Swiftly, almost incoherently, I explained to him the idea that had suggested itself to me. I heard his breath catch as he comprehended its appalling nature. Then I saw his eyes gleam as he realized that, inasmuch as almost certain death awaited us, death in escaping could not deter us, for we were already doomed. So, we grasped one of the metal strips and tried with all our force to tear its lower end loose from the metal wall. That lower end, set directly in the wall, seemed integral with its metal; and, as we pulled upon the metal strip, gasping with our great effort, muscles tired, we still kept on. We had to work quietly lest some sound betray us to the guards without. It seemed that we could never tear it loose. Straightening from the violent exertion, with dizzy heads, muscles aching, we paused for a moment, then reached to grasp the strip again, braced ourselves against the wall and exerted all our force upon it. It held for a terrible moment, then seemed to give, to bend--and then, with a little grating sound, we had pulled the strip loose from the wall into which it had been set. CHAPTER VIII A Single Chance Intently for a moment we listened without moving; but there came no sound of alarm from without, nothing but the occasional voices of the guards. And now we grasped another of the metal bunk-supports, and wrenched its metal strip loose from the wall with another tremendous effort. We had in our hands two metal strips, each of some three feet in length. These we now bent swiftly into two L's or right angles of equal sides, using all our combined strength on each to bend the strong metal. Then, swiftly loosening the long, strong leather belts that criss-crossed over our black air-jackets, we formed of them swiftly two leather ropes ten feet in length. Each of these we attached to one of our metal L's, making each fast to one of the jagged, broken ends of one of the bent strips. Then, panting from our swift efforts, we stood erect, and moved toward our little window. Night lay over the world now, and from our window we saw the cities illumined by their lights stretching out to the horizon. On the landing plazas of the air-city beneath us rested the great European Federation battle-fleet. In the plaza directly beneath us, that which surrounded the base of our great electrostatic tower, there rested but a few score of cruisers, those of the commanders who were now at the headquarters inside the great tower's base. The plaza was practically deserted; for it was the evening meal. For a moment I stood there at the window, gazing out over that tremendous mass of giant air-cities. Then, summoning all my courage, I flung my right leg over the window's base, through its opening.