FOR just a moment I tried to think who might be attacking us. Inhabitants of Venus, perhaps, who had detected our intrusion of their world and who were taking steps to end it immediately. Then I had no chance to think further. Augie and Charlie grabbed me bodily and half-carried, half-dragged me across the sand to the water. For some reason which I did not then understand our prisoners seemed curiously undisturbed; at least they made no attempt to stop us or to interfere in any way.
FORA second rocket missile whistled overhead and dropped into the water. I looked up quickly at the Big Boat to see if it had been hit. Apparently it was all right. The emergency light was still blinking, urging us to get back as quickly as possible. The rubber boat that had started out for us had turned back,
