ange of staff, the
unloading of supplies and the news from home. But when the next landing
took place, they themselves would be waiting, young and eager, to go
back and start life afresh.

Gillian Murray was looking toward the door behind them, her lovely
profile turned in his direction. He followed the line of her gaze.
There, in the hallway, stood the two house servants, man and wife. They
had both arrived on the relief spaceboat a month ago, a comfortable,
middle-aged couple. Now they were almost like children, leaping up and
down with impatience, counting every second which brought Captain Ross
nearer--young, graceful creatures, hand in hand, reunited in their
youth.

Delman found himself smiling in sympathy. "Yes," he said, "those are the
vital years."

"I was just thinking the same thing." She turned to him. There were
tears of happiness in her eyes. At that moment, he caught a glimpse of
her real beauty, something deeper than the merely physical--a purity of
expression mirrored from within, clear and composed, like a reflection
of the soul.

"There it is!" Walter Pellinger announced excitedly. He pointed.

Out in the distance, a small speck hurtled toward them. Soon it would
streak low overhead, until a final burst from the jets brought it to a
halt at the far end of the runway.

The two young servants could restrain themselves no longer. Oblivious to
danger, they began to run down the side of the landing-strip, racing
toward a spot parallel to where they knew the spaceboat would draw to a
standstill.

It was John Bridge who noticed them. The others were all looking in the
opposite direction. He leaped to his feet and dashed outside.

"Come back!" he yelled. "For God's sake, come back! You'll get caught by
the blast!"

* * * * *

They were so intent that they paid no heed to him. He ran on after them,
trying to make himself heard, forgetful of his own peril.

"Look!" The strong fingers of Jason Tarsh dug deep into the lawyer's
arm. Delman turned instinctively. Nearly four hundred yards away, three
figures stumbled back toward the house.

"It's too late," Delman said. "Get down, all of you! If Ross sees them,
he may try to overshoot. If he's going too slowly, he'll have to use the
rear jets and they might splash us. Get down!"

[Illustration]

They flattened themselves out on the floor of the veranda.

Above them, the thin whine of the approaching craft switched i