"How long?” Thorn asked hoarsely. “How long have you two lived thus on this world?"
At this the tall radioactive man pointed to his companion. “This is Chan Gray, who came from Mars to explore Erebus five centuries ago—"
"Five centuries ago!” Thorn cried dazedly. “You mean that he's been living here, in that horrible state, for five hundred years?"
"The thing's not possible” exclaimed Gunner Welk thickly.
The taller radioactive man answered heavily. “He has been living thus five centuries, yes. I was here when he came. For I have dwelt, as you see me now on, Erebus for nine centuries. I landed on this devil world in two thousand and six."
"That can't be!” objected John Thorn. “Why, in two thousand and six interplanetary travel was only a few years old! The only men who had made space-flights by that date were Robert Roth himself, the first of them all, and his lieutenant, Clymer Nison."
Thorn's voice broke off as he stared in shaken horror and recognition into the glowing face of the tall radioactive man.
"God above!” Thorn choked. “Your face! I thought it was familiar from pictures. You — Clymer—"
"I am Clymer Nison, yes,” answered the tall glowing man dully.
A spell held the Planeteers, a trance of stupefaction and awe, as they stared at the man before them. A man whose name had been famous in the system's history for nine hundred years, whose name stood second only to that of Robert Roth in the great roll of the space-pioneers.