There was but one thing for Gary Lane to do. He spun toward the ship, shouted, "The force-shield, Dr. Kang! Turn it on!"
Then, with a sigh of assurance that they were safe from their attackers, to his comrades he said mournfully, "Well, we might as well go back to the ship. They don't seem to believe us. Guess we'll have to talk to them by radio until we can make them understand—"
Then the shrill cry of Nora Powell brought his words to an abrupt end.
"The barrier, Gary! It's not working! Look! They're breaking through!"
And Gary whirled again to see. In truth, there was no invisible shield to stay the advance of the onrushing Jovians. Already the vanguard of the blue-skinned warriors was rushing down upon his band, and already the startled Earthmen were preparing to combat this unexpected threat.
They were, or had been, men of the Space Patrol. They had no intention of surrendering meekly to a force of an alien planet, no matter how out-numbered or outarmed.
The voice of Herby Hawkins cried in shrill dismay, "Why, the blue blighters! Wot scum! Let 'em 'ave it, boys!"
And though guns had been forbidden the landing party, other but still formidable weapons appeared miraculously in space-bronzed fists. Sheath knives and leaded knucks, a Martian kuugla, an Erosian traal.[8]