Suddenly there was a blinding flare of light, and Ross's hands went to cover his dazzled eyes. And he heard a despairing, choked exclamation from near to floor level. The same steady light that normally filled hall and room was bright again. Ross found himself standing at the juncture of two corridors--momentarily, he was absurdly pleased that he had deduced that correctly--and the crawler--? A man--at least the figure was a two-legged, two-armed body reasonably human in outline--was lying several yards away. But the body was so wrapped in bandages and the head so totally muffled, that it lacked all identity. For that reason it was the more startling. One of the mittened hands moved slightly, raising the body from the ground so it could squirm forward an inch or so. Before Ross could move, a man came running into the corridor from the far end. Murdock recognized Major Kelgarries. He wet his lips as the major went down on his knees beside the creature on the floor. "Hardy! Hardy!" That voice, which carried the snap of command whenever it was addressed to Ross, was now warmly human. "Hardy, man!" The major's hands were on the bandaged body, lifting it, easing the head and shoulders back against his arm. "It's all right, Hardy. You're back--safe. This is the base, Hardy." He spoke slowly, soothingly, with the steadiness one would use to comfort a frightened child. Those mittened paws which had beat feebly into the air fell onto the bandage-wreathed chest. "Back--safe--" The voice from behind the face mask was a rusty croak. "Back, safe," the major assured him. "Dark--dark all around again--" protested the croak. "Just a power failure, man. Everything's all right now. We'll get you into bed." The mitten pawed again until it touched Kelgarries' arm; then it flexed a little as if the hand under it was trying to grip. "Safe--?" "You bet you are!" The major's tone carried firm reassurance. Now Kelgarries looked up at Ross as if he knew the other had been there all the time. "Murdock, get down to the end room. Call Dr. Farrell!" "Yes, sir!" The "sir" came so automatically that Ross had already reached the end room before he realized he had used it. Nobody explained matters to Ross Murdock. The bandaged Hardy was claimed by the doctor and two attendants and carried away, the major walking beside the stretcher, still holding one of the mittened hands in his. Ross hesitated, sure he was not supposed to follow, but not ready either to explore farther or return to his own room. The sight of Hardy, whoever he might be, had radically changed Ross's conception of the project he had too speedily volunteered to join.