t enter there. I know what is going to happen."

Even as he spoke, a great white blossom of flame spurted suddenly over
our heads, spread and spread across the sky above the circling ships.
Looking up, my eyes were struck blind. I dropped to the roof surface
with agony. Then came the terrific, stunning concussion. The prince was
letting off the fireworks at last! I exulted, even as I despaired.
Somehow I only now realized that this waiting, strange Zoorph in her
prison, who faced death because forgotten by her friends--_must not
die!_ In my heart some warm thing she had waked there with her magic
breathed, moved, sprang into complete life. I could not see her die! I
must get into that place that I saw was doomed, even as I now saw two of
the great ships above falter in flight, turn and slide downward at
increasing speed. The concussion had broken them, perhaps destroyed the
life within them. I realized that in a short time the same thing was
going to happen to the headquarters of the Jivros.

Below, the booming of the great ram against the palace door ceased,
there came wild shouts, cheers, running feet, terrible screams of agony.
I ran down the ramps up which we had ascended to the roof. Heedless of
danger, I raced along the dark street, across the wide-open space
surrounding the palace.

About the palace door the dead were sprawled in mangled heaps. Among the
dead were several white robes, now stained with the pale blood of the
Jivros. I surmised the frightened creatures had opened the door,
intending to kill the men wielding the ram--and had been unable to do a
complete job. The doors gaped open. I stumbled over the reeking heap of
slain. A dying man raised one horrible crab claw to me, called out my
name! It was Jake, his ugly face now a horror. I had not even known he
had received the reviving shot of the Croen medicine.

I bent to hear his words, but he only looked at me for a second, his
lips formed one word: "Gold!" He laughed bitterly, repeated it: "Gold,
hell!" and then his head dropped lifeless.

I raced on into the place, and at my heels came Holaf. In his hands he
held the vibro gun, and on his face was a wild triumph. He kept crying
aloud:

"Death to the Jivros! An end to tyranny!"

I had no time for the political angles which so inspired Holaf. I raced
upward along the same paths by which Prince Genner had led me to my own
detention quarters. I did not know how to reach Carna's room except that