"
Meanwhile the _Astronef_ was rapidly approaching that portion of
Saturn's surface which was illuminated by the rays of the Sun, streaming
under the lower arch of the inner ring.
As they passed under it the whole scene suddenly changed. The rings
vanished. Overhead was an arch of brilliant light a hundred miles thick,
spanning the whole of the visible heavens. Below lay the sunlit surface
of Saturn divided into light and dark bands of enormous breadth.
The band immediately below them was of a brilliant silver-grey, very
much like the central zone of Jupiter. North of this on the one side
stretched the long shadow of the rings, and southward other bands of
alternating white and gold and deep purple succeeded each other till
they were lost in the curvature of the vast planet. The poles were of
course invisible since the _Astronef_ was now too near the surface; but
on their approach they had seen unmistakable evidence of snow and ice.
As soon as they were exactly under the Ring-arch, Redgrave shut off the
R. Force, and, somewhat to their astonishment, the _Astronef_ began to
revolve slowly on its axis, giving them the idea that the Saturnian
System was revolving round them. The arch seemed to sink beneath their
feet while the belts of the planet rose above them.
"What on earth is the matter?" said Zaidie.
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