In vain, Lane cried swift warning, "No, lads! Don't fight! Let them take us if they must! Go peaceably!"
His words came too late. Already a Jovian had fallen beneath the thrust of a slashing blade. Another was gasping out his life in choking coils of the Martian kuugla, while bubbling screams of horror bespoke the whirling path of the cross-shaped Erosian weapon.
Then sheer weight of numbers overwhelmed the feeble defense. The Jovians smashed through the battling few, and their stronger weapons took harsh toll of those who had dared oppose them.
Gary saw two Earth mariners go down, Robinson and Mulasky, parched to cinders by the lethal flame of the universally employed needle-gun. He saw Bill Smikes, who had wielded the traal, literally torn to pieces by the vengeful hands of blue-skinned foemen. And another fell also; one innocent of any attack. Chief Engineer Sebold, whose only crime had been attempting to hurry his men to safety. A ray gun caught him, burning his legs out from under him as if they had been tinder. He toppled and fell forward, his grizzled old space-beaten face a mass of shock and incredulity.
With a cry Gary leaped to his side. But there was nothing to be done. The engineer was as good as dead ... and knew it. He twisted his writhing form to look up. His lips muttered thickly, "The foreign doctor! The filthy, murdering beast! He sold us out!"
Then a whiteness drained his lips ... and he was gone.
But with his passing ended—for the time being, at least—the slaughter. For now the Jovians had accomplished their end; had completely surrounded the Earth party, and held every member captive save those in the ship. Nor did they hold their freedom for long. At the Jovian leader's command a corps of warriors rushed the airlock. When they emerged a few minutes later they escorted with no gentleness Kang and Boris Anjers. Anjers' usually cherubic face was mottled with rage and scorn. As he was thrust into company with his comrades he pointed a quivering finger at Kang and screamed, "The yellow devil! He never pressed the button! The shield was never activated!"
O'Day, who during the brief affray had made no attempt to fight, but had leaped to the protection of the two girls, now glanced up from the pale golden creature whose slim form his arm still encircled to meet the eyes of Dr. Kang questioningly.
"Never pressed—But, Dr. Kang, why not?"