of the populace were, to some extent, allayed by this means,
and some degree of order restored.

* * * * *

At nine o'clock Dirk Vanderpool was shown into the council chamber in
the palace of Orlando Fragoni, and he was closely followed by Stanton.
Fragoni was already there, and he greeted the two men with a countenance
that was serene but that, nevertheless, revealed i