The green-faced captain nodded nervously. “You've guessed it. We were here two days, before Cheerly figured out a way to protect them when they left the mountain. He figured that since the asterium of this mountain is proof against the radioactive emanations out there, he would melt some of the asterium and coat their space-suits with it to make them ray-proof. That's what he did, and it worked all right."
The first Planeteer looked grim. “It'll work for us, too, then!” John Thorn declared. “We'll proof three space-suits for ourselves at once, and go after Cheerly and Lana. We've got to overtake them before they find that radite — for Cheerly will do away with Lana as soon as he has the stuff!"
"But, boy, can't I go with you Planeteers?” old Stilicho pleaded.
"You're needed to stay here and see that these prisoners don't break loose,” Thorn told him. “Take some men back over to the Venture now, and bring it over and park it beside this cruiser. We've got to work rapidly to overtake Cheerly."
Soon the Venture had been brought over the mountain, and settled down beside the Gargol, the Saturnian cruiser. The prisoners were locked in a compartment of their own ship, and a guard set over them.
"You needn't be afraid of us following you out there,” the Saturnian captain told Thorn, with a shiver. “There's none of us would dream of going out in those deadly deserts, among God knows what kind of shining demons that roam there."
"Shining demons?” Sual Av asked the green man. “What are you talking about?"
"We've seen them, from atop the mountain here,” the Saturnian answered with a shudder. “Glowing, unearthly creatures of some kind far out on the blue haze. I don't know what they are."
"You must have seen some dustwhirls, that's all,” Thorn clipped. “Come on, Sual!"
The Planeteers set to work with urgent haste, helped by a party of Stilicho's men. They found the atomic furnace which Jenk Cheerly had set up to melt some asterium was still in place. They had it going in a few minutes.