d contained a ghastly element of
fact!

In that annex were several dozen of the teetering, attenuated Rogans,
and an equal number of slaves. And the relation of the slaves and the
Rogans was one that made Brand's skin crawl.

Each Rogan had stripped the tunic from the chest of his slave. Now, as
Brand watched, each drew a keen blade from his belt, and made a
shallow gash in the shrinking flesh. There were a few stifled
screams--some of the slaves were women--but for the most part the
slashing was endured in stoical silence. When red drops began to ooze
forth, the Rogans stooped and applied their horrible little mouths to
the incisions....

"The slimy devils!" Brand whispered hoarsely, at sight of that
dreadful feeding. "The inhuman, monstrous vermin!"

But now one or two of the Rogans had begun to utter squeaks of
satiation; and Brand hastened away from there and toward the control
board again. He hadn't an idea of what he might accomplish when he
reached it; he didn't know but that a touch of the significant looking
parent-lever might blast him to bits; but he did know that he was
going to raise absolute hell with something, somewhere, if he possibly
could.

* * * * *

Swiftly he approached the great master-lever, protected by its bell of
glass. (At least it looked like glass, for it was crystal clear and
reflected gleamingly the blue light from the nearby coils). He tapped
it experimentally with his knuckles....

At once pandemonium reigned in the great vaulted building. There was a
siren-like screaming from a device he noticed for the first time
attached under the domed roof. A clanging alarm split the air from
half a dozen gongs set around the upper walls.

Squealing shouts sounded behind Brand. He whirled, and saw the Rogans,
interrupted in their terrible meal, pouring in from the annex and
racing toward him. Rage and fear distorted their hideous faces as they
pointed first to the big lever and then at the escaped Earthman. They
redoubled their efforts to get at him, their long unsteady legs
covering the distance in great bounds.

Brand swore. Was he to be caught again before he had accomplished a
certain thing? When he had already managed to win clear to his
objective?

He hammered at the glass bell with his fists, but realized with the
first blow that he was only wasting time trying to crack it
bare-handed. He glanced quickly about and saw a metal bar propped up
again