ting almost twenty years.

A circle of buildings formed the foundation of the immense metal
ceiling, as well as housing thousands of inhabitants. The back walls of
the structures were always blank, toward the vapor beyond the miniature
civilization. Each city was a world of its own, with a curved horizon at
the top of the buildings.

In Yarbro's dome there were few means of travel, as every inch of soil
was cultivated. The dome dwellers were past masters at farming, and
loved this work more than any other type of labor. To them, it was a
pleasure that vied with amusement machines of other cities.

When Mrs. Yarbro entered her new apartment, thirty stories above the
ground, and stepped to one of the balconies, the view was superb. She
was not interested in the next dome, but wanted to settle her own domain
as soon as possible; completely happy.

The rest of the party entered an open car, mounted on a single track,
and started for the next city. Every object that moved was operated by
the control of gravity, and could develop enormous speed and power. It
rolled swiftly across the open ground, to enter a tunnel three hundred
feet wide, which carried all of the commerce between the cities. When it
emerged in the next dome, the imitation sky was the same, but only a
small portion of the ground surface was cultivated.

Small buildings dotted the level floor, which Morquil explained were the
entrances of the mines, unworked for many years. Jerold Brown and his
wife remained in this city, in an apartment as well situated as that of
the Yarbro's, in the first dome.

Hours passed as they moved from city to city. When they reached the
capitol, only the Barrows, McCarthys and Martins remained of the
original fourteen. The others were in their own domes, settling down to
the new existence.

Every occupation seemed to have been forgotten by the childish people,
to come and welcome the beings from another planet. They lined every
inch of the way, many deep.

The main dome was three times the size of the others. Supporting
pillars, one hundred feet in diameter, seemed vague where they touched
the ceiling above. Parks covered most of the ground, dotted here and
there by amusement buildings and theaters.

Cars whizzed back and forth, as people gathered to see the strangers.
For the first time in generations the amusement buildings were deserted.
Since their arrival, Dick had seen no sign of work, and finally
questioned Morquil