"Shift the blue column away from the Earth! Do not interfere as we return to our orbit about the sun! Obey, or I combine the total knowledge of Mars, the Earth, and the Moon in an attack against you and your Martian ally! Inform your ally that their people will not return, that the Earth has need of them--but that two Gens of Earth will be received by Martians in perfect amity, and these Gens allowed biding places on Mars! Unless your ally obeys, the Martians in my hands will be destroyed!"
In an hour the answer came, the snarling thought-answer of Dalis.
"We hear! We obey! But Dalis is never beaten while he lives! His day will come!"
Sarka found himself feeling even a little sorry for sorely beaten Dalis; but his face was grim as he sent another command to the people of Dalis who had passed through the life-source of the Moon.
"Take command of the cubes, and force them to repair the damage which has been done to the dwellings of men--to repair them completely, over all the face of the Earth!"
As the glowing people hurried to obey, Sarka softly asked his father:
"But what shall we do with the Martians?"
"Release them and send them to the lowest level where, guarded by the cubes, they will be set to constructing fireballs like those in which they arrived for the use of Earth if Dalis, or the Martians, ever attack again! And, son...."
"I have another suggestion for the employment of the cubes! Let them build aircars to be used by the Gens of Prull and of Klaser, as transportation to Mars whenever you are ready for them to go!"
"Yes, O my father; and is there anything else?"
"Yes! Take Jaska as your mate! Do you not see that she is waiting for you to speak?"
Sarka turned to Jaska, whose face was glorious in her surrender, and whose lips were parted in a loving smile--which faded only when Sarka's lips caressed it away.
_A Meeting Place for Readers of_ Astounding Stories]
I am taking the privilege of writing to you in an endeavor to show my appreciation of your magazine Astounding Stories.
Although I am an inveterate reader I must say that I have never read any book or magazine to come up to the above, and confess that though I am ignorant of the intricacies of science (and lacked interest in same prior to my reading your first issue) same is described so plainly that I have no trouble in fully understanding exactly what the author conveys. I must thank you for this other interest in the monotony of life.