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"I don't care," he said "I got the whole Earth Settlements, Inc, back of me!" He snorted "These Martians won't dare--"

"Look," said Elma

He looked out onto the dead sea bottom He dropped his broom He picked it up and his mouth was open, a little free drop of saliva flew on the air, and he was suddenly shivering

"Elma, Elma, Elma!" he said

"Here they come," said Elma

Across the ancient sea floor a dozen tall, blue-sailed Martian sand ships floated, like blue ghosts, like blue smoke

"Sand ships! But there aren't any more, Elma, no more sand ships"

"Those seem to be sand ships," she said

"But the authorities confiscated all of them! They broke them up, sold some at auction! I'ot one and kno to run one"

"Not anyat the sea

"Coet out of here!"

"Why?" she asked slowly, fascinated with the Martian vessels

"They'll kill me! Get in our truck, quick!"

Elma didn't move

He had to drag her around back of the stand where the two machines stood, his truck, which he had used steadily until a o, and the old Martian sand ship which he had bid for at auction, s the last three weeks, he had used to carry supplies back and forth over the glassy sea floor He looked at his truck now and reround; he had been puttering with it for two days