er end clear of all contacts.

Seconds went by as his fingers delicately worked--seconds that told
terribly on Hawk Carse. For the screen was blank and lifeless, and there
was no way of knowing how far the work in the laboratory had meanwhile
progressed. In his mind remained each detail of the scene as he had
viewed it last: the strapped-down figure, the approaching anesthetic
cylinder, the knives lying in readiness.... How was he to know if one of
those instruments were not already tinged with scarlet?

"Oh, be quick!" he cried again.

"If I can touch a live part of the lock's circuit," grunted Friday,
absorbed, "there ought--to--be--trouble."

* * * * *

Suddenly currents clashed with a sputtering hiss, and a shower of sparks
shot out of the knob-hole and were instantly gone. Short-circuited! It
remained to be seen whether it had destroyed the mechanism of the lock.
Friday dropped the hot, burned-through wire he was holding and reached
for the knob, but the Hawk had leaped into life and was ahead of him.

In a moment the knob was in the door and its holding screw part-way in.
Gently the Hawk tried the knob. It turned!

But they did not leave the cell--then. Ku Sui's voice was echoing
through the room, more than a trace of irritation in its tone:

"Hawk Carse, you are beginning to annoy me--you and your too-clever
black satellite."

Carse's eyes flashed to the ceiling. A small disklike object, almost
unnoticeable, lay flat against it in one place.

"Yes," continued Ku Sui, "I can talk to you, hear you and see you. I
believe you have succeeded in destroying the lock. So open it and glance
into the corridor--and escape, if you still want to. I rather wish you'd
try, for I'm extremely busy and must not be disturbed again."

Graven-faced, without comment Carse turned the knob and opened the door
an inch. He peeped through, Friday doing so also over his head--peeped
right into the muzzles of four ray-guns, held by an equal number of
coolie-guards waiting there.

"So that's it," Friday said, dejectedly. "He saw me workin' on the lock
an' sent those guards here at once. Or else had them there all the
time."

* * * * *

The Hawk closed the door and considered what to do. Ku Sui's voice
returned.

"Yes," it sounded metallically, "I've an assistant posted here who's
watching every move you make. Don't, therefore, hope to surprise