“No seeds such as we know, true. But what, after all, do we know of the types of life to be found on other planets?”
“Nothing, of course. Only these didn’t come from a planet. They came from a comet.”
“And who can say a comet is not a disintegrated planet? Or suppose we take the other theory, that it is an eruption from some sun, ours or another. In any event, who can say no life can survive intense heat? Certainly these seeds—or call them meteorites, if you choose—came through the ordeal curiously unscathed.”
“Yes, that’s true. Funny, too!”
“And another thing is true, Jim. If by chance they should be seeds, and should germinate, the life they would produce would be something quite alien to our experience, possibly quite inimical to—”
Professor Wentworth broke off abruptly as a startled cry came from Joan, and, turning, they saw her standing with eyes fixed in fascinated horror on the laboratory table.
Following her gaze, Jim saw something that caused his own eyes to bulge. The color of those mysterious orange spheres had suddenly, ominously heightened. They lay glowing there like balls of fire.
“Good God!” he gasped. “Look, Professor! Do you see that?”
Professor Wentworth did not answer but himself stood gazing spellbound at the astounding scene.