"That must be what has happened,” Thorn agreed. “And any ship that landed here would instantly also become radioactive in every particle, from the same cause."
They trudged on. Weird journey across a blue-hazed planet beneath the eternally nighted sky! On over the desert, crunching the feebly glowing sands beneath their feet, constantly aware that the failure of the asterium coating on their spacesuits would mean death.
They steered by the stars, for the black metal mountain had dropped from sight behind them. Infinitely strange it seemed, on this outermost world so far from the sun, to look up into the dusky sky and see there the familiar, glittering constellations!
Then they glimpsed the western mountains in the distance ahead, looming low, dark and barren-looking through the drifting blue mists. The Planeteers held toward those dreary peaks.
"I see someone ahead!” exclaimed Sual AV suddenly, stopping, “Someone coming toward us."
"It must be Cheerly coming back"’ cried Gunner, his hand darting to the asterium-coated atom-pistol belted outside his spacesuit.
Thorn's heart went cold with fear. If Cheerly was coming back with the radite, it meant Lana was already dead.
"No!” Sual AV cried, stupefied. “It's not Cheerly and his men. Look, it's something shining!"
"Good God, can there be any truth in what those Saturnians told of having seen shining demons out here?” Thorn exclaimed hoarsely.
For the two creatures moving toward them through the blue mists were unbelievable! They were man-formed creatures, but they were glowing with soft blue light!