the base of
the shaft, and the cage of the lift was there, fully lighted and
waiting. Denari had not shut off the power after all. But of course! It
came to Blaine in a flash; this was a private shaft, used by Ianito in
his clandestine visits to the palace of the Zara and for his own use in
descending to the sub-surface chamber at the base of the rocket-tube.
Denari did not even know it existed.

Strange they had not been followed. Surely the Llotta could have forced
that gate back there in a comparatively short time. A mass of falling
rock, shaken loose by the temblor that cut off their light and stopped
the moving platform, must have closed the tunnel.

They were in the cage now, shooting aloft with smooth acceleration.
Tommy fidgeted and paced the floor in the narrow confines like a caged
animal.

"Lord, man," he said, after a while, "what I wouldn't give for a
cigarette!"

"Is that all you can think of?" Blaine was sarcastic. His own nerves
were on edge. They were nearing the upper end of the shaft. "Try to do
a little thinking about what's going to happen up there above Ilen-dar.
We've got to do some tall figuring and some swift scrapping before
we're through."

"Sure." Tommy shrugged his shoulders. "There'll be a lot of fireworks,
I guess. But I wish I had a smoke just the same."

Ulana pouted. They spoke in English and she did not understand. But the
expression of their faces forced a laugh to her lips, one of those
silvery tinkles that caught at Blaine's heart strings. All that
mattered now was to see her to safety--and happiness.

* * * * *

The cage slowed up and came to rest as the automatic control of its
gravity energy functioned. The door rolled back and Blaine thrust his
head through the opening, pistol in hand.

There on the floor of the corridor that led to the great dome room was
a crumpled figure. Dantor! It couldn't be that they had slain him!
Blaine was on his knees by the body, raising the blood-smeared head
with gentle hands. A deep gash extended from over the right temple up
into the scalp and the skull was crushed; a mortal wound. But the
doughty heart of the aged scientist still beat on, weakly, but with
determination. He opened his eyes and smiled.

"Ah, you have come at last," he sighed. "I have waited here to warn you
and advise you."

"Easy now." Blaine straightened the helpless limbs and cradled the
drooping head on his knees. Ulana