Kyrsis' breathing was fast and shallow, her face even more pale than before. She spoke too rapidly, in a ragged, uneven voice. "You are weary, Shane, so weary. You must rest now. Here--let me take off your shackles. There is a room here you will like--a quiet room...." She unlocked the cuffs on his wrists and tossed them aside, then led him swiftly to an adjoining sleep chamber. Foam-soft cushioning a foot thick blanketed a dais along one wall, big enough for a dozen men. A lingering perfume filled the air. Soft lights cast a silvery glow. From somewhere came faint strains of elfin music. "Rest here, Earthman," the silver woman said softly. "Rest until I call you...." For a moment her icy fingers touched his cheek. Then she left the room, closing the door behind her. Shane stared after her, a frown furrowing his brow. After a moment, he stepped to the door, tried the handle. It was locked. * * * * * Shane's frown deepened. He rubbed a grimy hand across his cheek where the cold of Kyrsis' fingers still lingered; finally turned to a more thorough inspection of his quarters. As he pivoted, light glinted on the glass-like surface of the wall that flanked the door--caught a vague flicker of movement. Shane moved on across the chamber with no sign that he had seen it. An alcove held a radiation bath. The Earthman stepped into the cubicle and flipped the switch, luxuriating under the warm tingle of the molecular bombardment. Slowly, the sweat and dirt and grime faded from his body, the dried blood washed away. The worst of the weariness left his muscles. His bones almost stopped aching. Refreshed, he snapped off the radiation and, leaving the cubicle, drank greedily from a crystal bubbler set beside it. Now he went back to the sleeping chamber. His eyes flickered over the spot in the wall beside the door. The surface showed blank and dead as the rest. Shane grinned sourly to himself; crossed the room and tried the door once more. It was still locked. The Earthman hesitated. Then, grimly, he braced one foot on the casing beside the lock, gripped the handle, and threw his full weight on it. Inside the lock, something snapped. The handle twisted askew. Again Shane tugged, his muscles swelling with the strain. The broken handle pulled from its socket. Inserting a forefinger in the hole, Shane manipulated the lock, pulled back the bolt. The door swung open. Shane stepped outside. He glanced at the wall behind the spot where he had seen the movement. * * * * * A picture hung there. Lifting aside, he found a small, hinged panel. Opening it, he discovered that a lens set behind the shiny coating of the inner wall enabled him to survey the entire sleep chamber. Again, the sour grin twisted Shane's lips. Swiftly, he strode through the silence, checking the other rooms. He found them empty, all but one. Its door was locked. The Earthman drew back a moment.