"Good Lord! What makes you think I'm willing to let you both die? Ronny can do what he damn well wants to--guess the world will outlive his loss. But you, my girl--do you think I'll let you be massacred just because most of our good-for-nothing species is due to be wiped out? Believe me, if there's going to be one man survive the slaughter, there'll be one woman too--just to start the new world right! Do you get me?" As he crept nearer to her along the web, his little black eyes widened in a leer. A quarter of an hour later, the full implications of his words became clear. Red-Hood and the other Saturnians had returned; and, ringing their captives about in a glittering circle, had demanded their decision. And Eleanor and Gates had defied them with a resolute "No!", regardless of the thunderous rumblings and the spouts of smoke that came from their masters' lips. But Dunbar took another track. "Worthy visitors from Saturn," he said, with mincing gestures, "I am glad to co-operate with you. But, in return, I ask one small boon." "What boon?" "If I help you, O noble ones, I must do so without restraint. But this cannot be unless you grant me the favor I ask. You see, O Lords, we earth-men are so made that we cannot do our best work without a woman at our side. So I crave of you--spare the life of this female here; release her, so that she may labor with me!" A snort from Red-Hood drowned out Eleanor's shocked protests. "But this woman, O earthling, has refused to co-operate. She deserves the fate worse than death, which we have in store for her." "Women, O Lords, are ever fickle and changeable of mind. If you will but spare her, I will see that she will co-operate." The Saturnians held a brief conference among themselves, in tones like rapid gurglings. Then Red-Hood turned back toward Dunbar. "It is so, O Nignig! On our planet, too, the female of the species is fickle, and changes her mind like the lightning." And then, pointing scornfully at Gates, "Do you also ask us to spare your other companion?" "Not so, O Lords! I ask the woman only!" * * * * * Eleanor's despairing cry was muffled amid the bellowing of the Saturnians, as they once more conferred, punctuating their debate with flashes of their many-colored armor, and with innumerable puffs of smoke ... in a discussion that lasted for many minutes. Finally, discharging sulphur fumes from little orifices at the ends of his long twining fingers, Red-Hood turned back to his Quisling. "Let it be so!" he rattled out. "On one condition, we will release the woman. She will serve as a pledge for the faithful performance of your promise. If you fail us, by even the minutest fraction of a fraction of a degree, be sure she will not escape, but will perish along with you on the Barbs of Slow Agony!" Eleanor gasped; and peering up into the relentless red eyes of her captors, knew that all protest would be futile.