nd I have no recollection of ever having lived before," the young
man said slowly.

"Yet you can converse with me. You obviously have been given an
education."

"But how?"

"It is known that knowledge can be injected into the subconscious
while the receiver sleeps. I'm sure the man you insist upon calling
Portox was aware of this--this and perhaps other scientific miracles.
Who are we to say that you were not nourished by some means beyond our
knowledge?"

But that investigation was never to be made because as John Pride
extended his hand to touch the box it suddenly burst into a glow and
he withdrew his fingers quickly.

Before the younger man could answer a glowing point of light sprang
into being and brightened and a wave of searing heat erupted from the
walls of the room, searing the eyes of John Pride and leaving him to
grope helplessly as in the heart of a furnace. The younger man was
beyond his reach. Blinding pain caused him to reel.

CHAPTER V

_Question Upon Question_

John Pride opened his eyes as a moan escaped his lips. The haze
cleared and he found himself lying upon a cool stone floor looking up
into the concerned face of the younger man. "What happened?" John
Pride asked feebly. He tried to refocus.

"I don't know except that the heat of that fire was upon us with such
swiftness that we were almost incapacitated. I picked you up and
started walking. Fortunately I moved in the direction of the door.
Otherwise we would have been doomed."

"I am in your debt."

"No more so than I in yours."

"Did you extinguish the fire?"

"It burned out of its own accord. But only after the cave was
completely gutted. There is nothing left in there but the bare rock
walls."

John Pride sat up with quick concern. "The book!"

"It is gone." The young man looked ruefully down at his own naked
body. "Gone--together with my precious robe."

"That can easily be replaced along with other raiment but the book--I
was supposed to deliver it--"

"--to the cavern. You did that, my friend. It was not through you that
the fire consumed it. You have dispatched your obligation. Let your
mind be at ease."

John Pride got to his feet. He shook his head in the negative. "No. A
portion of my obligation still exists. Fortunately I did not bring
forth the second and last item I was to place in the cavern."

"The second item?"

"Yes, and I believe the most important."

* * * *