Explore "The Skylark of Valeron" by E.E. Smith on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Very near to Valeron, as space distances go, yet so far away in terms of miles that he could take no active part whatever in the proceedings, Quedrin Radnor sat tense at his controls, staring into his powerful visiplates. Even before Klynor Siblin had lifted his rocket plane off the ground, Radnor had opened his throttles wide. Then, his ship hurtling at full drive toward home, everything done he could do, he sat and watched.
Watched, a helpless spectator. Watched while Siblin made his futilely spectacular attack; watched the gallant plane's destruction; watched the capture of the brave but foolhardy pilot; watched the rolling up and compression of the Chloran dome; watched in agony the obliteration of everything, animate and inanimate, pertaining to the outlying village; watched in horrified relief the departure of the invading space ship.