rushed in to fill the vacuum, and the three visitors felt themselves seized by invisible forces and drawn into the
tunnel. Through it they floated, up to and over buildings, finally slanting downward towards the door of a great high
towered structure. Doors opened before them and closed behind them, until at last they stood upright in a room
which was evidently the office of a busy executive. They faced a desk which, in addition to the usual equipment of
the business man, carried also a bewilderingly complete switchboard and instrument panel.
Seated impassively at the desk there was a grey man. Not only was he dressed entirely in grey, but his heavy hair
was grey, his eyes were grey, and even his tanned skin seemed to give the impression of greyness in disguise. His
overwhelming personality radiated an aura of greyness not the gentle grey of the dove, but the resistless, driving
grey of the superdreadnought; the hard, inflexible, brittle grey of the fracture of high-carbon steel.
“Captain Bradley, First Officer Costigan, Miss Marsden,” the man spoke quietly, but crisply. “I had not intended you
two men to live so long. That is a detail, however, which we will pass by for the moment. You may remove your
suits.”
Neither officer moved, but both stared back at the speaker, unflinchingly.
“I am not accustomed to repeating instructions,” the man at the desk continued; voice still low and level, but
instinct with deadly menace. “You may choose between removing those suits and dying in them, here and now.”
Costigan moved over to Clio and slowly took off her armor. Then, after a flashing exchange of glances and a
muttered word, the two officers threw off their suits simultaneously and fired at the same instant; Bradley with his
Lewiston, Costigan with a heavy automatic pistol whose bullets were explosive shells of tremendous power. But
the man in grey, surrounded by an impenetrable wall of force, only smiled at the fusillade, tolerantly and
maddeningly. Costigan leaped freely, only to be hurled backward as he struck that unyielding, invisible wall. A
vicious beam snapped him back into place, the weapons were snatched away, and all three captives were held to
their former positions.
“I permitted that, as a demonstration of futility,” the grey man said, his hard voice becoming harder, “but I will per-
mit no more foolishness. Now I will introduce myself. I am known as Roger. You probably have heard nothing of
me: very few Tellurians have, or ever will. Whether or not you two live depends solely upon yourselves. Being
something of a student of men, I fear that you will both die shortly. Able and resourceful as you have just shown
yourselves to be, you could be valuable to me, but you probably will not-in which case you shall, of course” cease
to exist. That, however, in its proper time–you shall be of some slight service to me in the process of being
eliminated. In your case, Miss Marsden, I find myself undecided between two courses of action; each highly desir-
able, but unfortunately mutually exclusive. Your father will be glad to ransom you at an exceedingly high figure”
but in spite of that fact I may decide to use you in a research upon sex.”
“Yes?” Clio rose magnificently to the occasion. Fear forgotten, her courageous spirit flashed from her clear young
eyes and emanated from her taut young body, erect in defiance. “You may think that you can do anything with me
that you please, but you can’t!”
“Peculiar-highly perplexing-why should that one stimulus, in the case of young females” produce such an entirely
disproportionate reaction?” Roger’s eyes bored into Clio’s; the girl shivered and looked away. “But sex itself”
primal and basic, the most widespread concomitant of life in this continuum” is completely illogical and
paradoxical. Most baffling-decidedly, this research on sex must go on.”
Roger pressed a button and a tall, comely woman appeared-a woman of indefinite age and of uncertain nationality.
“Show Miss Marsden to her apartment,” he directed, and as the two women went out a man came in.
“The cargo is unloaded, sir,” the newcomer reported. “The two men and the five women indicated have been taken to
the hospital.”
“Very well, dispose of the others in the usual fashion” The minion went out, and Roger continued, emotionlessly:
“Collectively, the other passengers may be worth a million or so, but it would not be worthwhile to waste time
upon them.”
“What are you, anyway?” blazed Costigan, helpless but enraged beyond caution. “I have heard of mad scientists who
tried to destroy the Earth, and of equally mad geniuses who thought themselves Napoleons capable of conquering
even the Solar System. Whichever you are” you should know that you can’t get away with it.”
“I am neither. I am, however, a scientist, and I direct many other scientists. I am not mad. You have undoubtedly
noticed several peculiar features of this place?”
“Yes, particularly the artificial gravity and those screens. An ordinary ether-wall is opaque in one direction, and
doesn’t bar matter-yours are transparent both ways and something more than impenetrable to matter. How do you
do it?”
“You could not understand them if I explained them to you, and they are merely two of our smaller developments. I
do not intend to destroy your planet Earth; I have no desire to rule over masses of futile and brainless men. I have,
however, certain ends of my own in view. To accomplish my plans I require hundreds of millions in gold and other
hundreds of millions in uranium, thorium, and radium; all of which I shall take from the planets of this Solar
System before I leave it. I shall take them in spite of the puerile efforts of the fleets of your Triplanetary League.
“This structure was designed by me and built under my direction. It is protected from meteorites by forces of my
devising. It is indetectable and invisible-ether waves are bent around it without loss or distortion. I am discussing
these points at such length so that you may realize exactly your position. As I have intimated, you can be of
assistance to me if you will.”
“Now just what could you offer any man to make him join your outfit?” demanded Costigan, venomously. “Many
things,” Roger’s cold tone betrayed no emotion, no recognition of Costigan’s open and bitter contempt. “I have
under me many men, bound to me by many ties. Needs, wants, longings, and desires differ from man to man, and I
can satisfy practically any of them. Many men take delight in the society of young and beautiful women, but there
are other urges which I have found quite efficient. Greed, thirst for fame, longing for power” and so on” including
many qualities usually regarded as `noble.’ And what I promise” I deliver. I demand only loyalty to me” and that only
in certain things and for a relatively short period. In all else, my men do as they please. In conclusion” I can use
you two conveniently, but I do not need you. Therefore you may choose now between my service and the
alternative.”
“Exactly what is the alternative?”
“We will not go into that. Suffice it to say that it has to do with a minor research, which is not progressing satis-
factorily. It will result in your extinction, and perhaps I should mention that that extinction will not be particularly
pleasant.”
“I say NO, you . . :’ Bradley roared. He intended to give an unexpurgated classification, but was rudely interrupted.
“Hold on a minute!” snapped Costigan. “How about Miss Marsden?”
“She has nothing to do with this discussion,” returned Roger” icily. “I do not bargain-in fact” I believe that I shall
keep her for a time. She has it in mind to destroy herself if I do not allow her to be ransomed” but she will find that
door closed to her until I permit it to open.”
“In that case” I string along with the Chief-take what be started to say about you and run it clear across the board for
me!” barked Costigan.
“Very well. That decision was to be expected from men of your type.” The grey man touched two buttons and two of
his creatures entered the room. “Put these men into two separate cells on the second level,” he ordered. “Search
them; all their weapons may not have been in their armor. Seal the doors and mount special guards” tuned to me
here.”
Imprisoned they were, and carefully searched; but they bore no arms, and nothing bad been said concerning com-
municators. Even if such instruments could be concealed” Roger would detect their use instantly. At least, so ran
his thought. But Roger’s men had no inkling of the possibility of Costigan’s “Service Special” phones” detectors,
and spy ray-instruments of minute size and of infinitesimal power, but yet instruments which, working as they were
below the level of the ether, were effective at great distances and caused no vibrations in the ether by which their