The huge black body trod past, stirring the drapes and uncovering the feet of the Earthmen. But he did not glance aside. Mussdorf and Gunn let their breath out slowly, silently. They did not know that Irgi was the last of his race, that he was used to loneliness, that he was not given to looking away from his objective. They peered out: saw the monster nearing two great bronze doors sculped with forms of alien beauty. Watching breathlessly, they saw the doors slide open untouched. "Light beam," whispered Mussdorf. They caught a glimpse of the Chamber of the Cones through the doorway; saw with awe the great block of glimmering white, pulsing with an inner fire. The ten glittering cones with their rings of shimmering light made them gape. They eased forward, and halted at the doors. The black thing was pressing levers, working them swiftly. The great cones began to hum softly, began to throb. They could feel that terrific power pulsating through the room, making them quiver in rhythm though they stood beyond its range. The faint azure haze darkened; grew deeper, a dark blue. In broad bands of light the blue leaped from the cones, poured outward over the room. Irgi too, they saw. He lifted himself to his full height, turning and pirouetting gracefully despite his bulk. He bathed in the light, and it sprayed over and covered him. "He's h'on h'a bat," croaked Gunn in hoarse excitement. "'E's getting drunk on that stuff, whatever it is. A bender, a rip-snorting tear 'e's 'avin' for himself. Look at him. Like it was champagne he was wallowin' in. Gawd--I could stand a snootful of that myself!" He leaped swiftly, before Mussdorf could stop him. Past the big man's outstretched arm he charged, full into the beating bands of blue. "Oh good Lord!" whispered Mussdorf. * * * * * Before his eyes little Gunn stiffened in intolerable agony, straight up, rigid. He hung that way for one long instant, immobile. Then Gunn--disappeared. Mussdorf blinked, and looked. The little pickpocket had been right before him an instant ago. Now where he had been was nothing but those pulsing ribbons on cobalt, pounding, beating, throbbing. He's gone right in front of my eyes, Mussdorf thought. Evaporated. Into thin air. No, not into air. Into that blue color. It just absorbed him, like a blotter sops up ink! Mussdorf knew cold fright, shuddering. He whirled and ran, straight up the corridor toward the laboratory door. It shot back before the thrust of his arms. He leaped for the white tables as Emerson and Nichols stared at him, wondering at his pale face. Big brown hands seized on the straps that held Emerson, fighting to burst them. "Calm down, man," said Emerson evenly. "If those things could break, I'd have broken them. Undo the buckles." "Yeah, yeah. You're right," sobbed the big convict. "What happened to you?"