many ghosts here, too many memories with nothing to do."

Arkalion shrugged, entered the booth. "Pull the lever," he said, and
shut the door.

Temple reached up, grasped the lever firmly in his hand, yanked it. It
slid smoothly to the position marked "transport." Temple heard
nothing, saw nothing, began to think the device, whatever it was, did
not work. Did Arkalion somehow get _moved_ inside the booth?

Temple thought he heard footfalls on the stairs outside. Soon,
faintly, he could hear voices. Someone banged on the door to the hall.
Licking dry lips, Temple opened the booth, peered inside.

Empty.

The voices clamored, fists pounded on the door. Something clicked.
Tumblers fell. The door to the great, bright hall sprung outward.
Someone rushed in at Temple, who met him savagely with a short,
chopping blow to his jaw. The man, temporarily blinded by the dazzling
light, stumbled back in the path of his fellows.

Temple darted into the booth, the conveyor, and slammed it shut.

Fingers clawed on the outside.

A sound almost too intense to be heard rang in Temple's ears. He lost
consciousness instantly.

CHAPTER VI

"What a cockeyed world," said Alaric Arkalion Sr. to his son. "You
certainly can't plan on anything, even if you do have more money than
you'll ever possibly need in a lifetime."

"Don't feel like that," said young Alaric. "I'm not in prison any
longer, am I?"

"No. But you're not free of the Nowhere Journey, either. There is an
unheralded special trip to Nowhere, two weeks from today, I have been
informed."

"Oh?"

"Yes, oh. I have also been informed that you will be on it. You didn't
escape after all, Alaric."

"Oh. Oh!"

"What bothers me most is that scoundrel Smith somehow managed to
escape. They haven't found him yet, I have also been informed. And
since my contract with him calls for ten million dollars 'for services
rendered,' I'll have to pay."

"But he didn't prevent me from--"

"I can't air this thing, Alaric! But listen, son: when you go where
you are going, you're liable to find another Alaric Arkalion, your
double. Of course, that would be Smith. If you can get him to cut his
price in half because of what has happened, I would be delighted. If
you could somehow manage to wring his neck, I would be even more
delighted. Ten million dollars--for nothing."

* * * * *

"I'm so excited," murmured Mrs. Draper. Stephanie watched her on one