Prokle had just turned a worried face to Garth, and the latter moved forward to take the controls ... when the swarm abruptly thinned. They were in the comparative emptiness of space again, with only tiny pebbles peppering their hull harmlessly. Prokle slumped in relief.
But the relief was brief.
"Look," Garth said, pointing.
Far ahead, directly in their trajectory, a pinpoint of light was discernible. It did not remain a pinpoint long. They watched it grow nearer and larger and slowly take shape. Another swarm, seemingly a large one. But gradually they saw that it was, rather, one very large mass with lesser ones speeding along behind it. The large mass turned lazily on a vertical axis, the sunlight striking it sharply.
Then, without the slightest warning, Prokle gave a short gurgling cry. He lurched up from the seat and backward against Garth, clutching at him. Garth could only stare at Prokle in amazement as the latter pointed, in a kind of horror, through the glassite prow.
Garth pressed forward and looked. Now he saw clearly. An involuntary sharp gasp hissed through his clenched teeth.
The large rock ahead, turning on its axis, had suddenly presented a new contour. Due to its formation and the way the sun struck it, it now seemed almost a perfect, though rough-hewn, death's-head!
In fascination rather than horror, Garth watched the rock turning slowly. A minute later, considerably larger, the semblance was directly facing them—undeniably the rough shape of a human skull, all leprously sun-illumined, seeming to grin a sardonic welcome as it came nearer. Deep shadowy gorges were in the places where the eyes would have been. Then it slowly revolved away, and the semblance was lost.
"Very cute, huh?" Garth said, quickly taking over the controls. "Nature's a grand comedian sometimes. I've seen some queer sights out here, but never anything like that!" And he added with grim humor: "Well, that's undoubtedly the baby we're looking for, the one we've got to contact. About twenty miles diameter. Glad you came along?"
Prokle hadn't quite gotten over the initial shock. He started to snap a reply, then clamped his teeth as he remembered something. He smiled wryly and said: