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And, hours later, they saw the giant red sun of Antseck, the star of Thett and its system. "We're about there," said Arcot, a peculiar tenseness showing in his thoughts. "Shall we barge right in, or wait and investigate?" "Well have to chance it. Where is their main fort here?" "From the direction, I should say it was to the left and ahead of our position," replied Zezdon Afthen.
"We have traveled far to find you, and now we have business of the utmost import. Ask these others to let us treat them, for we must do what we can in the least possible time. I will explain when all can understand. I am Zezdon Fentes, First Student of Thought. He who sits on my right is Zezdon Afthen, and he beyond him, is Zezdon Inthel, of Physics and of Chemistry, respectively."
"If it's none of my business, just say so," he began. "But that first city we saw the Thessians destroy it was Zezdon Fentes' home, wasn't it? Did he have a family?" The words seemed blunt as he said them, but there was no way out, once he had started. And Zezdon Afthen took the question with complete calm. "Fentes had both wives and children," he said quietly. "His loss was great."
"They have more much more I fear," replied Zezdon Afthen. "At any rate, we saw what they intended. If our world was inhabited, they would destroy every one on it, and then other men of their race were to float in on their great ships, and settle on that largest of our worlds. "We had to stop them so we did what we could. We had powerful machines, which would amplify and broadcast our thoughts.
You have been swept by their terrible rays that fuse mountains, then hurl them into space? Our world and the world of each of these men is similarly menaced. "See, here is Zezdon Afthen, from Ortol, far on the other side of the galaxy, and here is Stel Felso Theu, of Talso.
When you went close to your sun, the attraction was sufficient to curve space into a semblance of the natural conditions on their home planet, then your senses and the ship met a compromise condition which made it seem more or less normal, not so obviously strange to you. "But continue." Arcot looked at Afthen interestedly.
One of the tall, kindly-faced canine people was standing in the doorway now, the white light streaming out around him into the night, casting a grotesque shadow on the landing field, for all the flood lights bathing in it. Zezdon Afthen came up and spoke quickly to the man evidently in command of the ship.
It is true, the sun's gravitational field does decrease, by a minute amount, despite the fact that our sun loses a thousand million tons of matter every four minutes. The percentage change is minute, but the energy released is immeasurable. "But, I am going to invent a new power unit, Afthen. I will call it the 'sol, the power of a sun. One sol is the rating of our sun.
"Ortol developed a ray of light that made things not happen," explained Zezdon Afthen, his confused thoughts clearly indicating his own uncertainty. "'A ray of light that made things not happen," repeated Wade curiously.
Other men had arrived, men whom he met in his work. But there were Venerians here, too, in their protective suits, insulated against the cold of Earth, and against its atmosphere. "First, though, gentlemen, allow me to introduce Stel Felso Theu of the planet Talso, one of our allies in this struggle, and Zezdon Afthen and Fentes of Ortol, one of our other allies.
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