a look of deep concern in his ugly face. He came
immediately to the bedside and looked at Blaine solicitously.

"I see you have recovered," he said. "It is good."

Blaine stared and stared. This creature had spoken in the language of
the Zara's subjects, yet he understood his every word! It must be a
dream, this impossible thing that had happened. And where was Tom?
Abruptly he found that he was talking rapidly in this tongue of an
alien race.

"Yes, I've recovered," he said, "and I'm amazed at what I find. How
have I acquired this knowledge of your language? Where am I, and where
is my friend? Can you enlighten me in these things?"

The other smiled. "I can, Earth man," he replied. "You have been taught
our language while you slept. A thought transference process we use for
educating the young. You are in the palace of the Zara and your friend
is safe in the next room. I may add that you are in high favor with Her
Majesty."

The wizened creature lowered his voice on the last words, and his
knowing eyes spoke volumes. In favor with that she-devil! Blaine went
cold at the thought.

"I want to see my friend," he said shortly.

"Later. My orders are to bring you to the Zara immediately you are
strong enough. And Pegrani obeys orders."

* * * * *

No use to attempt a break now. Blaine was tempted to drive a fist into
that ugly countenance and fight his way out of the place. But that
would be suicide. He'd wait, get the lay of the land first and then try
to dope something out with Tommy.

"All right, Pegrani," he said, "I'm ready to go before this Zara of
yours."

As he prepared for the audience, alien thoughts crowded one upon the
other in his strangely enlightened mind. With the knowledge of the
language had come knowledge of many things relative to the copper-clad
world. They'd given him a liberal education. Somehow he knew these
stunted creatures like Antazzo and Pegrani were known as Llotta and
that, while ruling the sealed-in planet, their kind had originally come
from Ganymede, the fifth satellite of Jupiter. Centuries had passed
since the inhabitants of Europa and Ganymede had been forced to desert
their aging worlds and had settled on Io. During other centuries the
widely different peoples had co-operated in constructing the great
copper enclosure in order to keep the new world alive and capable of
supporting life. Then had come a century of bitter warfare in w