"I understand there are but a hundred of them. I shall release all of you. We can do something!" cried Rod. "How did you get here?" asked the tall one. "There is no time--can't you see! I will explain later. We must leave _now_!" "What have we to lose, Ralph?" said the dark-haired one, turning to his companion. He looked back to Rod, jumped down to the platform. "I don't know why or what you are, but I saw what you just did." He motioned to the woman and the man. "This is Vee, and Ralph. I am Daro. We will go with you to whatever comes." "Shall I release the others?" asked Rod. "You can't. They're enclosed by electrically charged wire," put in the one named Ralph. There was a sudden whirr of machinery in the corridor outside, the chatter of many voices. "They come!" cried Daro. Rod rushed to the door. "Keep behind me!" he commanded. He pulled the door open. One end of the hall was packed with machines coming from the compound. The Capek that had escaped must have gone there for help. The opening to the street was deserted except for those passing. "This way!" Rod yelled and dashed for the street. The others followed with the mob of Capeks speeding swiftly after them. For a moment the scene was as he had first observed it, quiet with moving machines in the afternoon sun. Then, as they burst out of the building, there was an abrupt cessation of activity. All stopped, craned their black neck cords and stared. "Come on!" Rod yelled to his human allies and sped up the street, not knowing where. * * * * * But the surprise of the Capeks was brief. As the swarm poured from the building, all in the streets joined them in mad pursuit. Rod turned down a deserted side street, then up another. For the time being, they were lost from view. Finally, seeing the humans wearily fall behind, he halted. "How do we leave the city?" he asked. "We cannnot leave Detroy. We would surely die outside," panted Ralph. "The Capeks destroyed all life and vegetation when they conquered our ancestors; it is a blistering desert everywhere." Suddenly a horde of machines rolled out of an alley in front of them, cutting off their retreat. Red looked about frantically. There was an open door in a building across the way. He motioned toward it. They ran over. When they were inside, he slammed the door. He saw to the locks as the mob halted outside, shouting. It was a small, bare chamber, opening into another room at the rear. He looked in; there was no other exit. Except that there were no cabinets, the room was similar to the quarters of 83, where he had first been. In this brief respite, he found them staring at him again. "How did you get here?" asked Daro. And briefly, his words loud above the noise outside, he told them what he knew of his coming and the subsequent happenings. They listened with sparkling eyes, unmindful of their present insecurity.