The professor described our powder-and-shot machines to the best of his ability. The king was puzzled.
"Don't they know anything about zet on your native orb?" he inquired.
"No," answered the professor. "There is no zet in our atmosphere."
"Suppose a company of my soldiers were to land on Earth, fully equipped with zetbais. Could they be resisted?"
Quinn shuddered.
"No, your majesty, they could not be resisted. With your wonderful zetbais you could conquer and lay waste the entire planet. Candor compels me to tell you this, knowing full well that such a result would not be possible to you."
"Why impossible?" cried the king, with wild enthusiasm. "You and your friends must have come hither in that strange house which fell into the crater. Why could I not load a company of my soldiers into the house and go back with you?"
Then, and only then, did we see what this crack-brained monarch was driving at. Quinn was in trepidation over the outcome.
"Such a thing is not to be thought of!" he cried. "Your majesty, let me beg you not to give your attention to such a quixotic project!"
"I am fully resolved!" exclaimed the king, striding up and down with clinched hands. "It is a very alluring picture you give me of this planet called Earth. I'll conquer it, annex it and own it."