ee me--for teaching you all I
know to accomplish this. My fear holds me chained here, but you have no
chains of fear."

Broom had thought that over for a moment, then grinned. "All right, my
friend; I'll try it. What's your first lesson?"

The memory faded from Broom's mind. Had he really moved through some
segment of Eternity to reach this ... this place? Had he--

He felt a chill run through him. What was he doing here? How could he
have taken it all so calmly. Afraid of man or devil, no--but this was
neither. He had to get back. The utter alienness of this bright,
shining, lifeless wonderland was too much for him.

Instinctively, he turned and ran back toward the room he had left. If he
got back to the place where he had appeared in this world,
perhaps--somehow--some force would return him to where he belonged.

* * * * *

The door was as he had left it, the porcelain dish still in place. He
scooped up the dish in one big hand and ran on into the room, letting
the door shut itself behind him. He ran on, through the large room with
its many tables, into the brightly lighted room beyond.

He stopped. What could he do now? He tried to remember the things that
the Italian had told him to do, and he could not for the life of him
remember them. His memory still had gaps in it--gaps he did not know
were there because he had not yet probed for them. He closed his eyes in
concentration, trying to bring back a memory that would not come.

He did not hear the intruder until the man's voice echoed in the room.

Broom's eyes opened, and instantly every muscle and nerve in his
hard-trained body tensed for action. There was a man standing in the
doorway of the office.

He was not a particularly impressive man, in spite of the queer cut of
his clothes. He was not as tall as Broom, and he looked soft and
overfed. His paunch protruded roundly from the open front of the short
coat, and there was a fleshiness about his face that betrayed too much
good living.

And he looked even more frightened than Broom had been a few minutes
before.

He was saying something in a language that Broom did not understand, and
the tenseness in his voice betrayed his fear. Broom relaxed. He had
nothing to fear from this little man.

"I won't hurt you," Broom said. "I had no intention of intruding on your
property, but all I ask is help."

The little man was blinking and backing away, as though he were going