The puma flowed into the room. Like Retch, it had yellow eyes. They
glared now, with a burning light. There was a vague mistiness about this
puma but there was also about it the appearance of solid reality.

Retch spun to face the menace coming from behind him. The gun in his
hands spat flame and fury.

He had destroyed the Jezbro hawk. He would also destroy this Jezbro
puma.

The puma dropped the man from its jaws. It crouched. It leaped straight
at the gun spouting lead. Retch slid to one side. The puma missed. It
hit the floor, slid, tried to turn as a frantic girl moved buttons on
the key board.

The floor was slick, the padded feet did not grip. The tail of the
sliding puma touched the pool of mercury. The tail smoked as if it was
suddenly on fire.

The puma screamed. It seemed to be drawn into the pool. It was as if
something in the pool caught the puma, held it, pulled it into the
mercury.

It went out of sight, vanished. No puff of flame followed. The life that
had animated it had come from this pool. Now the life had returned to
its source.

The dazed Retch lowered his smoking gun.

Parker moved silently forward.

"Lay down the gun, Johnny Retch!" he said.

Retch seemed to stiffen. His back was to Parker. He did not attempt to
turn.

"You called for me," Parker said. "Here I am. Drop the gun!"

Retch snarled, spun, dropping flat as he turned. His eyes were narrowed.
They glared at Parker like twin flames of yellow hate. He tried to bring
up the gun.

Something came through the air, something that he did not see. It
grabbed his arms, clutched them with a fierce grip, screamed at him.
Mercedes!

Retch, with one savage thrust, flung her aside. Again the two yellow
eyes glared at Parker as Retch brought up the weapon that he held.

"You haven't licked me yet!" Retch screamed.

The gun in Parker's hand exploded.

Suddenly Retch had three eyes. One of them was in the middle of his
forehead. It was round and blue.

He stood for a second, transfixed. Something had happened to him. He did
not know exactly what it was. He had come here seeking Montezuma's
treasure. He had it in the reach of his hand. But something had happened
to him. What it was he did not quite know. Something--

He tried to lift the gun he held. His hands would not obey him. Or
perhaps the gun had suddenly grown too heavy for him to lift. He could
not raise it.

The yellow light in his eyes did not change. But suddenly h