g milkiness. Then,
clearly, they were looking into the council chamber at Ilen-dar. Clyone
was there, pacing the floor. Dantor had just arrived with two of the
green-bronze guards. The Zara, though nervous, was curiously calm and
polite in her greeting of the aged scientist.

"Dantor," she said, "I want these Earth men."

"I can not produce them, Your Majesty."

"You will not, you mean." Clyone dropped her voice. "For two reasons,
Dantor, I must have these Earth men. And they must not be harmed. We
need them on account of this k-metal that was brought by Antazzo, whose
ugly body I so foolishly destroyed."

"Two reasons, you said, oh Clyone?" Dantor smiled knowingly.

"Yes, two!" said the Zara defiantly. "I love this Carson, if you must
know. And it is the only influence for good that ever has come into my
life, Dantor. Oh, can't you see? I _must_ have them."

Blaine felt the hot blood mount to his temples. Tommy giggled like a
moron. And Ulana drew away, ever so slightly, it was true, but still it
was a definite withdrawal. Damn this leopard woman, anyway!

"He is not for you, oh Clyone," Dantor was saying, "To people of his
world the very thought of such a woman as yourself is repulsive. A
murderess he would call you! Their reactions to the taking of human
life are entirely different from those of the Llotta. They are--you
will pardon my saying it--more like those of the Rulans. The Llotta
hold life cheap; they hold it dear. To your people you are not a bad
woman; only a foolish one who sometimes, in the heat of passion, upsets
their plans by the sudden snuffing out of a life that is valuable to
those plans. Do you not see my point? He is different; to him you are
the wickedest woman whom he has ever encountered--a monster."

* * * * *

This was strong talk. Blaine drew a quick breath, anticipating another
of her black rages and sudden death for poor old Dantor.

But Clyone suddenly was on her knees before the old scientist, pleading
with him! Creature of strange caprices! Though humanlike in her
emotions when in her softer moods, she was more like the feline to
which Blaine had likened her, when those soft moods had passed.

Somewhere overhead, in the chambers of the Tritu Anu, there was the
sound of a muffled explosion. Its shock was felt even here in the
rock-hewn secret apartment. Tiedus went white. Quickly he manipulated
the controls of the crystal sphere.

"I