Artana met them, his face a thundercloud. He handed Ross a ray-typed
message. "This came just before you landed," he said tensely.
Before Ross could read the message, the name signed to it caught his
eye. Horta! The Lord of the Caverns was coming out of his silence! And
with what a greeting! "Know, O Queen," read Horta's message, "that I
have destroyed three of the Earth-ships, as I shall destroy all who
fly against the destiny of the Moon Kingdom. Know, too, that I have
destroyed a second Earth city, the place called Los Angeles, as a
warning to the Earth people that their destiny is not ours."
Ross read it with a sinking heart. Los Angeles! A city of two million
people, destroyed! Then it was Horta who had wiped out Nagasaki!
Moore pounced on that thought. "Nagasaki, then Los Angeles!" he
muttered.