proboscis. The chin was receding almost to the point of disappearance, so that the
mouth, with its multiple rows of small, sharp, gleaming-white teeth, was almost hidden
under the face instead of being a part of it. Such were the hexans, at whom the Big
Three stared in undisguised amazement.
“Attention, please!” Newton called the meeting to order. “We have learned that all
the passengers of the Arcturus, and all the crew save three, are alive and safe for the
time being. Most of them are upon the satellite Europa. However, I understand that we
are not yet sufficiently well armed to withstand an attack in force, such as will certainly
develop when we move to rescue them. This seems to be a war of applied
physics—Doctor Brandon, as spokesman for the scientific forces of the expedition, what
are your suggestions?”
“Anticipating an attack in response to signals probably sent out by the enemy, I
headed directly south immediately. We are now well south of the ecliptic, and are
traveling at considerably more than full Martian acceleration. Before making any
suggestions, I should like to hear from Captain Czuv, who is more familiar than are we
with the common enemy. Are they apt to follow us, can they detect us if we should drift
at constant velocity, and can we search the brains of the prisoners with his Callistonian
thought-exchanger, if he should build one with our help ?”
“If they are close enough to us to overtake us without too much lost time they will
certainly attack us,” Czuv answered at a nod from Newton. “Ordinarily they would
pursue us to the limits of the Solar System if necessary, but since they have suffered
reverses of late and cannot spare any vessels they will probably not pursue us far. Yes,
they can detect us, even without the driving rays, since this vessel uses much low-
tension, low-frequency electricity in its automatic machinery, lights and so on. No; our
thought-transformer cannot take thoughts by force, and the hexans will exchange no
ideas with us. They are implacable and deadly foes of all humanity, irrespective of
planet or race. Mercy is to them unknown—they neither give nor take quarter.”
“I can bear him out in that,” Crowninshield interposed grimly. “The first one to
recover snapped our ordinary handcuffs like so much thread and literally tore four men
to pieces before the rest of us could ray him. Will you need me longer, Director
Newton?”
“I think not, General. Captain Czuv, you have made no headway with them?”
“None whatever, as I foretold. They understand me thoroughly, since two of them
speak my own tongue, but nothing that they have said can even be repeated here. I
knew from the first that all such attempts would be fruitless, but I have tried—and failed.
I suggest what I suggested at first—put them to death, here and now as they lie there,
for most assuredly they will in some way contrive to take toll of lives of your own
humanity if you allow them to live.”
“You may be right, but neither the General nor myself can give the order for their
death, since Inter-Planetary law does not countenance such summary action. However,
the guards are fully warned of the peril, and will ray every prisoner at the first sign of
unruliness. General Crowninshield, you may remove the prisoners and deal with them in
accordance with . . .”
Pandemonium reigned. At Crowninshield’s signal for the guards to leave the
room with their captives, all six had strained furiously at their bonds and three of them
had broken free in a flash, throwing themselves upon the guards with unthinkable
ferocity. Stevens, seeing a ray-projector in a hand of one of the prisoners, hurled his
heavy chair instantly and with terrific force. The projector flew into the air, shattered and
useless, while the hexan was knocked into a corner by the momentum of the massive
projectile and lay there, stunned and broken. Brandon, likewise reacting
instantaneously, had bent over and seized a leg of the table, bracing his knee against
the corner. With a mighty lunge of his powerful body he wrenched out the support and
with a continuation of the same motion he brought the jagged oak head of his terrible
club down full upon the crown of the second hexan, who had already torn one guard
apart and was leaping toward Czuv, his hereditary foe. In mid-flight he was dashed to
the floor, his head a shapeless, pulpy mass, and Brandon, bludgeon again aloft, strode
deeper into the fray. For a brief moment searing lethal beams probed here and there,
chains clanked and snapped, once more that ponderous and irresistible oaken mace fell
like the hammer of Thor, again spattering brains and blood abroad as it descended —
then again came silence. The six erstwhile prisoners lay dead, but they had taken five of
the guards with them—literally dismembered, hideously torn limb from limb by the
superhuman, incredible physical strength and utter ferocity of the hexans.
By common consent the meeting was adjourned to another room, for the
business in hand could not be postponed.
“Captain Czuv was right—we Tellurians could not believe in the existence of
such a race without the evidence of our own senses,” Newton re-opened the meeting.
“From this time on we take no prisoners. Doctor Brandon, you may resume.”
“The detectors and lookouts will give ample warning of any attack, and Doctor
Westfall has suggested that we should have all possible facts at hand before we try to
decide upon a course of action. We should like to hear the full reports of Captain King,
Captain Czuv, Chief Pilot Breckenridge, and Doctor Stevens.”
The four men told their stories tersely and rapidly, while the others listened in
deep attention. As the last speaker sat down Newton again turned to Brandon, who
silently jerked his head at Westfall, knowing his own inadequacy in such a
situation—realizing that here was needed Westfall!s cold and methodical thinking.
“Director Newton and gentlemen,” Westfall spoke calmly and precisely. “We have
much to do before we will be able to meet the hexans upon equal terms. We have many
new fields of force and rays to develop, of whose nature and necessity Doctor Brandon
is already aware. Then, too, we must recalculate our visirays so that we can operate at
greater range and efficiency. We must also examine the hexan space-ship which we are
towing, to do which it will be desirable to drift at constant velocity for a time. In it we may
find instruments or devices as yet unknown to us. It also occurs to me that since this is
an Inter-Planetary Police problem of the first magnitude we should at once get in touch
with Police Headquarters, so that the Peace Fleet can be armed as we ourselves are, or
shall be, armed; for a large and highly efficient fleet will be necessary to do that which
must be done. It is, of course, a foregone conclusion that Inter-Planetary humanity .will
support the humanity of Callisto against the hexans.
“It is also self-evident that we must stay here and rescue the Tellurians now upon
Europa and Callisto, but we are not yet in position to decide just how that rescue is to
be accomplished. Four courses are apparently open to us. First, to attempt it as soon as
we shall have strengthened our armament as much as is now possible. That would
invite a massed attack, and in my opinion would be foolish— probably suicidal. Second,
to stand by at a distance until the rocket-ship is launched, then to escort it back to the
Earth. Third, to aid the Callistonians as much as possible while awaiting the completion
of the rocket-vessel. Fourth, and perhaps the most feasible and quickest, it may be
possible for the Callistonian rocket-ships to bring our fellow-Tellurians, a few at a time,
to us here out in space, since they are apparently able to come and go at will. However,
I would recommend that we make no plans for the rescue as yet—there is little use in
attempting to deal with an ever-changing situation until we are ready to act forthwith. I
suggest that we strengthen our offensive and defensive armament first, then secure
information as to the exact status of affairs, both upon Callisto and upon Europa. Then,
ready to act, we will do at once whatever seems called for by the situation then
obtaining.”
“The program as outlined seems eminently sensible— are there any comments
or suggestions ?” None being offered, Director Newton adjourned the meeting and each
man attacked his particular problem.
True to Czuv’s prediction the hexans did not deem it worth while to pursue the
Terrestrial vessel, so obviously and so earnestly fleeing from them, and shortly the
acceleration was cut off, to render possible a thorough study of the two halves of the
spherical warship of the enemy. Scientists donned space-suits and studied every