ed:

"Revolution! They're storming the President's office! Hear the rays?"

Through the doors came a faint humming, an acrid smell of heat, of
stone and metal fumes. A corporal saluted Mich'l, recognized Lane's
haggard features, and Lane again felt that cogent persuader in his
ribs.

"That's right, Corporal!" he said bitterly.

"Is the guard room occupied, sir?"

"Not now, you fool!" Mich'l snapped at him. This resolved the last of
the corporal's misgivings. Giving an order, he led his men in,
gasping.

"Now we'll run!" Mich'l ordered, giving Lane a shove. "Coming, Nida?"
She was dragging her father along joyously. They crossed the broad
pedestrian walk, and in the street found an official car nestling on
one of the tracks.

"Heave in the riot-ray, will you, old fellow?" Mich'l requested
jovially, and Lane did. Then the listless chauffeur turned a
controller, and the big car rose a few inches, lightly as a feather,
and sped away swiftly through the maze of traffic.

* * * * *

Sometime later they were in a service lift; not one of the great
public lifts that carried their hundreds at a trip, but one of the
small lifts used mostly by the technies, and known to few outside
their ranks. Mich'l, standing blissfully close to Nida and her father,
enjoyed his moment of relaxation. Many things had been attended to.
Lane had been released at last, in one of the catacomb cemeteries. It
would take him at least two hours to find his way out. They were
discussing the riot-ray, which they had with them.

"I hope we won't have to exhaust it in a fight before we get out,"
Senator Mane said anxiously. "It would be a splendid weapon if we
encounter a hostile environment Outside."

"The Gate is guarded," Mich'l said practically, "but we expect to
surprise them. No use worrying."

The lift came to a stop at an air-lock. The great elevator shafts
were closed by airlocks every 2,000 feet. The reason is obvious. If
the air of the great, spheroid subterranean nation were allowed to
freely obey the laws of gravity, it would be oppressively dense in the
lower levels, and excessively rarified in the upper ones. While the
airlocks were operating Mich'l stepped to a telucid and gave the
agreed-on signal.

In another half hour they were at 37X. The great, dusty, and
little-used storeroom was only poorly lighted; it was dank, and had an
uncomfortable chill. Technies and their families were coming in fr