But to Hawk Ca.r.s.e the Green Planet was not home. He was the adventurer, and wanderer, the seeker of new places with the alluring l.u.s.tre of peril. Earth was to him little more than a port of call, and it brought him sadness to see how eagerly Leithgow stared at her growing face. Their parting was not far away now.

The _Sandra_ logged off the miles. Then came the day when only ten thousand were left, and, soon after, five thousand. Deceleration had long since been begun. Slightly but unvaryingly the ship's momentum slackened until she arrived at the two thousand mile mark, where the great curving stretch of the planet filled her bow windows, and the well-remembered continents and seas stood out as clearly as on a tilted cla.s.sroom globe.

Ca.r.s.e leaned musing in a corner of the control cabin, oblivious to the well-meaning but toneless voice with which Ban Wilson, at the electelscope was butchering a song. A gentle tap on the shoulder summoned him out of his study.

He turned and saw that Leithgow had come to him. Ca.r.s.e smiled at the old scientist, and said:

"Well, Eliot, we'll be in soon now. Apparently we've made it safely, and there's nothing to stand between you and the day you've waited for so long."

"Yes. But Ca.r.s.e--what of you? How long will you stay? I only wish I could persuade you--"

"To retire, Eliot? Settle down? Become a humdrum landlocked Earthling?" He chuckled, and shook his head. "No, no, old friend. Oh, I'll stay on Earth for a few weeks; I suppose I'll have to, to testify before the World Court of Justice when it takes up your case; but after that's settled, I'll be going back. You know me, Eliot: I'll never change. There are a number of things I must attend to at once.

My ship, the _Star Devil_, is still on Iapetus, remember; I must find her and get her tuned up again. She's the fastest craft in s.p.a.ce, bar none. Then I must make the round of my ranches and see that things are running smoothly. I've a lot of work on the Iapetus ranch, particularly. Then, there's that Pool of Radium--not that I need the wealth, if it really exists; but the job has killed so many who have sought for it that I'd like to take a crack at it myself. Oh, plenty to do!"

Leithgow looked at him, and there was all affection in his eyes, and friendship as close as it can be between men.

"No, Ca.r.s.e," said Leithgow softly. "I suppose Earth will never get her gravity on you for keeps. But I hope you will come down occasionally to see me, and perhaps once a year, say, spend a month with Sandra and me in our--"

"Ca.r.s.e!"

Ban shouted the name out. His face, turned from the electelscope, was alive with excitement.

"Here! Look!"

"What is it?"

"The asteroid! It's close!"

In two strides Ca.r.s.e was at the eyepiece of the infra-red gla.s.s attached to the instrument. One look through it served to verify Ban's report. The asteroid of Dr. Ku Sui had at last appeared.

It was not more than fifty miles from the _Sandra_, a craggy fragment of rock, peanut-shaped, and tipped by its gleaming dome. Its speed seemed the same as theirs, but its course was different; and to Ca.r.s.e, that fact immediately explained its sudden appearance. He turned from the eyepiece with a face grown hard and cold.

"Well, it's happened," he said. "Instead of a stern chase, which would give us some chance of spotting them, they at once got off to the side and have all this time been flanking us. Now they're cutting in, straight behind, no doubt ready for business. All right. Ban, sound the alarm."

Like a gladiator about to step sword in hand into the arena, the _Sandra_, though a ship never designed for s.p.a.ce duels, girded her loins and made herself ready for what at its best could only be an unequal struggle. She was outcla.s.sed in weapons, weight and speed--in all save pilots. She had Hawk Ca.r.s.e at her helm.

The harsh alarm bell at once rang through the ship, an emergency call to stations. Ca.r.s.e, at the controls, rapped out another order.

"Defensive web on, Ban, and build up power for the ray batteries."

As the echoes of the bell died, a piercing whine grew amidships, and shreds of blue light swiftly scattered by the _Sandra's_ ports. They were quickly gone, but they left behind an almost invisible envelope of blue which enwrapped the ship completely. The defensive web against attacking rays was on.

Friday tumbled into the control cabin, and on his heels two of Leithgow's a.s.sistants, the third being on duty with the patients.

Ca.r.s.e briefly explained what had happened. "Friday," he ordered, "you take the stern ray batteries. Ban--"

But Ban Wilson had returned to the electelscope, and it had given him more news. Interrupting, he cried out:

"They must be attacking! A light just flashed in the dome!"

With his words they all saw the light. The visi-screen, though it did not reveal the asteroid, showed the first weapon with which it struck--a l.u.s.trous ray of purple which in a blink had leaped out to the _Sandra_ and enfolded her. A shower of sparks crackled out from the ship's defensive web, but the purple ray continued.

"I don't know that ray, Eliot." Ca.r.s.e said. "What's on our speed indicator?"

The scientist's gasp was plainly audible as he read the dial. "Why, it--it's dropping! Much faster than our deceleration accounts for!

That ray--why, it must have magnetic properties! Ca.r.s.e, the asteroid's stopping us!"

CHAPTER XIV

_The Hawk Strikes_

No surprise showed on the Hawk's face, though the others were visibly shaken. He, at the helm, merely nodded and continued with further orders.

"Williams," he said to one of Leithgow's a.s.sistants, "get Thorpe and go and dose Ku Sui with V-27. Give him plenty. Then both of you station yourselves, ray guns in hand, outside his cabin. We'll take no chances with him, ga.s.sed or not. Friday, open our radio receiver to the general band. Just the receiver, not the mike.... Our speed, Eliot?"

"Down to seven hundred, and falling steadily."

Ca.r.s.e went to the electelscope, after giving the controls over to Ban.

Squarely behind the _Sandra_, and within twenty-five miles, the peanut-shaped body had come. It was an ominous and silent approach.

The _Sandra_ remained pinned by the purple ray for minutes while the Hawk studied her aggressor. As he watched the asteroid, the others watched him; Ban Wilson fidgety, Friday clenching and unclenching his big hands. Eliot Leithgow with whitened face and shoulders that seemed to have bowed a little.

The forward speed of the _Sandra_ decreased to four hundred miles an hour, and still the Hawk studied the ma.s.sive body behind....

A sputter sounded in the radio receiver. Ca.r.s.e turned away from the electelscope and listened to the heavy Venusian voice that was suddenly speaking to him from it.

"Ca.r.s.e, I've got you! You've seen our ray, of course, but have you looked at your speed-indicator? You're caught--and this time you're going to stay caught. You cannot possibly resist the magnetic ray I have on you, and in a few minutes you will be drawn right into me. I advise you to surrender peacefully. No tricks--though there's no trick that could do you any good! Nothing! I have you this time!"

A frosty smile tightened the Hawk's lips.

"I was right, Eliot," he murmured. "The man behind the panel took the asteroid to Lar Tantril. He is our opponent."

Those were his words, but he did nothing. He seemed content to stand with cold, intent face looking back through the infra-red electelscope. The _Sandra's_ speed sank to three hundred, two hundred and soon a hundred, and the asteroid, which was of course also decelerating, crept up remorselessly. Ban Wilson had every confidence in the Hawk, but finally the inaction grew too much for him to bear.

"Jumping Jupiter, Ca.r.s.e!" he sputtered. "--aren't you going to do anything? Use our rays! Try maneuvering to the side! d.a.m.n it, we're just letting them take us!"

The adventurer might not have heard, for all the sign he gave. The Earth-clock on the wall ticked on; seconds built minutes, and the minutes pa.s.sed. The asteroid was only ten miles astern.

"Eliot," said Ca.r.s.e quietly, "get me one of your infra-red gla.s.ses."