"He's dead too." Curt didn't explain further, for he suddenly knew what was wrong here. He whirled upon Jeffers. "Tor Ekkov! Where'd he go? Why'd you let him leave here?" "He insisted on it. Something about a Tele-Magnum! He was driving me crazy with that damned tune of his--" Curt swore inaudibly. "How long has he been gone?" "Not long. _You've_ only been gone twenty minutes." Jeffers shrugged. "Anyway, he acted crazy. Why worry about him?" "Why? He'll ruin whatever chances we have! We've got to stop him!" Curt raced from the room, with Jeffers and Lorine pounding after him. At the far cross-corridor Curt paused uncertainly, staring around. "What's it about, Emmons?" Concern was in Jeffers' voice now. "What's that Martian up to?" "Back there in the spacer--he spotted a Tele-Magnum! If he manages to operate it, the Zemmd is going to know it! We won't have a chance!" VIII Curt hurried to the right, not sure of his direction now in this underground place. But he stopped abruptly at the next corridor. His heart leaped. Huddled against the angle of the wall was the body of a man. Curt turned him over. It was the man he knew as Frane! Twisted tightly around his throat, cutting into the flesh, was a plasticoid belt that Curt recognized as Tor's. Jeffers was right. Tor had gone fanatical crazy, determined that nothing would stop him from reaching the Tele-Magnum and getting his voice through to Mars! But now another thought sliced into Curt's mind. The _Energon-form_ which had inhabited Frane's body! There were two alternatives. Either it had emerged and seized control of Tor, or had sped back to give the alarm. There was no time to waste! At the end of this corridor Curt saw the crumpled prow of the alien spacer. He hurried toward it, Jeffers and Lorine running to keep pace beside him. Curt squeezed into the low-arched doorway, beneath twisted and tumbled metalloy beams. Again he was in the room where they'd seen the array of machines, including the one Tor thought was a Tele-Magnum. And Tor Ekkov was there. Curt knew it, as the angry sound of an electro beam sang close. It splashed against a bulkhead beside him. Curt waved Jeffers and the girl back, then pressed forward. He saw Tor. The man was still Martian, Curt could tell that; the _Energon_ hadn't reached him. But a glint of madness was in the depths of his eyes, as he held an electro in his tight-knuckled fist. He must have taken it from Frane, Curt thought. And he solved the secret of the Tele-Magnum! Curt heard a faint hum, saw the glow of the selector screen as selenic cells poured power into the trans-etheric beam. Curt came a step nearer, into the room. Again Tor's electro splashed fire at him. "So it's you, Curt Emmons. No, don't come any closer!" The Martian's eyes darted to the lensed radiant-rifle Curt held cradled in his arm. "Throw that thing on the floor. I mean it! I'll blast you!"