Doc Champ and I stood there staring. But by and by I heard Doc's voice. "A robot," he said, speaking softly and in kind of an awed tone. "So his laboratory assistant is a robot." "No wonder it was immune to the cold," I gulped, swallowing hard. Presently Rog Tanlu swung around toward us and commenced to talk so we could understand. "Serious news," he bit out. "Darlu Marc has delayed the emigration. But he is sending a party of his vassals to wipe me out. He thinks I possess means to destroy the Ice Stone--thinks I'd do it out of sheer spite. He's wrong of course, in both instances. But the idea is hindering the sale of tickets. Eyoaoc Eiioiei learned of Marc's intentions. He managed at last to reach the Ice Stone, and bring me warning. He emerged on the cliff side while we were in here. But an armed band of Marc's vassals are right on his heels!" I couldn't tear my gaze from that thing he called Eyoaoc Eiioiei. It had stopped frisking around him and was now blinking its ruby-red eyes at Doc Champ and me; and, I swear, I believe that damned thing was just as amazed and curious as I was. "Do you mean," asked Doc, "that these killers are outside now?" "I do not know," answered Rog Tanlu. "If so, they will soon find the entrance to my laboratory, since they are familiar with the terrain." "Then we better sneak out of here," I suggested, not liking the idea of being bottled up, there in that hole. "My friends," said Rog Tanlu, "I regret having drawn you into this. Leave now; you may be able to escape undetected. But I shall await them here, in this cavern which is very familiar to me." Doc Champ shook his head. I knew he wouldn't fall in with that plan. "We're both armed," he told Rog Tanlu, slapping the automatic that sagged in his pocket. "We'll hang around awhile." I guess I like this quality in Doc. Maybe it was partly the reason why I took to him. Well, I backed up the little guy ... but I thought he was wrong. That fight--if there was going to be a fight--wasn't ours. And I couldn't just see men with pistols getting very far against those fountain-pen affairs, like Rog Tanlu had. And then, there was that Eyoaoc Eiioiei.... The whole thing was a little beyond my depths. I thought Doc was wrong to mix up in something we didn't know a cussed thing about--and I still think so! Rog Tanlu had switched off his light. We stood there in the dark listening. But we didn't hear a sound. I groped around and touched Doc's arm. "Doc," I whispered, "let's slip down to the entrance and find out what's going on." Although my words shouldn't have carried six feet, that robot thing must have heard me--and, stranger still, must have understood. For immediately I heard a subdued, metallic jabbering, then Rog Tanlu's voice speaking urgently to Doc and me.