"Yes, my foolish friends--hands up and drop your weapons to the floor! What delayed you? I have been waiting for you quite some time." And from behind the concealment of the now-closed door, flanked by a detail of Magogean warriors, armed to the teeth and ready for instant action, stepped Borisu! * * * * * "A trap!" cried Gary Lane. "A trap!" Borisu smiled easily. "Yes, my dear young doctor. You did not believe that we of Magog were stupid enough to purposely leave unprotected our control tower? Particularly when we knew you had contrived entry to our capital city?" Nora Powell cried, "Then you _knew_ we were in Khundru?" "Let me not assume undue credit," smirked Borisu in mock modesty. "Let us say, rather, I _guessed_ it was you the moment I learned one of our younger _kraedar_ had been attacked, and his uniform exchanged for the garment of a serf. "When upon further investigation it was learned that this self-same 'serf,' in company with four of his pretended 'family,' had created a scene of violence at the slave market, it was not hard to guess that such impetuous blunderers must be part of the late comradeship of the _Liberty_." His manner changed abruptly, his oily smile disappeared and tiny needles of flame darted from his eyes. "But enough of this," he rasped. "There are but four of you here. Where is the fifth? Who was he? Muldoon? Or that young traitor patrolman, Captain Warren?" Gary stared at him in frank astonishment. This did not make sense. Was it not to this control tower that Dr. Kang had been sent? If Borisu and his henchmen had not already met and apprehended the Martian savant here, then where--? A sudden thought struck him, one so staggering that it was only with an effort that he kept his eyes from turning in a revelatory direction. He struggled to keep his voice under control. He asked levelly, "And suppose I refuse to tell you, Borisu?" "It will not greatly matter," snarled the Magogean. "But I warn you, it will be better if you _do_ tell. Speak, now! Who was the fifth member of your party?" "The fifth member," said Gary slowly, stalling for what he had reason to believe was precious time, "was--" Then came an interruption. The hooded technician at the control board turned suddenly, spluttering swift, fearful words at the _kraedar_ and his guards. "My lords! Your attention quickly! Something has gone wrong with the force barrier!" "Wrong?" echoed Borisu, turning swiftly to the man. "But nothing _can_ go wrong. What do you mean?" "It's weakening ... failing.... Come, see for yourself." The technician pointed with trembling fingers at an alarm signal high upon the control banks; a light now pulsating in fitful ruby flares. Borisu spat a stream of angry curses, turned and waddled hastily across the amphitheatre to the engineer's side. "Where is the fault?" he demanded wildly. "Hurry, man! Bestir yourself! Don't stand there like a stricken schoolgirl. Do something!" And: