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.While the first was slowly and aimlessly proceeding automatically on this Page 57ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlorder, he shifted to the second device.In seconds he was watching the scout ship stop and then begin a series of movements to investigate the strange, tiny ship.They had it presently and bound it down tightly.In triumph they bore their prize into the city, and attached closely to a part of their landing gear where it was nearly invisible was the second investigator.Like a leech it clung to the trail as the first machine was taken to the space-ship port, investigated by higher, and yet higher, officers with curiosity-while at another receiving board Magyans listened carefully to all that was said there-and at last scientists were called in."I think it is a bomb-a sort of self-controlled torpedo," announced a physicist at length."Nonsense! The Magyans' brains are not so poor.They built this, surely, and it must be investigated carefully, but no bomb of this size is dangerous.I am interested to know the method of control.They are not being rained on the planet, why, then, did it happen to be here? Were there more?""None were seen, most excellent sir.""Meaning, fool, that you didn't look.""I stand in the guilt of negligence, most excellent sir," acknowledged the scout-ship commander."Ehuu-use your head-and your eyes, too, next time.Now-go out and look about."-The scout-ship man left hurriedly."I think it is a bomb," persisted the physicist, "and not necessarily a chemical one.Might it not be the store-house of much physical energy-an accumulator? Or a new and unknown kind of power-storage device, a bomb that will go off at any time?""More likely," suggested a chemist, "might it not be one of the bombs like those we are preparing-biologic bombs, full of germs; it could do untold damage.""Ehuu-what unpleasant ideas you have!" exclaimed the most excellent sir, hurriedly releasing the little things, and backing off, wiping his long-fingered hands."Can you test itT"I think it would be better," suggested the chemist, "to call our masters.This is indeed important.I believe thatHoo Ralsop would be interested, for this may be an idea of those from the other side,""That's interesting," said Spencer, "what they had to say about biologic bombs.Could they make them?""Oh, decidedly! They must have done it already.""That is all well, Aarn," said Anto Rayl contentedly."We are preparing already.How great will be their joy when they learn that their discussion has reached us in its entirety!""Sorry, Anto Rayl, but they won't.If I let Hoo Ralsop get so much as a glimpse of the interior, he'll know a number of things it isn't good for little Tefflans to know-such as how to make an antigravity power coil," Aarn pointed out."Hoo Ralsop says he will come, but is much annoyed, since we disturbed him in a perusal of the ancient plates," said an assistant as he returned from a telephonic device.He stooped momentarily, to pull something from between the halves of his left hoof, and suddenly started."By holy Renoo! That is no blank hole in the end-there is some potent force at work which twists light- distorts it.By all my physics, I swear it! That is a lens!""What? A lens? It is merely a magnetic-force wall of some kind!" scoffed a second Tefflan."Light does not bend so readily as that-it requires some substance.""Silence-listen to me!" snapped the discoverer of the force-lens."I say that Page 58ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlit is a lens.We shall see what Hoo Ralsop says, and, till then, say no more.If it is a lens-then this is a bomb.It is a bomb which will blow us up.with our own words-it is a spy machine-a device to slip about and learn, from our own lips and laboratories, our secrets.Probably something went wrong with the mechanism that made it go off its course and be discovered.If that be so, then surely it has ears as well as eyes.It may be sending back a beam of radio information at this instant.Put something over that eye."In an instant a container of some sort shut out the light from the investigator [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]