Horning dragged himself to his knees, choking and gasping. He caught a blurred glimpse of the limp figure of the woman who had been his counterpart's wife. A thin trickle of blood was seeping from her mouth.... "Get up, I said!" the killer cried in a tight terrible voice. He kicked Horning in the side. Horning rolled away, pain stabbing through him. He scrambled to his feet. "Climb onto the desk!" * * * * * Shaking, Horning clambered up, standing half-crouched with the top of his head pressing the ceiling. A water pipe lay like a cold knife-blade against the back of his neck. His counterpart dragged a coil of insulated wire from the workbench and threw it to Horning. "Here! Tie a noose!" In aching silence, Horning looped and twisted the wire. "You know what happens now, don't you?" The murderer from another world leered up at him, rocking with laughter, and this time there was no mistaking the madness in the deep-set eyes. "You're going to anchor that wire to the water pipe, and put the noose around your scrawny neck, and jump off the desk! After that"--he laughed again--"I'll take your wife and go back to my own plane. When they find you here, with my Myrtle and my gun, they'll say you murdered her and hanged yourself!" "They wont believe it!" Horning blurted. He groped desperately. "They--they'll know from the gun. There's no other like it on this plane--" "--So, they'll say it's a new development by the renowned scientist, Doctor Raymond X. Horning--" Abruptly, the man who was Horning's counterpart broke off. His mirth vanished, replaced by cold, gun-backed menace. "You're stalling! Anchor that wire!" A knot of black fear drew tight in Horning's midriff. Numbly, he fumbled with wire and pipe. "Anchor it!" Horning sucked in air. "Hurry up!" Horning let the wire drop. The coil hit the edge of the desk, hung for a moment, and then rolled off onto the floor. The other's eyes flicked down to it. He cursed and took one short step forward, hand outstretched. Horning dived off the desk, straight at him. The man from beyond the barrier started back. He jerked up the gun. His shot went wild. Horning landed on him with bone-crushing impact. The gun skated off across the room. They crashed to the floor together, rolling over and over till they hit the workbench. It rocked wildly. Tools cascaded over them. Twisting, Horning drove a blow at his counterpart's face. The other writhed away. His elbow jabbed into Horning's throat. Horning choked. Before he could recover, a knee found his belly. The wind went out of him. His adversary broke free and scrambled away, clawing for the gun. Horning lunged after him. He caught a foot ... jerked and twisted with all his might. The killer sprawled, flat on his face. But his outstretched hand clutched the pistol. Horning snatched a Stillson wrench from the litter of tools fallen from the workbench. His counterpart rolled, whipping round the gun.