uld be left alive--even in a world of darkness.

* * * * *

Through the television disc I searched the swamp. As I had half
suspected, the filthy ooze held the young of this race of things:
grub-like creatures that flipped their heavy bodies about in the
slime, alarmed by the light which searched them out.

"All disintegrator rays on the swamp," I ordered. "Sweep it from
margin to margin. Let nothing be left alive there."

I had a well trained crew. The disintegrator rays massed themselves
into a marching wall of death, and swept up and down the swamp as a
plough turns its furrows.

It was easy to trace their passage, for behind them the swamp
disappeared, leaving in its stead row after row of broad, dusty paths.
When we had finished there was no swamp: there was only a naked area
upon which nothing lived, and upon which, for many years, nothing
would grow.

"Good work," I commended the disintegrator ray men. "Cease action."
And then, to Correy, "Put her on her course again, please."

* * * * *

An hour went by. We passed several more of the strange, damp circular
cities, differing from the first we had seen only in the matter of
size. Another hour passed, and I became anxious. If we were on our
proper course, and I had understood the Chisee messenger correctly, we
should be very close to the governing city. We should--

The waving beam of one of the searchlights came suddenly to rest.
Three or four other beams followed it--and then all the others.

"Large city to port, sir!" called Croy excitedly.

"Thank you. I believe it is our destination. Cut all searchlights
except the forward beam. Mr. Correy!"

"Yes, sir."

"You can take her over visually now, I believe. The forward
searchlight beam will keep our destination in view for you. Set her
down cautiously in the center of the city in any suitable place.
And--remain at the controls ready for any orders, and have the
operating room crew do likewise."

"Yes, sir," said Correy crisply.

With a tenseness I could not control, I bent over the hooded
television disc and studied the mighty governing city of the Chisee.

* * * * *

The governing city of the Chisee was not unlike the others we had
seen, save that it was very much larger, and had eight spoke-like
streets radiating from its center, instead of four. The protective
wall was both thicker and higher.

Th