ered. But it could not last
long, this safety; he looked vainly for some niche where the light would
not strike so clearly, so betrayingly.

Across the great chamber was a platform fifteen feet above the floor.
Even at a distance Chet knew this was not a natural formation; he could
see where the stones had been cleverly fitted. And now his eyes,
accustomed to the light, saw that the platform was carpeted with hides
and strange furs. There were some that hung over the edge; they reached
almost to the upright block like a table or altar at the platform's
base. On this altar another great hide of thick leather was spread; it
dragged in places on the floor.

Bare floors, bare walls--no place where an intruder could remain
concealed! Suddenly from the lighted mouth of another passage he heard
sounds of many feet; the sounds of approaching feet.

* * * * *

The impulse that threw him across the room was born of desperation; he
raced frantically to cross the wide expanse before those feet brought
their owners within view, and he fought to keep his panting breath
inaudible while he tugged at the heavy leather altar covering, stiff and
thick as a board; while he forced his crouching body beneath and found
space there where he could move freely about.

It walled him in completely on the platform side where it hung to the
floor, but on the other three sides there were gaps near the floor where
the light shone in on two pedestals of stone that supported the stone
top.

Between the pedestals Chet crouched, hardly daring to look, hardly
daring to breathe, while feet, bare and black, tramped shufflingly past.
They went in groups--he lost count of their number but knew there were
hundreds; he heard them going to the platform above. And, through the
sound of the naked feet, came disjointed fragments of thought that
reached his brain, transformed to words.

Mere fragments at first: "... back; the Master goes first!... The
lights--how grateful is their coolness!... Who stumbled? Careless and
stupid ape! You, Bearer-captain, shall take him to the torture room; a
touch of fire will help his infirmity!"

And there was a cold rage that accompanied the last which set Chet's
tense nerves a-tingle. But there was no fear in the emotion; he was
quivering with a fierce, instinctive, animal hate.

The black feet retraced their steps. Then there was silence, and Chet
knew there was something above him on the