He made no move to resist us. He stood meek--a slim young man now about my own height; and about my own age. He was pale and tired, in miserable plight, covered with cuts and bruises. I seized his belt, stripped it from him. An affair of metal and fabric, with compartments in which were metal vials of the drug. Possession of it brought me a wild sense of power. Helpless no longer! Foley backed the fellow to a corner of the room. "Stand there till they say what to do with you." We were not afraid of him now. "Easy, Foley--don't hurt him!" I added, "Now you can tell us what you came for." He said with a rush, "You do not trust me, but I speak truth. Drake--he is your brother?--he, with the Princess Dianne and the Lady Ahlma are in the flying car. Waiting. And they sent me out alone to you. I had a paper from Drake--I have lost it--" "Why didn't Drake come?" I demanded. "He stays to protect the princess. The men of Togaro are everywhere--in every size." He almost convinced me, with the swift, apprehensive look he flung about the room. Father said, "What was Drake's message? Don't you know?" "Yes, I know. He wants--weapons. Our world in there is threatened--disaster--destruction of all our little world. Our people--following Togaro--have gone mad. Too gigantic for our little world to hold them! And yes, they threaten your earth too--but that you control safely out here in this room. Drake would have me tell you the invasion is coming. You must be watchful to kill them as they come out--and Drake wants weapons, to threaten them so that they may not go completely mad and wreck our little world." Weapons? My suspicions leaped anew. Did this fellow think he could come here and we would give him weapons? Father demanded, "What sort of weapons?" "Not many--just two or three, for Drake to use to convince our people of his power. A knife-blade of steel--to bring death swift and silent. And he said, what you call automatics--two or three of them." "Give you those and let you go in?" I retorted sarcastically. His pale blue eyes opened wide. "Drake said you--his brother Frank, he said--would come with me. He wants you--I am to guide you to where he waits." My heart leaped. Guide me in! Why, of course! From the moment I knew I had the drug, there had been in the back of my mind the knowledge that I was going in to Drake. I had not thought of a guide. Necessary, of course, if I were to locate where Drake was waiting. And here was the guide. Father stammered, "No! I can't--can't let you do that, Frank. This fellow--a lying impostor perhaps, to lure you in there." Would I go? Dare I risk it? I heard myself saying calmly, grimly, "All right. I'll go in with you." CHAPTER XI _Giant in Ambush_