d his
instrument. After half an hour, he opened the switch and removed the
helmet. Under the ministrations of Jumor the Russian revived. The king
sat in secret thought for an hour.

"I have examined the brains of all of you," he announced at length,
"and I find hopeless contradictions. Each of you believes thoroughly
in his own social order. Both tell me of hopeless misery on the part
of a large portion of his people. Both tell of horrible wars and
suffering beyond my comprehension. The thoughts of all of you teem
with modes of bringing death to your fellow beings. Your entire
science his been perverted to the ends of destruction. Nothing of the
sort can be realized by the Selom where truth, justice and mercy
prevail. Each of you holds that his form of government is better than
the other, and will cause less suffering and misery than the others'.
None of you hold out hope of happiness for your fellow beings. I do
not know which system is less obnoxious. My decision is made. The
Selom will not interfere in the affairs of the upper-earth. You may
fight out your battles without aid and without interference.

"I will operate on both Ivan Saranoff and Dr. Bird. I will remove from
their minds all knowledge of our science and instruments and leave
them in the same condition that they were when they entered my realms.
Each of you will then be returned to upper-earth, Ivan Saranoff to
Russia, Dr. Bird and Mr. Carnes to the United States. The pilots, whom
I hold prisoners, will have their mentalities restored and be returned
to their homes. The planes we have captured, I will send off into time
so that they can never be used for the misery of upper-earth men
again. Jumor, you will carry out these orders."

* * * * *

"I wish I could remember how that time machine was built and
operated," said Dr. Bird reflectively, as he sat in his private
laboratory in the Bureau of Standards some time later, "but Jumor did
his work well. I can't even remember what the thing looked like."

"Well, Doctor, our trip below wasn't a loss. We removed a very real
menace to the established order of things and we have got rid of
Saranoff temporarily. It will take him some time to return here from
Russia."

"Three weeks or less," said Dr. Bird pessimistically. "However, we
have gained one other thing. Did you notice this?"

He pulled what looked like a watch from his pocket. Carnes regarded it
with a puzzled express