I was steady enough on my feet now. We went into the small, dim passageway. It was whining and throbbing with the electrical sounds of our size-change. An uproar of rhythmical throbs--one could shout along here and scarce be heard above it. As I got to the door, my heart pounded. Their guard was in his place, fifteen feet down the shadowed passage. But there was something unnatural in his hunched position as he sat with his back against the wall. His head seemed to have sunk forward upon his chest. Asleep? His hand on the floor held the automatic. His head was slumped. I shook him. His inert body twisted, and fell sidewise. And we saw, sticking in his chest, a tiny sword like a bodkin plunged skillfully between his ribs to reach his heart. Murdered! The door to the girls' staterooms was closed! We jerked at it. Locked on the inside. We pounded, shouted, kicked at it frantically. There was only silence from within. CHAPTER XV _Togaro at Bay_ The silence was horrible. If the girls were in there, why didn't they answer? We thumped and pounded. "Dianne! Dianne, answer us! Ahlma--Ahlma--" Our cries brought members of the crew. The body of the murdered guard was shoved aside. We jammed the passage, assailing the stout metal door which was glowing with the current in it. "Dianne--Dianne dear!" The door resisted our efforts. We stood listening; I put my ear against the door. Only silence. It seemed that even a scream would be less horrible. "Break it down," exclaimed Drake. "We must hurry!" He flung his powerful body against it, but the door held. Alt came running with a metal bar. We rammed. The passage was too narrow to give us room. But at last the door yielded a little and we got the bar into the crack and pried. We burst into the room. Ahlma lay upon the bed, unconscious. Her robe was torn; there were bruises upon her temple, her shoulder and arm. The room showed evidences of struggle. Dianne was gone! Ahlma had fainted or been knocked unconscious. We revived her presently. Meanwhile we were searching the room, examining every inch of it for tiny human forms who might be lurking in the shadows, still large enough to be visible. But there was nothing. "Watch the doorsill!" Drake commanded. "If he's here--he may make a rush to get out--" They carried away the body of the murdered guard; two men knelt, with faces close to the doorsill, watching it. But there was nothing. We knew, even before Ahlma revived, what must have happened. Togaro, with an inch or two of height, armed with a needle-like sword, had crept upon our guard in the passage. Amazing, reckless villain! He must have dared to crawl upon the guard; then leaped, plunging his little sword like a long needle into the guard's heart. Then he had scuttled into the girls' room, to grow large and softly close its door. He had fifteen minutes, probably, before we discovered the murder.