velop an instrument capable
of disturbing the molecular structure of any object in the universe."

"In other words ..." Harry frowned at him, "a weapon capable of
disintegration?"

"Precisely!"

Harry sat there, stunned. A few moments seemed hardly enough to digest
the knowledge that Weapons Development was working on the most
incredibly advanced weapon of all time. And Mr. Thompson and company
were out to sabotage it. Their people could not afford to allow another
world to beat them to the punch. Who controlled this weapon controlled
the universe. Stalling the aliens was more important than ever now. He
couldn't heighten the danger to his own life. It wasn't worth a lead
nickel anyway. If it had been, Thompson wouldn't have consented to tell
him this much.

Someone else had wired Paula's apartment. It was reasonable to assume it
was someone on his side.

"The recordings, please!!" Boles was becoming very impatient.

Harry looked up and found a gun at his head. "The recordings are at my
office," he lied.

Thompson walked to the telephone table and brought the instrument to
him. "You will call your secretary," he said, "and tell her you have
been detained at lunch. You are sending Mr. Chase to pick up the
recordings."

Harry glanced around the room. Paula was sulking at the bar near the
door. Drowning her conscience, he thought. They must have paid her a
fortune to sell out her own people. Boles and Chase both had their guns
poised. Thompson picked up the receiver and extended it to him.

There was no way out, no stalling them any longer. To make a break for
it would be suicidal. In the state of confusion his mind was in, he
could think of only one thing to do. When he reached Miss Conway, he
would have to warn her somehow--a few desperate words and pray that she
would be alert enough to realize he was in trouble and get the
information to the authorities.

* * * * *

He took the phone and dialed. He gave the Fort Dickson operator his
office extension. He waited. The phone rang. It rang again. Then three
more times. Damn that girl! Her coffee breaks were extended vacations!

Finally the phone was picked up. But the voice that answered was male.

"Who is this?" Harry demanded.

The voice replied, "Colonel Waters."

"This is Harry. I'm at Paula Ralston's apartment ... emergency...!"

The three men were on top of him. Chase smashed the butt of his gun
across Harry's knuckl