“You are a scientist?” “Yes.” “I, too, am a scientist. I rediscovered the secret of the green ray of our ancestors, after it had been lost for thousands of years. It was my idea to use the ray for defense, but P’an-ku decided to use it for conquest. I objected. That is why I am here—have been here for more than a year. He would have killed me long ago by torture had it not been that he thought he might want to use my brain for his benefit later. As I have nothing left to live for, I feign madness in the presence of the guards, hoping that my execution will be ordered and I may be released from this horrible existence—this living death. Why has P’an-ku sent you here?” “I am his prisoner of war,” replied Ted, and recounted all that had happened from the time he had fired his projectile at the moon. It was a relief to have someone to talk to there in the stinking darkness. “Many strange things can happen in a year,” said Shen Ho, when Ted had finished his story. “And to think, he has used not only my invention, but the inventions of my two younger brothers for a war of conquest. My brother Wen Ho, who is five years younger than I, invented the flying globe. My brother, Fen Ho, who is seven years my junior, was the inventor of the powerful explosive projectiles and firing mechanism. We of the house of Ho spent our lives and our talents on these inventions in order that our people might have adequate defensive weapons and live in peace forever. But P’an-ku thought differently about these things, and his word is law.” “Did he jail your brothers, also?” asked Ted. “They were condemned to these dungeons at the same time as I,” replied Shen Ho, “but we were all chained in separate passageways. I know not whether they are living or dead.” “If you found an opportunity to escape, what would you do?” asked Ted. “First I would search for my brothers and attempt to rescue them or assure myself that they had perished. This accomplished, I would seek P’an-ku.” “And then?” “And then, the Lord Sun willing, P’an-ku should die.” “I have the means of escape at hand, yet cannot reach them.” said Ted, explaining the nature and position of his two pistol degravitors. “If I could but get my hand on one of these weapons, I could destroy our fetters. Then we could help each other.” For some time Shen Ho was silent. Then he suddenly exclaimed: “I have a way!” “How?” “By persistent rubbing, human teeth will sever that wire.” “But I can’t bite my own hip,” replied Ted. “That’s out.” “There are several skulls in your cell,” said Shen Ho, “and in the jaws are teeth.” “Right!” exclaimed Ted. “We have a saying on Du Gong that two heads are better than one.” “And you will find,” replied Shen Ho, “that if the first set of teeth wears out, two or three skulls are better than one. When and if you run out of skulls I have plenty more over here.”