gers. If he killed
Ribiera, he would be killed. Of course. And men and women he had known
and liked might be doomed to the most horrible of fates by Ribiera's
death. Yet even the death or madness of many men was preferable to the
success of the conspiracy in which Ribiera seemed to figure largely.

Ribiera looked up at him with the eyes of a terrified snake. There was
a little stirring at the door.

"Your friends," said Bell softly, "had better not come close."

Ribiera gasped an order. The stirrings stopped. Paula came slowly into
the room quite alone. She smiled queerly at Bell.

"I believed that you would come," she said quietly. "And yet I do not
know that we can escape."

"We're going to try," said Bell grimly. To Ribiera he added curtly,
"You'd better order the path cleared to the door, and have one of your
cars brought around."

* * * * *

Ribiera croaked a repetition of the command.

"Now stand up--slowly," said Bell evenly. "Very slowly. I don't want
to die, Ribiera, so I don't want to kill you. But I haven't much hope
of escape, so I shan't hesitate very long about doing it. And I've got
these guns' hammers trembling at full cock. If I get a bullet through
my head, they'll go off just the same and kill you."

Ribiera got up. Slowly. His face was a pasty gray.

"Your major-domo," Bell told him matter-of-factly, "will go before us
and open every door on both sides of the way to the street. Paula"--he
used her given came without thought, or without realizing it--"Paula
will go and look into each door. If she as much as looks frightened, I
fire, and try to fight the rest of the way clear. Understand? I'm
going to get down to a boat I have ready in the harbor if I have to
kill you and every living soul in the house!"

There was no boat in the harbor, naturally. But the major-domo moved
hesitantly across the room, looking at his master for orders. For
Ribiera to die meant death or madness to his slaves. The major-domo's
face was ghastly with fear. He moved onward, and Bell heard the sound
of doors being thrust wide. Once he gave a command in the staccato
fashion of a terrified man. Bell nodded grimly.

"Now we'll move. Slowly, Ribiera! Always slowly.... Ah! That's better!
Paula, you go on before and look into each room. I shall be sorry if
any of your servants follow after you, Ribiera.... Through the
doorway. Yes! All clear, Paula? I'm balancing the hammers very
careful