Stahl said, "Okay, let us down, Doctor"--and Steel remembered the confidence that even Dr. Harmon's deadly enemy, Stahl, had had in the Earth-moving venture's safety. Floyd too, working for The Bear, had believed in it enough to die for it. It was the one chance to bring warmth to the Earth again, banish completely such things as the upper levels! Dr. Harmon pressed the button and the lift started down--and Steel remembered the unwavering courage in Lois Harmon's eyes when her father had slipped her that knife. In those three seconds, everything that had happened flashed through Steel's mind, and everything that _could_ happen. In those three seconds he decided what he _wanted_ to happen. He jumped. * * * * * The lift was moving down swiftly. It was going down just a trifle slower than Steel fell. There was little jolt when he landed. He knocked one of the guards' rifles sailing immediately. The other whirled upon him, rifle raised. But the platform was too small for a rifle. It worked to the guard's disadvantage. Steel grabbed the barrel. A lever. With it, he wrenched the fellow over the side. He caught a glimpse of Lois Harmon clinging to the hand rail, one hand at her trembling lips, her green eyes huge. Then Stahl's bulk loomed before him and the other guard came in behind him, while from above a volt gun spurted its molten stream past his head. The guard got his elbow around Steel's neck. Stahl raised both huge hands and brought them down at his face like twin sledge hammers. Steel dropped his weight in the guard's arms, twisted his head, caught Stahl's blow on his shoulder. Then the arm around his neck was blinding him, cutting off his air. A red film swam before his eyes. His ears roared. He felt Stahl's blows numbly against his face. Going down. Going down. It was more instinct than anything else that made him grip the guard's shirt behind him. It was many a police lesson in roughhouse that doubled Steel forward and arched his back, while he jerked at the guard's shirt with his last strength. He yanked the guard off his feet and flung him up and out over the railing. When the guard's scream died away, Steel found himself on the floor of the platform, Stahl on top of him, thick fingers grappling for his throat. The platform had stopped falling. It rested at the bottom of the cavern. "I'll get him! I'll get him!" screamed Lois, leaping toward Stahl, deadly little knife upraised. [Illustration: _"I'll get him! I'll get him!" screamed Lois._] Steel fished his legs around and kicked her back against the railing. "No!" he yelled. "Get the projector working!" Dr. Harmon had said: _We can still operate from the projector itself...._ The girl turned and fled down the circular stairs, to disappear inside the vast machine.