A city of domes and towers and minarets lay in the midst of a sandy plain of angry scarlet, and the Eagle sped through the thin air envelope of Mars toward it. Shawn, however, was cautious. He grounded his spaceship several miles from the metropolis, safely hidden behind a low ridge.
EagleHeffley was testing the air. “It’s okay,” he said. “No harmful gases. A little short on oxygen, but we can breathe it.”
“What’s the plan?” Lorna asked. Shawn shook his head.
“We’ll make it as we go along. If the golden fleet came from Mars, we’ve reached our destination. If not—” He pointed up. “We’ll search further. Pete, come along with me. We’ll scout around. The rest of you, stay in the ship.”
Trost, heavily armed, opened the space lock. Shawn followed him out, pausing to say, “We’ll be back befor
