A nude human body lay within each sphere. Shaking, Boone made his way to the gold-bathed globe. But the figure inside was that of a man, a stranger, with a calm, vaguely-familiar face. Boone turned to the second sphere, that on which played the cone of purple light. This time, he looked upon a woman. _Eileen!_ He swayed, still not daring to allow himself to believe it. How had he found her in this weird maze, this bubble-catacomb? How long had he wandered through dim-lit passageways and domed, echoing chambers? How many times had he despaired? It was as if destiny had walked beside him, guiding. Destiny, or ... other minds. Alien minds, perhaps greater than his. But whatever the answer, he'd kept on, and he'd found her. That was what counted. Now, while he watched, new radiance suffused the chamber. The light-cones dimmed; and as they faded, the spheres floated slowly, gently, to the floor. Then, as on that other, dream-like day that seemed so long ago, there was a crash of silent thunder. The globes split, fell apart. Boone dropped to one knee. With trembling fingers he touched Eileen's bare breast. Her flesh was warm, her heartbeat steady. Like a child awakening, her lashes fluttered. Then, lids already lifting, she turned and looked up at him with calm, untroubled eyes. A sob rose in Boone's throat. He pressed her to him. She laughed, ever so softly; and tenderness was in it. Cool fingers smoothed his brow, his hair. "Fred, you sound so--worried...." His words came in a jumble, then: "You--you're all right? There's--nothing's happened?" "No, of course not." She sounded not even quite certain of his meaning. "I only went to sleep for a little while; that's all." The last tension drained from Boone's taut body. Weak, tremulous, unsteady, he slumped beside her amid the segments of the shattered sphere. "There's been so much, so many things--" He groped for words. Only then, before he could say more, a distant impact rocked the chamber. The impact of a demolition charge exploding. In spite of emotional drain, exhaustion, Boone went rigid. "Krobis--!" "What--?" Eileen's blue eyes distended. "Fred, you mean he's here?" "Yes, with plans for blasting apart this whole cursed Helgae city!" Boone stumbled erect. "Quick! We've got to go!" * * * * * The girl rose beside him, then looked down in sudden, swift abashment. A flush swept up her throat. Her face turned scarlet. "My clothes--! Where are they?" A man's voice answered, "Here." As one, Boone and Eileen spun around. The stranger, he who had lain in the golden sphere, was getting up. Calmly, he strode to a low ledge on the far side of the bubble and picked up one of two bulky bundles; tossed it deftly to Eileen. "Everything is there." Boone gripped his blaster. He moved a quick step forward. "You! Who are you?" "They call me Lor." "A name's no answer. Where'd you come from? How'd you get here?"