Brown men fell before the smashing of their fists. But the end of the fight was a foregone conclusion. Jeter had a bruised jaw. Eyer's nose was bleeding and one eye was closed when the reception committee finally came to close quarters, smothered them by sheer weight of numbers, and made them prisoners. Jeter's right wrist was manacled to Eyer's left with a pair of ordinary steel handcuffs. Their weapons were taken away from them now. The leader of the committee, panting, but apparently unconcerned over what had happened, motioned the two men to lead the way. He pointed to the large building in the center of the "floor." "That way," he said, "and I hope Sitsumi and The Three give us permission to throw you out without parachutes or high altitude suits." "Pleasant cuss, aren't you?" said Eyer. "I don't think you like us." The man would have struck Eyer for his grinning levity; but at that moment a door opened in the side of the large building and a man in Oriental robes stood there. "Bring then here at once, Naka!" he said. * * * * * The man called Naka, the leader whom Jeter had first struck, bowed low, with deep respect, to the man in the doorway. "Yes, O Sitsumi!" he said. As he spoke he sucked in his breath with that snakelike hissing sound which is the acme of politeness, in Japan--"that my humble breath may not blow upon you"--and spread wide his hands. "They are extremely low persons and dared lay hands upon your emissaries." Eyer grinned again. "I think," he called, "there transpired what might be called a general laying on of hands by all hands." "I deeply deplore your inclination to levity, Tema Eyer," said the man in the doorway. "It is not seemly in one whose intelligence entitles him to a place in our counsels." Eyer looked at Jeter. What was the meaning of Sitsumi's cryptic utterance? "Bring them in," snapped Sitsumi. Jeter studied the man with interest. He knew instantly who he was and understood why Sitsumi had refused to answer his radio messages to Japan. He couldn't very well have done so in the circumstances. Here, under the broad dome of Sitsumi was probably the greatest scientific brain of the century. Jeter saw cruelty in his eyes too; ruthlessness, and determination. The prisoners were marched into the room behind Sitsumi, who stepped aside, looking curiously at Jeter and Eyer as they passed him. Inside the door, pausing only a moment to glance over the big room's appointments, Jeter turned on Sitsumi. "Just what do you intend doing with us, Sitsumi?" he asked. "I suppose it's useless to ask you, also, what the meaning of all this is?" "I shall answer both your questions, Jeter," said Sitsumi. "Step this way, please. The Three should hear our conference."