vail them nothing: it was an
impossible task now. The construction of the great shell had been a
different matter; there was some natural atmosphere remaining in those
days. And, finally, they would suffocate, every last one of them.
They'd die miserably, purple of face and with swollen tongues
protruding.

* * * * *

The open door led to a railed-in balcony that looked out over the dome
room. Machines still hummed there but the place was deserted save for a
few scattered corpses: probably those of the Llotta who had objected
when Denari usurped the throne.

A second door opened from the balcony into the store room of the
moon-suits. At least these helmeted contraptions resembled the
so-called moon-suits used by inhabitants of the inner planets when they
visited a body having no atmosphere.

Ulana needed some assistance with the bulky equipment, and then Blaine
climbed into another of the suits and locked his helmet. A moment later
they were in the air-lock with Tommy, who had attired himself more
quickly and was operating the controls.

At the outer hatch they waited until the air pressure reduced to a
practically complete vacuum. Their suits distended ludicrously now by
the pressure within, they unclamped the hatch and stepped out to the
surface of the great copper shell. It vibrated under their feet to the
blast from the huge gap that was not five miles distant.

The RX8 was there as Dantor had said, a slim tapered, cylinder that
gleamed, a thing of beauty, in the reflected light of Jupiter which now
was millions of miles distant. The sun was not visible and the light of
the mother planet cast long shadows on the copper plates. Pelting ice
particles clattered resoundingly against the metal helmets: frozen
moisture from the escaping air of Antrid.

Blaine cried out in surprise; then remembered his companions could not
hear him. There were moving shadows over there, four of them, nearing
the hull of the RX8. The Llotta had beat them to it. Denari, no doubt,
intending to escape with a chosen few of his subjects. He broke into a
run through the now blinding hail storm. He would have to head them
off; else, Ulana was lost, they all were lost.

CHAPTER XII

_The Last of Antrid_

Tommy was running beside him now and Ulana was not far behind. They too
had seen the danger. If they could not reach the vessel ahead of the
Llotta; would not fight them off and gain pos