Out of the nothingness came an impulsive soft hand that closed over his. There was both a smile and something deeper in Vivian's voice as she said, "Here," and raised his hand until it touched her brow and the thick smooth hair of her head. Then she placed it a little lower, over her face; and gently Clee's fingers told him what his eyes could not read. "In case you never see me--why, I--I'd like you to know that I'm really, not bad looking," she said; and Clee knew she was blushing as he smiled at the eternal feminine in her. * * * * * But the smile suddenly left his face. His hand had felt her give a distinct start. Then-- "He's calling!" she gasped faintly. "Xantra's calling for me to come to him!" Her voice, as she spoke, moved, and Clee knew she was going towards the door. "No!" he cried impulsively. "Don't risk it! Stay here, and we'll begin our fight against him right now!" "I will be safe," came Vivian's reassuring voice from the door. "I can manage him a while yet." Her further words came with a rush. "But I wanted to tell you--I had a faint plan. If I could get hold of the anaesthetic--the vial of stuff that smells like cloves--" The door was closing now, and the two men knew she was moving down the corridor. They listened in vain for her to complete what she had been saying. Just before the door clicked shut, Jim jammed his foot in it, preventing it from closing. "Gee, that girl has courage!" Clee murmured. For a moment the two men looked at each other. Jim was thinking about the opened door, and the chance they had to get out. But Clee's mind was on something else. "Well, Jim," he said, "you and I have a nasty job ahead." Jim looked at Clee wonderingly as he took out his pipe and stuck it in the crack of the door, allowing him to remove his foot. Clee explained to him what Xantra had told him with the thought-sending helmets; reminded him of what they had learned from Vivian about the lumps on their necks. After he had finished he said quietly but decisively: "Now, we're going to try and remove whatever is under these lumps. Have you got anything sharp? Your knife? Something with an edge on it?" It would mean escape from the domination of Xantra's will!--from his terrible stabbing punishment!--if they could remove them! Jim breathed a little quicker in his excitement. "But once we do it--if we _can_ do it--it'll mean that we'll have to make our break to escape right away," he reminded Clee. "We'll be caught if Xantra wills us to come to him and we don't appear!" "You know what will happen to Vivian if we delay the attempt." Clee reminded him levelly: and Jim knew that Clee was right--that their break for freedom must start right then and there.... * * * * *