Another interval. I had made plans. Futile plans! I could get into the turret perhaps, and kill Hahn. I had the invisible cloak which Johnson was wearing. I took it from his body. Its mechanism could be repaired. Why, with it I could creep about the ship, kill these brigands one by one perhaps. George Prince would be with me. The brigands who had been posing as the stewards and crew-members were unable to navigate; they would obey my orders. There were only Miko, Coniston and Hahn to kill. Futile plans! From my window I could gaze up to the helio-room. And now abruptly I heard Snap's voice: "No! I tell you--no!" And Miko: "Very well. We will try this." So Snap was captured, but not killed. Relief swept me. He was in the helio-room, and Miko was with him. But my relief was short-lived. * * * * * After a brief interval there came a moan from Snap. It floated down from the silence overhead. It made me shudder. My Benson-beam shot into the helio window. It showed me Snap lying there on the floor. He was bound with wire. His torso had been stripped. His livid face was ghastly plain in my light. Miko was bending over him. Miko with a heat-cylinder no longer than a finger. Its needle-beam played upon Snap's naked chest. I could see the gruesome little trail of smoke rising; and as Snap twisted and jerked, there on his flesh was the red and blistered trail of the violet-hot ray. "Now will you tell?" "No!" Miko laughed. "No? Then I shall write my name a little deeper...." A black scar now--a trail etched in the quivering flesh. "Oh!--" Snap's face went white as chalk as he pressed his lips together. "Or a little acid? This fire-writing does not really hurt? Tell me what you did with those code-words!" "No!" In his absorption Miko did not notice my light. Nor did I have the wit to try and fire along it. I was trembling. Snap under torture! As the beam went deeper, Snap suddenly screamed. But he ended, "No! I will send--no message for you--" It had been only a moment. In the chart-room window beside me again a figure appeared! No image. A solid, living person, undisguised by any cloak of invisibility. George Prince had chanced my fire and had crept up upon me. "Haljan! Don't attack me." * * * * * I dropped my light connections. As impulsively I stood up, I saw through the window the figure of Coniston on the deck watching the result of Prince's venture. "Haljan--yield." Prince no more than whispered it. He stood outside on the deck; the low window casement touched his waist. He leaned over it. "He's torturing Snap! Call out that you will yield." The thought had already been in my mind. Another scream from Snap chilled me with horror. I shouted, "Miko! Stop!" I rushed to the window and Prince gripped me. "Louder!"