The Beast of Space

excerpt from the book..Here the dark cave, along which Nat Starrett had been creeping,broadened into what his powerful searchlight revealed to be a low,wide, smoothly circular room. At his feet lapped black, thick-lookingwaves of an underground lake, a pool of viscous substance that gave offa penetrating, poignant odor of acid, sweetish and intoxicating, unlikeany acid he knew. The smell rolled up in a sickening, sultry cloud thatpenetrated his helmet, made him cough and choke. Near its centerpr