rder that I might have no difficulty in mingling
with Earthmen while I sought the cavern. It is an exact replica of the
body of an Atlantean, including artificial vocal chords. Even the
colored goggles necessary to hide the glowing red of my nucleus are
similar to those worn by Atlantean scientists while working with their
ray machines--"

* * * * *

Layroh was abruptly interrupted by a scream of maniacal fury from Olsen,
a shambling Swede who stood near the edge of the group. Ever since
Layroh's unmasking the Swede had been staring at him with eyes rigidly
wide in terror like those of a bird confronting a snake. The steady
contemplation of the horror of the blaring red thing behind Layroh's
empty eye-sockets had apparently at last driven the Swede completely
insane. He snatched a revolver from his belt as he leaped forward, and
fired once. His shot struck Layroh in the forehead.

The bullet ripped through the surface of Layroh's face, then glanced
harmlessly aside as it struck metal underneath. Layroh never even
staggered from the impact. The black ray from the projector caught Olsen
before he could fire again. There was a searing flash of flame, then a
swiftly melting cloud of blue-white radiance, and the Swede was gone.

Layroh swung the projector back to menace the others. "I had forgotten
that _yaharigans_ of Earth have weapons that might be annoying," he said
evenly. "Two more of you have pistols--Garrigan and Ransome. Toss them
away from you at once. Hesitate--and the black ray speaks again."

Sullenly the two men obeyed his order.

"Good," commended Layroh. "In the pits where you are going you will have
little use for pistols. When I again take you from those pits you will
quickly learn why I brought you with me. _Yaharigans_, I have called
you, and _yaharigans_ you shall be--Earthly counterparts of those
miserable beasts of Rikor who have for ages been bred only for the one
purpose of supplying food for the Shining Ones. I knew that when I found
the cavern the process of awakening the Shining Ones would require that
they be carefully fed with the calcium and lime from the bones of living
_yaharigans_, the normal food of all Rikorians.

* * * * *

"The few _yaharigans_ I had brought from Rikor were consumed on my long
trip to Earth. So I had to recruit a party of human beings to go with me
and serve as the necessary food for the Shining Ones.