And then a single object on the far side of the palace ruins focused in his vision. Stone and debris were piled high there, but the little, crudely-built space ship with which he and Ga-Marr had escaped from the unknown planet had escaped damage. For a moment Standish's brow furrowed in thought; then he uttered an exclamation.
"To the Phantom!" he said. "There may yet be a way...."
With Ga-Marr supported by Standish, they hurried down the debris-choked streets and across to the landing field. Reaching the ship, the Earthman turned his crew of twenty-four over to Dar-Ley, ordering them to leave at once for the hills where they were to aid the Lyrians.
"But what are you going to do without a crew?" objected Dar-Ley.
Standish's face was a block of granite. "I'm going to fight trickery with trickery," he said.
Then the Earthman and Ga-Marr entered the destroyer alone. Slowly, Standish guided the big ship over the ruins of the city of Calthedra. Above the palace, he suddenly shot out the magnetic grappling bars and secured the little space ship.
"What can you do with that?" Ga-Marr frowned. "The thing has little power and...."
But Standish, lips set hard, was moving the controls with silent determination. Up the Phantom shot, boring forward like a hound to the hunt, carrying the crude little ship with it. Standish threw over the accelerator to the farthest notch and switched on both boosters. He motioned Ga-Marr into the control seat.
"Head directly for Earth. I'm going back and see if I can get a little more speed out of those motors."