Idly she glanced at the other slab of paper--the drawn conversations with the Plutonians. Nothing else. But why were they also kept in the safe? She glanced hurriedly through them, frowned at one, and then gasped in sheer horror as she understood it. It was an incredible drawing of dwarf men who thrust taller humans into a tank of water, while other dwarfs bowed in a strange ritual. But the horror was for the vague thing drawn inside the tank--it was impossible, yet what mistake could there be?... She must hurry ... hurry... yet she banged the safe shut and locked it, before leaving and rushing down the corridor with the bundle of drawings hugged to her gasping breast. * * * * * McCausland's face was drawn with some nameless thought, but his eyes narrowed shrewdly enough when he saw the girl had left. Hastily he tried the safe and found it locked. Reuter came in and asked, "Where's the girl?" "Gone back to her cabin, most likely." The professor's eyes glanced idly over the floor and grew large. McCausland looked where he pointed. There between desk and safe lay a stock certificate! Reuter was the first to recover his speech. "Left her alone here, eh? Try the safe...." But McCausland was already opening it and together they stared at the empty space where the Plutonian drawings should have been. "Search the ship!" snapped the captain. Then, "Well, Reuter, why are you looking like that?" "You don't think she's," he licked his lips furtively, "gone down there with the others ... trying to save them...." Captain McCausland, gray in the face, was shouting into the loudspeaker, "Paulette! Paulette!" "She won't answer you, if she's seen those drawings," reminded Reuter. Cursing, he rushed down the corridor to the open lock that connected with the Plutonian world below. Far down on the bottom he glimpsed a familiar tiny figure as it vanished from sight. "Paulette! Come back." His voice was a hoarse scream. He leaned against the side of the lock and groaned. "Walter," Reuter arrived panting, "she's gone. We can't help it. She turned you down anyway, didn't she? Let's get the ship out of here quick." Walter's face was ghastly pale, but he straightened his back. "Do you think I'd leave _her_! Those other fools, yes! But not my girl, you old goat. She's _mine_, I tell you." Reuter groaned. "But they'll get you, too ... you can't leave me alone here!" The captain turned back, snarling. "That's right. I won't leave you. You'd start the ship and leave us all, wouldn't you! Very well; you're coming, too!" A heavy hand dragged the screaming, protesting professor into the lock-door and pushed him savagely down on the rungs of the ladder. * * * * *