e beginning of his memory lapse. He
couldn't believe that there had been time enough for any group to
invent a heat-ray, if such a thing could exist. Yet nothing else would
explain the two sudden bursts of flame he had seen. Even if it could
be invented, it would hardly be used in public for anything less than
a National Emergency.

What had happened in the seven blanked-out months?

II

The room was smelly and cheap, with dirty walls and no carpet on the
floor, but it was a relief after the hours of tramping and riding
about the city. Hawkes sat on the rickety chair, letting the wetness
dry out of his clothes. He looked at the bed, trying to convince
himself he could strip and warm up there while his clothes dried. But
something in his head warned him that he couldn't--he'd have to be
ready to run again. The same urge had made him demand a room on the
ground floor, where he could escape through the window if they found
him. They could never find him here--but they would! Sooner or later,
whatever was after him would come!

It had seemed simple enough, before. There had been three friends he
could trust. Seven months, he had felt, couldn't have killed their
faith in him, no matter what he'd done. And perhaps he'd been right,
though there'd been no chance to test it.

He'd almost been caught at the first place. The two men outside had
seemed to be no more than a couple of friends awaiting for a bus. Only
the approach of another man who resembled Hawkes had tipped him off,
by the quick interest they had shown.

The other places had also been posted--and beyond the third, he'd seen
the gray sedan with the running boards, parked back in the shadows,
waiting.

There had been less than ten dollars in his wallet, and most of that
had gone for cab fares. He'd barely had enough left for this dingy
room, the later edition of the newspaper, and the coffee and donuts
that lay beside him, half-consumed.

He glanced toward the door, listening with quick fear as steps sounded
on the stairs. Then he drew his breath in again, and reached for the
newspaper. But it told him as little as the first one had.

This one mentioned the two mysterious explosions of "ball lightning"
in a feature on the first page, but only as curiosities. They even
gave his address and listed the apartment as being in his name, though
apparently not currently occupied. But no other reference was made to
him, or to the chase.

He shook his head at t