gh their ultronic broadcasts, and most of those
which had invaded the interior of Lo-Tan were equipped with "speakers,"
in the hope of finding me and establishing communication. Still others
were equipped for two-stage control. That is, the operator control led
the vision sphere, and through it watched and steered an air torpedo
that travelled ahead of it.

The Han airship or any other target selected by the operator of such a
combination was doomed. There was no escape. The spheres and torpedoes
were too small to be hit. They could travel with the speed of bullets.
They could trail a ship indefinitely, hover a safe distance from their
mark, and strike at will. Finally, neither darkness nor smoke screens
were any bar to their ultronic vision. The spheres, which had penetrated
and explored Lo-Tan in their search for me, had floated through breaches
in the walls and roofs made by their advance torpedoes.

* * * * *

Wilma had just finished explaining all this to me when I heard a noise
outside my door. With a whispered warning I flung myself back on the
couch and simulated unconsciousness. When I did not answer the poundings
and calls to open, a police detail broke in and shook me roughly.

"The air ball," I moaned, pretending to regain consciousness slowly. "It
came in from the corridor. Look what it did to the guard. It must have
grazed my head. Where is it?"

"Gone," muttered the under-officer, looking fearfully around. "Yes,
undoubtedly gone. These men have been dead some time. And this pistol.
The ball got him before he had a chance to use it. See, it has beamed
through the wall only here, where he dropped it. Who are you? You look
like a tribesman. Oh, yes, you're the Heaven-Born's special prisoner.
Maybe I ought to beam you right now. Good thing. Everyone would call it
an accident. By the Grand Dragon, I will!"

While he was talking, I had staggered to the other side of the room, to
draw his attention away from the couch where the ball was concealed.

Now suddenly the pillows burst apart, and a blanket with which I had
covered the thing streaked from the couch, hitting the man in the small
of the back. I could hear his spine snap under the impact. Then it shot
through the air toward the group of soldiers in the doorway, bowling
them over and sending them shrieking right and left along the corridor.
Relentlessly and with amazing speed it launched itself at each in turn,
until th