One does not disparage the dead. I could not exactly subscribe to Jetta's appraisal of her parent, but I did not say so. "Jetta, the mirror is on." I turned away from her toward the instrument table. Gutierrez at the door raised his weapon. I said hastily, "Nothing. I--we just want to see the mirror." I stood beside Hans. He glanced at me and I tried to smile ingratiatingly. "This attack will be successful, eh, Hans?" "Damn. I hope so." The mirror was glowing. Hans turned a switch to dim the tube-lights of the room so that we might see the images better. It brought a protest from Gutierrez. I swung around. "I'm not a fool! You can see me perfectly well: kill me if I make trouble. I want to see the attack." "_Por Dios_, if you try anything--" "I won't!" "Shut!" growled Hans. "The audiphone is on. The big adventure--and the commander--leaves me here just to watch!" * * * * * A slit in the observatory pane was open. The dark figure of one of the bandits on guard outside came and called softly up to us. "Started. Hans?" "Starting." "Should it go wrong, call out." "Yes. But it will not." "There was an alarm, relayed probably to Great New York, the commander said, from Spawn's garden. These cursed prisoners--" "Shut! You keep watch out there. It is starting." The guard slunk away. My attention went back to the mirror. An image was formed there now, coming from the eye of the lens upon De Boer's forehead. It swayed with his walking. He was evidently leading his men, for none of them were in the scene. The dark rocks were moving past. The lights of the mine were ahead and below, but coming nearer. The audiphone hummed and crackled. And through it, De Boer's low-voiced command sounded: "To the left is the better path. Keep working to the left." The image of the rocks and the mine swung with a dizzying sweep as De Boer turned about. Then again he was creeping forward. The mine lights came closer. De Beer's whispered voice said: "There they are!" * * * * * I could see the lights of the mine's guards flash on. A group of Spawn's men gathered before the smelter building. The challenge sounded. "Who are you? Stop!" And De Boer's murmur: "That is correct, as Perona said. They expect us. Well," he ended with a sardonic laugh, "expect us." His projector went up. He fired. In the silence of the control room we could hear the audiphoned hiss of it, and see the flash in the mirror-scene. He had fired into the air. Again his low voice to his men: "Hold steady. They will run." The group of figures at the smelter separated, waved and scattered back into the deeper shadows. Their hand-lights were extinguished, but the moonlight caught and showed them. They were running away; hiding in the crags. They fired a shot or two, high in the air.