He returned the insolent gaze of the young Lodorian with an impatient and threatening stare and the countenance of Zitlan at once became stern and menacing. He came striding in the direction of Inga, Dirk and Stanton and paused within a few feet of them, his rapacious eyes still fixed on the girl. "My lady," he said, "your beauty pleases me. I have walked on many worlds but never before have I seen one as lovely as yourself. Of the spoils of this world, all that I crave possession of is you. When we return to Lodore," he added with an air of finality, "I will take you with me and place you with my other women in the Seraglio of the Stars." Dirk swiftly stepped close to Zitlan and the latter quickly clasped a tube that hung at his side, a tube of the sort that the soldiers had carried. "Your words and your manner are insolent," asserted Dirk angrily, "and I warn you now to cease making yourself offensive." "Dog!" exclaimed Zitlan fiercely, leveling the metal tube, "I'll--" But the left fist of Dirk cut short his threat as it made a sudden impact with his chin, and the Lodorian went crashing backward into some exotic shrubbery with a look of surprise on his countenance. Then Dirk heard an odd hissing and crackling sound, and he felt himself becoming dizzy and weak. Darkness seemed to sweep in upon him; he felt that he was dropping swiftly through space, and then he lost consciousness. * * * * * A vague and shadowy figure was standing close by his side and peering down into his face. After a while he realized that it was Steinholt. "Steinholt!" he gasped. "Why--why am I here--in Fragoni's? I must have had a dream--and yet...." He furrowed his brow in thought and, gradually, he commenced to remember what had happened. "It was no dream," said the scientist softly. "Do you remember the trouble that you had with Zitlan?" "Yes," replied Dirk. "I remember that he was insolent to Inga and that I lost my temper and struck him. But what happened to me? I don't recall that anybody hit me. I did hear sort of a peculiar sound just before I started to pass out, but--" "Teuxical took a shot at you," said Steinholt, "and you have been unconscious for over thirty-six hours." "Took a shot at me!" exclaimed Dirk. "What did he shoot me with?" "That is what we all would like to know," said Steinholt. "He leveled one of those damn tubes at you and pressed a button on it. There was a hissing sound, a flash of light, and you got groggy, and went out. He potted Zitlan, too," continued Steinholt, "and he apologized for the trouble that his son was responsible for. Do you know," he added, "I sort of like the old man." * * * * * Lazarre, with a sympathetic smile on his face, entered the room at that moment and overheard the conversation.