torturers tossed Closana's long hair forward on either side
of her neck, to leave her back entirely bare for the lash. The girl's
eyes were closed again, and there was a thin trickle of blood at one
corner of her mouth. The torturer shook out the lash, whirled it once
through the air and then brought it smashing across the middle of
Closana's back.

* * * * *

The girl's whole body writhed convulsively for a moment. There was an
instant red welt where the whip had struck. A low moan escaped between
her clenched teeth. Then Gerry Norton leaned forward where he stood
bound against the wall.

"You win, Lansing!" he said hoarsely, "stop it! Make them leave her
alone and I'll do as you say."

"I thought you would," the renegade officer said softly. There seemed to
be a definite disappointment in his cruel eyes. "I will have the radio
set brought here and you can call the ship right now."

"Have them lower the girl down."

"She stays where she is until you have finished."

The portable radio-phone from the wrecked _Stardust_ was brought in and
set up on a stand immediately in front of Gerry. Olga set up the sigmoid
antenna on its duralite frame, and twisted the dials to the space-ship's
wave length. Then she took the transmitter.

"Calling Steve Brent on the _Viking_! Calling Steve Brent on the
_Viking_! Please come in!" she repeated over and over.

At last the answering signal lit up, and Steve's familiar voice came
from the receiver.

"This is Steve Brent. Who is calling?"

Olga held the transmitter before Gerry's mouth. Lansa nodded to one of
the torturers, who drew a white hot iron from one of the braziers and
held it a little way from Closana's face.

"One false word and that iron goes into the girl's eyes," the Lord of
Giri-Vaaka warned in a low hiss. "After that, all of you will live in
agony for weeks before we have finished. Tell him to land near the city
and bring all but a single watch-man to the east gate where they will be
well received."

"Hello Steve. This is Gerry Norton!" Gerry said. Brent's voice shook
with excitement.

"Jumping ray-blasts, chief, we all thought you were done for! Where did
you go? What happened? Where are you now?"

"I'm being well entertained in the city of Vaaka-Havson. These Scaly Men
are very pleasant and friendly when you get to know them. Cross the Giri
River by a bald hill...."

Gerry finished the directions for the coming of the _