ne, before my mind-electron
escapes."

He tried to pull his body up, but fell back, weak and panting.

Hale hesitated, looking doubtfully at Ana.

"For God's sake, quick!" screamed Sir Basil. "I'm dying, I say! I must
have--rebirth. Lift me to the disintegrator. Hurry!..." His voice
trailed off faintly.

"He is dying," snapped Hale. "We might as well try it." He jerked open
the door to the disintegrator. "Here, Unani Assu! Lend a hand!"

* * * * *

Instantly the Indian came forward, a peculiar, pleased expression on his
handsome face. In a moment, Sir Basil's body was inside, and the machine
began its weird humming, the humming that indicated the transformation
of a human body into dust.

"Now!" cried Unani Assu exultingly, going behind the machine. "I have
helped him enough to understand that if one changes this--and this--and
this"--he made some rapid adjustments on the machine--"something that is
not pleasant will happen."

"Stop!" cried Hale. "What did you change?"

The Indian laughed mockingly. "Wouldn't you like to know? But, yet, you
should not worry. You have no cause to love him, have you?"

"I can't be a traitor, Unani Assu! Arrange the machine as it was
originally, and I give you my word of honor than when Sir Basil comes
out, I'll wreck the damned thing beyond repair. See, Unani Assu? You and
I together will smash it."

The Indian folded his arms so that the repulsive things that should have
been hands were hidden.

"It's too late now," he admitted, shaking his head. "Yet I've done no
more to him than he did to me."

Hale went to the eye-piece in the machine and started to look inside.
Unani Assu stepped forward, tapped him on the shoulder, and, fingering
significantly the dissecting knife which he had picked up, said:

"I am operating the machine. Will you sit over there by Ana and wait? It
won't be long. And, white stranger, remember this: I am your friend. I
am turned against none but our common enemy." He pointed significantly
to the machine.

* * * * *

Two hours passed, long, silent hours for the watchers in the laboratory.
Ana fell asleep, in a sweet, childish bundle upon the piled cushions,
her golden hair, still decorated with the red flowers which she always
wore, crushed and withered now. Several times Hale caught Unani Assu
gazing at her sadly, and his own look saddened when it rested on the
Indian's strong, outrag