They went out of the truck into the soft light of four moons, two large, two tiny. Fourfold shadows paced them over the icy slick. Garth hurried off to find his medical kit. By the time he returned, Brown had mustered his men and was waiting. He gave Garth a brief glance. "Okay. Morgan--" He turned to a giant in uniform. "I'll be back in a couple of hours. As soon as we find Miss Trent. 'Bye." "'Bye, sir." Garth led the way into one of the kiosks. Lamps were flashed on. A spiral ramp led steeply down. In an undertone Brown said, "I told Morgan Commander Benson sent me to find Paula Trent--that she was lost in the city. So we're safe till--" "We're safe till we leave the underground passage," Garth said. "After that, twenty miles across open ground. Has Benson got planes?" "Portable ones, yeah." "Then we'd better do that twenty miles at night." The ramp ended. Before them was a gigantic room where their tiny lamps were lost. Here and there enigmatic shadows loomed, the dead, fantastic machines of the Ancients that had once made Chahnn alive and powerful. * * * * * Garth went directly to an opening in the wall, Brown and his ten men following, and entered a short tunnel. At one spot he paused, ran his finger over a panel of smooth metal, and pressed. A black oval opened silently. "Here's the way. They won't follow us beyond this point." Brown nodded. "Sampson, get the men inside. Wait here for me. I'll be back as soon as I can." A burly, beak-nosed fellow with a cast in one eye and flaming red hair saluted casually. "Right. Come on, boys. Hop through. Mind your packs." Garth stared at Brown. "What d'you mean? Where--" The Captain said, "We're taking Paula Trent with us." "No! It's nearly suicide for us--she couldn't make it at all." "She's tougher than you think. Besides, she's got the map. And she's an archaeologist. I can't read the Ancients' lingo. Can you?" Garth shook his head. "I can speak it, that's all. But--" "If we find what we're after, we'll need Paula Trent. She's down here somewhere. Let's go find her." "I tell you--" Brown brought out a gun and leveled it. "Find her. Or I'll find her myself, and we'll head for the Black Forest without you. Because you'll be dead. I haven't come this far to let you stop me. And chivalry looks a bit funny on a guy like you." Sudden murder-light flared in the pale eyes. "Find her!" Brown whispered. "And--fast!" III Garth knuckled under. There was nothing else to do. He knew Brown wouldn't hesitate to kill him, and, after all, what the devil did Paula Trent mean to him? Her life was unimportant, compared to the hopeless quest that had quickened in his mind, despite himself.