l room, and at the extreme stern was the observatory. The
observatory was equipped with a small but exceedingly powerful
telectroscope, developed from those the Nigrans had left on one of the
deserted planets Sol had captured in return for the loss of Pluto to the
Black Star. The arc commanded by the instrument was not great, but it
was easy to turn the ship about, and most of their observations could be
made without trouble.

Each of the men had a room of his own; there was a small galley and a
library equipped with all the books the four men could think of as being
useful. The books and all other equipment were clamped in place to keep
them from flying around loose when the ship accelerated.

The control room at the nose was surrounded by a hemisphere of
transparent lux metal which enabled them to see in every direction
except directly behind, and even that blind spot could be covered by
stationing a man in the observatory.

There were heat projectors and molecular ray projectors, each operated
from the control room in the nose. To complete the armament, there were
more projectors in the stern, controlled from the observatory, and a
set on either side controlled from the library and the galley.

The ship was provisioned for two years--two years without stops. With
the possibility of stopping on other planets, the four men could exist
indefinitely in the ship.

After the two older men had been shown all through the intergalactic
vessel, the elder Arcot turned to his old friend. "Morey, it looks as if
it was time for us to leave the _Ancient Mariner_ to her pilots!"

"I guess you're right. Well--I'll just say goodbye--but you all know
there's a lot more I could say." Morey senior looked at them and started
toward the airlock.

"Goodbye, son," said the elder Arcot. "Goodbye, men. I'll be expecting
you any time within two years. We can have no warning, I suppose; your
ship will outrace the radio beam. Goodbye." Dr. Arcot joined his old
friend and they went outside.

The heavy lux metal door slid into place behind them, and the thick
plastic cushions sealed the entrance to the airlock.

The workmen and the other personnel around the ship cleared the area and
stood well back from the great hull. The two older men waved to the men
inside the ship.

Suddenly the ship trembled, and rose toward the sky.

V

Arcot, at the controls of the _Ancient Mariner_, increased the
acceleration as the ship speared up