"Right! Grab a pencil, pal! I think we've got a solution here. Jot these down--krypton, europium, thorium, erbium--Hold it!" He looked at his companion disgustedly. "Just the symbols, you dope! Don't you see? The symbols of the various elements employ every letter in the English language except 'j' and 'q'--and those are the two least commonly used, anyway. Start over. Krypton--" "Kr," said Bud. "Europium--" "Eu." "Thorium. Erbium--" "'Kreuther'!" howled Bud. "That's it, Dan! Keep going!" * * * * * The message slowly scrawled its way onto paper. A word appeared, another, another. Then: "Ten point twenty-five!" said Mallory. "Followed by 69.87! What the hell are they?" Bud said, "Maybe he made a mistake? Boron's 10.82. Lithium's 6.94--" "No. That's not it," said Mallory. He frowned. Captain Algase had long since wakened completely, was listening to his two juniors with glowing pride. Now he cut the Gordian knot. "Chromium," he suggested, "is fifty-two point one, Dan. The reverse of the number that stumps you." "Right! That's it, Skipper! And the meaning must be that the symbol is to be written in reverse. 'Rc' instead of 'Cr.' There aren't enough combinations to spell every word in the language unless you use some subterfuges like that." "Which makes the word," said Bud, "'forces.' Go on, pal...." Mallory plunged into the heart of the coded letter. "39.944--" "Argon," said Bud, "'A.'" "114.76. Indium. 150.43--" "Samarium. 'Sa.' Next?" "Iodine." "'I.'" The message was finished. Bud handed it to Captain Algase. Mallory's curiosity was at fever pitch. He had not been able to piece the letters together as he went along; he had gained but a smattering here and there. He waited. The skipper read slowly, breaking the message up into coherent sentences. "'Kreuther power behind revolution. Heavy forces now threatening New Fresno--'" "Kreuther, huh?" growled Bud. "I thought so." "'Hasten assistance. Lane warns--'" The captain stopped, stared a moment, glanced swiftly at Mallory. There was a tight note in his voice. "'Lane warns Lady Alice, cabal spy, now in _Libra_--'" "Lady Alice!" blurted Mallory. The warmth of the control turret suddenly weighed down upon him; his brow felt hot, oppressed, as if some gigantic hand had descended upon his temples. "'Captain saith,'" continued Algase, "'intensify protection of new secret ray.'" He crumpled the paper. "And that is all, gentlemen. Mallory--" "Yes, sir?" "Our fears were justified. There _is_ a spy on the _Libra_. We must take no chances. You will arrest Lady Alice Charwell, place her under lock and key for the duration of the voyage." Bud Chandler muttered, "Where does Marlowe get that Old English stuff? 'Saith!' Why didn't he say, 'Says'?"