“Let Krag come to me, if he wants me,” he said, in his strange voice. “You see, he does know me,” uttered Krag, with a humorous look. Walking over to Nightspore, he put a hand on the back of his chair. “Still the same old gnawing hunger?” “What is doing these days?” demanded Nightspore disdainfully, without altering his attitude. “Surtur has gone, and we are to follow him.” “How do you two come to know each other, and of whom are you speaking?” asked Maskull, looking from one to the other in perplexity. “Krag has something for us. Let us go outside,” replied Nightspore. He got up, and glanced over his shoulder. Maskull, following the direction of his eye, observed that the few remaining men were watching their little group attentively. Chapter 2. IN THE STREET The three men gathered in the street outside the house. The night was slightly frosty, but particularly clear, with an east wind blowing. The multitude of blazing stars caused the sky to appear like a vast scroll of hieroglyphic symbols. Maskull felt oddly excited; he had a sense that something extraordinary was about to happen. “What brought you to this house tonight, Krag, and what made you do what you did? How are we understand that apparition?” “That must have been Crystalman’s expression on its face,” muttered Nightspore. “We have discussed that, haven’t we, Maskull? Maskull is anxious to behold that rare fruit in its native wilds.” Maskull looked at Krag carefully, trying to analyse his own feelings toward him. He was distinctly repelled by the man’s personality, yet side by side with this aversion a savage, living energy seemed to spring up in his heart that in some strange fashion was attributable to Krag. “Why do you insist on this simile?” he asked. “Because it is apropos. Nightspore’s quite right. That was Crystalman’s face, and we are going to Crystalman’s country.” “And where is this mysterious country?” “Tormance.” “That’s a quaint name. But where is it?” Krag grinned, showing his yellow teeth in the light of the street lamp. “It is the residential suburb of Arcturus.” “What is he talking about, Nightspore?... Do you mean the star of that name?” he went on, to Krag. “Which you have in front of you at this very minute,” said Krag, pointing a thick finger toward the brightest star in the south-eastern sky. “There you see Arcturus, and Tormance is its one inhabited planet.” Maskull looked at the heavy, gleaming star, and again at Krag. Then he pulled out a pipe, and began to fill it. “You must have cultivated a new form of humour, Krag.” “I am glad if I can amuse you, Maskull, if only for a few days.” “I meant to ask you—how do you know my name?” “It would be odd if I didn’t, seeing that I only came here on your account. As a matter of fact, Nightspore and I are old friends.” Maskull paused with his suspended match. “You came here on my account?” “Surely. On your account and Nightspore’s. We three are to be fellow travellers.”