t there was a way out of that difficulty.

Gordon and Leah twisted and rolled their bodies like two
contortionists until they succeeded in getting into such a position
that Leah was able to get her teeth in the cloth of the vest pocket's
edge. A moment of desperate tugging, then the fabric gave way. The
lighter dropped from the torn pocket to the floor, where Leah
retrieved it.

Then they twisted their bodies back to back. Leah managed to get the
lighter flaming in her bound hands. Gordon groped in an effort to
guide the ropes on his wrists over the tiny flickering flame.

* * * * *

Then there came the faint welcome odor of smoldering rope as the
lighter's tiny flame bit into the bonds. Gordon bit his lips to
suppress a cry of pain as the flame seared into his skin as well. The
flame bit deeper into the rope. A single strand snapped.

Then another strand gave way. To Gordon the process seemed endless as
the flame scorched rope and flesh alike. A long minute of lancing
agony that seemed hours--then Gordon could stand no more. He tensed
his muscles in one mighty agonized effort to end the torture of the
flame.

The weakened rope gave way completely beneath that pain-maddened
lunge. Gordon's hands were free. It was an easy matter now to use the
lighter to finish freeing himself and Leah. They made their way
swiftly back to the window at the rear of the hall. It slid silently
upward. A moment later, and they were out in the brilliant
moonlight--free.

They made their way around to the front of the house. Behind the drawn
shades of one of the front rooms an eery glow of red light marked the
location of Arlok's work-room. They heard the occasional clink of
tools inside the room as the Xoranian diligently worked to complete
his apparatus.

They crept stealthily up to where one of the French windows of Arlok's
work-room swung slightly ajar. Through the narrow crevice they could
see Arlok's grotesque back as he labored over the complex assembly of
apparatus against the wall.

A heavy stone flung through the window would probably wreck that
delicate mechanism completely, yet the two watchers knew that such a
respite would be only a temporary one. As long as Arlok remained alive
on this planet to build other gates to Xoran, Earth's eventual doom
was certain. Complete destruction of Arlok himself was Earth's only
hope of salvation.

* * * * *

The Xorani