e place of human hands and feet. Only by accident or through
lack of certain essentials can I die."

His listeners stared at him in awe. "You mean," faltered Miles, "that
save for your head you are all--machine?"

"Practically, yes. We priest-scientists of the Inner Mystery prolonged
life in such fashion. I was three thousand years old when--But enough!
I will not weary you with a recital of how the slaves burrowed the
bowels of A-zooma and of how the masters loosed against them the
forces of the atom. Suffice it to say that on an island we built our
vast system of buildings--or tunnel as you choose to call it--and
sealed them away from the outside world, entrance being made by
submarines through automatically controlled locks.

"At about this time our experiments opened up another realm of
existence, manifesting at a vibratory rate above that of earth. To
this new realm we brought workers who built the City of Apex and the
palace you are in. But, unfortunately, we brought with us no weapons
of offense, and in the new world we had neither the material nor the
delicate mechanisms and factories to reproduce them. However, for
countless ages there was no rebellion on the part of the workers who,
even in A-zooma, had worshipped us as gods. They were born, grew old
and died, but we abode forever. Besides, in the City of Apex they were
freer than they had ever been before, merely having to furnish our
laboratories with certain raw materials and the wherewithal to sustain
the blood supply on which our lives depend. But, of late, they have
made common cause with the original inhabitants of this plane, the
green men--"

* * * * *

The green men! As if the words were a signal, a dreadful thing
happened. Out of a far shadow leaped a lean and hideous monster. To
Miles' startled eyes it seemed to grow as it leaped. Thin,
unbelievably thin it was, yet swelling at the head. From between two
goggle-eyes writhed a rope-like trunk. Twelve feet in the air its head
towered over Zoro. "Look out!" screamed the American.

Zoro's chair seemed to jump. Too late! Around the tubular container
wrapped the snake-like trunk, plucking the wheelchair and its occupant
from the floor and dangling them high in air. "Shoot!" cried Zoro.

Miles shot. His bullet ploughed through the unbelievably thin body and
ricochetted from a pillar beyond. Ward fired with better effect. One
of the goggle eyes spattered like glass. U