from each other, they began to follow as Abna led the way. And they continued to follow through the whole distance, pausing at last to look in silent awe upon the immense mass of the Ultra. Even then they did not converse with each other, maintaining their odd separation.
Abna opened the airlock and led the way into the control room, after which he had some trouble in making the six men understand that they were not in any way in danger. Finally one of them seemed willing to take a chance, and cautiously entered the control room to look about him.
From this beginning Abna went by easy stages, until he had completely secured the man’s confidence—then, with the other men peering in interestedly at the doorway, he went to work with the Language Instructor, a helmet controlled electrically which, when placed on the head, automatically transferred all the knowledge required concerning the English language, as well as the identities of the four Crusaders.
In a matter of ten minutes the transference of knowledge was complete. Abna removed the helmet and smiled down on the little man as he rubbed his forehead in puzzled wonder.
“Everything all right, my friend?” he inquired, smiling.
“Yes. Yes, everything’s all right, even though I do not understand how I am able to speak your language. You are a worker of great scientific marvels.”
“Do you wish me to transfer language to your comrades, so they may understand what is transpiring?”
“That is unnecessary, Abna. I can tell them what you have to tell me. I am the leader. And none of us gives to the other any more than he can help.”
Abna glanced at the Amazon. Both of them were vaguely puzzled by this remarkably selfish outlook.
“From where do you come, Abna?” the little man asked. “We saw your machine cross our town and knew it had fallen somewhere, so we came to look for it. My name is Disi, of the planet Umnol.”
“Greetings,” Abna replied gravely. “We come from a world so far away its distance would be meaningless to you. We are indeed from another space entirely, beyond this one—or perhaps that doesn’t make sense to you?”
“It makes perfect sense,” Disi responded surprisingly. “We have a fair knowledge of science, though not of space travel. Indeed, we hope by science to save ourselves from disaster.”
“Oh?” Immediately Abna was on the alert.
“It is a long story,” the little man said, “but still one which you may care to hear. The wonder of a visit from beings of another world rouses me to a realization of my duties. Would you care to be my guests?”
Abna, though he smiled at the man’s grandiloquent use of his new-found language, nodded politely.
“We would be delighted to accompany you, Disi. There is a lot we wish to learn about you—and on the other hand, there is probably much that you wish to know about us.”
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