"If we know a person by the company he keeps, that speaks ill for you," interrupted the sovereign. "You are determined to have us slain, your majesty?" "It is my royal will." "Then I shall have to set forces at work to combat the royal will," said the professor calmly. Cries of consternation and anger went up on every hand. The king rose wrathfully from his seat. "You dare to dispute my authority?" he demanded. "I dare to dispute your ability to slay us," returned Quinn. "Your executioner will disappear from before your eyes if he attempts it." The king laughed ironically. "We shall see," he said, sinking placidly back on his seat. "Let the executioner-general proceed with his preparations." I was greatly pleased with the drift of affairs. Circumstances had conspired to favor us, and the professor was making the most of his opportunity. The executioner-general motioned to one of his attendants and then raised his four hands above his head. A moment later the attendant had seized the whitewash brush, dabbed it into the anti-gravity compound, and with two quick strokes had covered the executioner’s chest and back. Had a third stroke been needed it could not have been given. In a flash the official had been snatched away, vanishing like a streak of white in the void above. The king rose gasping, clutching at the balcony rail. The throng around us was paralyzed for a space, and not a word-box was heard. As for Quinn, he had struck an attitude, his left hand raised aloft and his glittering, bead-like eyes transfixing the king. *CHAPTER XIII.* *A THREATENING CALAMITY.* And through all this J. Archibald Meigs slept placidly on. Presently a perfect roar of awe and dismay broke from thousands of word-boxes. In the midst of the hubbub the king could be seen waving his hands to command silence and attention. The glittering soldiers in the turrets sounded a clarion warning and silence fell once more. "Marvelous are the powers of these colossi!" cried the king with trembling voice. "The sleeping thief receives my royal pardon; the offense of his two friends, in attempting to succor him, is condoned. From now henceforth these three are my honored guests! Let all take heed!" I caught the professor’s hand and gave it a fervent clasp. "You saved our lives, professor," said I. "Hardly," he returned, smiling. "It was the anti-gravity compound that did that. Now that we can inflate our lungs without catching our breath, suppose we waken Mr. Meigs." On being aroused Meigs sat up and stared around at him. He was not long in picking up the trend of events where he had left off during the night. "Are they ready to—to kill us?" he asked, clasping his hands. "They are not going to kill us, Mr. Meigs," answered the professor. "The king has changed his mind, and we are now his honored guests." "You don’t mean it!" exclaimed the broker.