He turned to the controls and a moment later the Astralite began to accelerate. There was a limit to the speed they could reach as they would have to shunt again soon to keep from smashing against the red planet. Unless—
"Why not?" asked Arundell, following Broster's evident thoughts.
"They apparently want us to land on the planet. So we do go for it, then shunt aside at the last minute."
At first, it seemed as if the Astralite would leave the others behind, but it was soon apparent that the unknown ships could keep up with her. In fact were closing in.
There was one pursuer behind them that seemed to Kendall, as he watched through the lens, almost to be upon them. It was, he knew, some half-mile away in reality. He could see the curiously pitted nose of the craft, note the weirdly-streamlined mass. He observed, with astonishment, a little piece of wire seemingly flying loose from a bearing on one of the strange ships, which was streaming off behind as if in a stiff breeze. Yet space about them was empty!
"Look out!" called Seaward from the forward scope. "Here's more of them."
Coming around the planet from behind, spreading out along the side as if to form a welcoming arch were more of the weird ships.
"That ties it," exclaimed Broster. "We'll never be able to pass the planet. It's either land or crash."