"Tance, come back!" Dorle shouted. "What's the matter with you?" "In a minute." There was a long silence. At last the archeologist appeared. "I think I've found something. Come up and I'll show you." "What is it?" "Dorle, you said the gun was here to keep the enemy off. I think I know why they wanted to keep the enemy off." They were puzzled. "I think I've found what the gun is supposed to guard. Come and give me a hand." "All right," Dorle said abruptly. "Let's go." He seized Nasha's hand. "Come on. Let's see what he's found. I thought something like this might happen when I saw that the gun was--" "Like what?" Nasha pulled her hand away. "What are you talking about? You act as if you knew what he's found." "I do." Dorle smiled down at her. "Do you remember the legend that all races have, the myth of the buried treasure, and the dragon, the serpent that watches it, guards it, keeping everyone away?" She nodded. "Well?" Dorle pointed up at the gun. "That," he said, "is the dragon. Come on." * * * * * Between the three of them they managed to pull up the steel cover and lay it to one side. Dorle was wet with perspiration when they finished. "It isn't worth it," he grunted. He stared into the dark yawning hole. "Or is it?" Nasha clicked on her hand lamp, shining the beam down the stairs. The steps were thick with dust and rubble. At the bottom was a steel door. "Come on," Tance said excitedly. He started down the stairs. They watched him reach the door and pull hopefully on it without success. "Give a hand!" "All right." They came gingerly after him. Dorle examined the door. It was bolted shut, locked. There was an inscription on the door but he could not read it. "Now what?" Nasha said. Dorle took out his hand weapon. "Stand back. I can't think of any other way." He pressed the switch. The bottom of the door glowed red. Presently it began to crumble. Dorle clicked the weapon off. "I think we can get through. Let's try." The door came apart easily. In a few minutes they had carried it away in pieces and stacked the pieces on the first step. Then they went on, flashing the light ahead of them. They were in a vault. Dust lay everywhere, on everything, inches thick. Wood crates lined the walls, huge boxes and crates, packages and containers. Tance looked around curiously, his eyes bright. "What exactly are all these?" he murmured. "Something valuable, I would think." He picked up a round drum and opened it. A spool fell to the floor, unwinding a black ribbon. He examined it, holding it up to the light. "Look at this!" They came around him. "Pictures," Nasha said. "Tiny pictures." "Records of some kind." Tance closed the spool up in the drum again. "Look, hundreds of drums." He flashed the light around. "And those crates. Let's open one." Dorle was already prying at the wood. The wood had turned brittle and dry. He managed to pull a section away.