"He's through," Bonwitt returned easily. "Fired; I'll bet."
"Me, too. But, sa-ay! Look at that!" Crane flung up his arms against a
glare that blazed suddenly through the forward ports.
Directly ahead was a broad flat crater that shimmered in the sun's
unobscured rays like a gigantic mirror of polished silver.
"Mercury!" gasped Bonwitt. "A lake of mercury ten miles across. No
one's ever reported _that_."
"I'll bet Peterson knew about it. Look, he's circling."
It was so. The engineer flung his little ship off toward the east to
avoid detection. They speeded out of the sun's reflection from that
lake of mercury. Its unrippled surface rose rapidly off starboard and
was blotted out by the crater wall that enclosed it.
Then the leading ship had landed. Bonwitt maneuvered to land in the
shadow of a huge boulder. Clambering into their space-suits, they
jumped the twelve feet to the powdery footing underneath. As easily as
they'd have dropped two feet in earth gravity.
Space-suited likewise, Peterson and Gates ducked into the dark opening
of a cavern mouth. Bonwitt and Crane sneaked after them. Inside the
cave entrance was instant, utter blackness.
"Crane, where are you?" the engineer asked softly. For reply there came
a crash as of the pinnacle of Proclus toppling on his helmet and a
swirling burst of stars such as had never graced the firmament.
After that, Bonwitt slipped into blackness.
* * * * *
He awoke with splitting head and a red film before his eyes. Two
blurred figures were bending over him. He examined an egg-sized bump
on his head with languidly exploring fingers. His helmet was off. The
figures were those of Crane and Peterson. Damn! Bonwitt sat up jerkily
and the effort set his head swimming and throbbing.
The super was grinning his sardonic grin; Crane was grimacing a
warning. "They've got us, old man," he said. "Might as well make the
best of it. Here, let me help you up."
With his aid, the engineer rose up and stood groggily swaying.
Peterson, legs wide, bristly brows close, sneered at the big Earthman.
"What'd you hit me with, a tractor? Or was it a meteor that fell?"
grunted Bonwitt, gingerly fingering the lump on his head.
Peterson's sneer relaxed. "Now you're using sense," he approved. "If
you'da come up fighting it'da been just too bad for you."
The engineer spied a curiously shaped weapon in Peterson's belt.
Entirely unfamiliar but looking mighty dangerous with its ugly flaring
snout and the cooling discs along its stubby barrel.
"All right," said the super. "Your side-kick'll tell you more about
things here. Play ball and you're okay. We may even find jobs for the
two of you. But no monkey business."
The man turned on his heel and disappeared through the arched door.
Bonwitt saw they were in a circular chamber lined with bluish metal.
His gray eyes questioned Crane.
"They jumped me and tied me in a knot," the ethertype man explained.
"Gates slammed you down, the rat!"
"How long was I out?"
"An hour or so. And you won't believe what you see here. Can you walk
now?"