he abandoned Skins flopping
on the floor and threw it at the foremost guard. It descended upon the
man's head, knocking off his hat and wrapping itself around the head
and shoulders. The guard dropped his sword and staggered backwards
into the group. At the same time the escapees charged and bowled over
their feeble opposition.

It was here that Rastignac drew first blood. The tip of his epee drove
past a bewildered mucketeer's blade and entered the fellow's throat
just below the chin. It did not penetrate very far because of the
dullness of the point. Nevertheless, when Rastignac withdrew his sword
he saw blood spurt.

It was the first flower of violence, this scarlet blossom set against
the whiteness of a Man's skin.

It would, if he had worn his Skin, have sickened him. Now, he exulted
with a shout of triumph.

Lusine swooped up from behind him, bent over the fallen man. Her
fingers dipped into the blood and went to her mouth. Greedily, she
sucked her fingers.

Rastignac struck her cheek hard with the flat of his hand. She
staggered back, her eyes narrow, but she laughed.

The next moments were busy as they entered the castle, knocked down
two mucketeers who tried to prevent their passage to the Duke's rooms,
then filed across the long suite.

The Duke rose from his writing-desk to greet them. Rastignac,
determined to sever all ties and impress the government with the fact
that he meant a real violence, snarled at his benefactor, "_Va t'feh
fout!_"

The Duke was disconcerted at this harsh command, so obviously
impossible to carry out. He blinked and said nothing. The escapees
hurried past him to the door that gave exit to the outside. They
pushed it open and stepped out into the car that waited for them. A
chauffeur leaned against its thin wooden body.

Mapfarity pushed him aside and climbed in. The others followed.
Rastignac was the last to get in. He examined in a glance the vehicle
they were supposed to make their flight in.

It was as good a car as you could find in the realm. A Renault of the
large class, it had a long boat-shaped scarlet body. There wasn't a
scratch on it. It had seats for six. And that it had the power to
outrun most anything was indicated by the two extra pairs of legs
sticking out from the bottom. There were twelve pairs of legs, equine
in form and shod with the best steel. It was the kind of vehicle you
wanted when you might have to take off across the country. Wheeled
cars c