ith not a glimmer of comprehension: He was
still a victim of the mechanizing process of the Llotta. With a
carefully planned but seemingly careless gesture, Blaine slid back the
weight on the scale arm. This charge would be short of the proper ratio
of dry soil. He wondered what the effect would be.

* * * * *

One of the Llott scientists came over then with the radium capsule, and
Tommy attached it to the clamp that would hold it in contact with the
cube of k-metal. The dry soil was shoveled into the breech block by the
unsuspecting Llotta and the thing was ready for the placing of the
excitant.

The great breech block swung home and a siren shrieked. All work in the
laboratory was suspended and the workmen stood around in expectant
silence. Blaine found himself worrying as to the possible result of his
tampering.

"I saw you!" Tommy hissed then in his ear. "There'll be hell to pay
now. We gotta beat it."

Good old Tommy! He'd recovered after all. He, too, had been shamming at
the last. Blaine saw they were unobserved and thrust one of the pistols
in his hand.

"Now!" his friend rasped. "Before they get wise. Grab the girl and
we'll make a break for the tunnel entrance: over there."

Ulana took in the situation at a glance and was at his side. They moved
swiftly in the direction of the entrance through which they had come.

A terrific roar came from the base of the rocket tube and the Llotta
broke into excited screechings. Something different about it this time.
There was a terrible menacing note in the jarring thump which preceded
the roar. A muffled boom high in the five mile depth of rock strata
above them spelled disaster of an unknown and terrifying nature. The
breech of the tube was white with heat in an instant of time.

Pandemonium broke loose now and the Earth men were running for the exit
to the lift, covering their retreat with brandished ray pistols. Ulana,
brave girl, ran alongside, swinging a pinch bar she had picked up,
ready to help.

CHAPTER XI

_Disaster_

The great crystal sphere on the central pedestal was ablaze with the
scarlet warning signal of the Supreme Council. A sonorous voice from
its depths boomed out above the clamor.

"Kill them! Kill the Earth men," it roared. "The Zara is dead and
Ianito has vanished. Denari has mounted the throne, and it is he who
commands you. Kill the traitors!"

But the Llotta and the green-bronze