, had ruined it! I had no need to guess at the
catastrophe; as I held its crumbling, deliquescing fragments on my
palm it melted into vapor and was gone!

We could not make ourselves smaller! We would have to wait now until
Polter opened the cage. But once outside, the enlarging drug would
give us our chance to fight our way upward. My trembling fingers
sought the black vial in my belt. It was not there! My mind flung
back: in that tunnel, something had dropped and I had kicked it!
Accursed chance! My accursed, heedless stupidity!

I had lost the black vial! We were helpless! Caged! Marooned here in a
size microscopic!

CHAPTER VIII

_From a Drop of Water_

I lay concealed, and Babs stood at the lattice of our cage room. I was
aware that Polter had entered some vast apartment of this giant
palace. A brighter light was outside; I heard voices--Polter's and
another man's. I could see the distant monster shape of one. He was at
first so far away that all his outline was visible. A seated man, in a
huge white room. I thought there were great shelves with enormous
bottles. The spread of table tops passed under our cage as Polter
walked by them. They held a litter of apparatus, and there was the
smell of chemicals in the air. It seemed that this was a laboratory.

The man stood up to greet Polter. I had a glimpse of his head and
shoulders level with us. He wore a white linen coat, open, soft collar
and black tie. He seemed an old man, queerly old, with snow-white
hair....

I had an instant of whirling, confused impressions. Something was
familiar about his face. It was seamed and wrinkled with lines of age
and care. There were gentle blue eyes.

Then all I could see was the vast spread of his white shirt and coat,
a black splotch of his tie outside our bars as Polter faced him.

Babs gave a low cry. "Why--why--dear God--"

And then I knew! And Polter's words were not needed, though I heard
their rumble.

"I am back again, Kent. Are you still rebellious? You haf still
determined to compound no more of our drugs? You would rather I killed
you? Then see what I haf here. This little cage, someone--"

It was Dr. Kent, a prisoner here all these years!

Babs turned her white face toward me. "George, it's father! He's
alive! Here!"

"Quiet, Babs! Don't let them know I'm here. Remember!"

The old man recognized her. "Babs!" It was an agonized cry. The blur
of him was gone as he sank down into his chair.

Polter