hin team and sea matters were her department. And
while he resented her reminder of that point he could not deny the
justice of her retort.

In spite of his crippled leg, Loketh displayed an agility which
surprised Ross. Freed from his ankle bonds, he beckoned the Terran back
to the very niche where he had hidden to watch Karara. Up he swung into
that and in a second had vanished from sight.

Ross followed, to discover it was not a niche after all but the opening
of a crevice, leading upward as a vent. And it had been used before as a
passage. There was no light, but the native guided Ross's hands to the
hollow climbing holds cut into the stone. Then Loketh pushed past and
went up the crude ladder into the dark.

It was difficult to judge either time or distance in this black tube.
Ross counted the holds for some check. His agent training made one part
of his mind sharply aware of such things; the need for memorizing a
passage which led into the enemy's territory was apparent. What the
purpose of this slit had originally been he did not know, but
strongholds on Terra had had their hidden ways in and out for use in
times of siege, and he was beginning to believe that these aliens had
much in common with his own kind.

He had reached twenty in his counting and his senses, alerted by
training and instinct, told him there was an opening not too far above.
But the darkness remained so thick it fell in tangible folds about his
sweating body. Ross almost cried out as fingers clamped about his wrist
when he reached for a new hold. Then urged by that grasp, he was up and
out, sprawling into a vertical passage. Far ahead was a gray of faint
light.

Ross choked and then sneezed as dust puffed up from between his
scrabbling hands. The hold which had been on his wrist shifted to his
shoulder, and with a surprising strength Loketh hauled the Terran to his
feet.

The passage in which they stood was a slit extending in height well
above their heads, but narrow, not much wider than Ross's shoulders.
Whether it was a natural fault or had been cut he could not tell.

Loketh was ahead again, his rocking limp making the outline of his body
a jerky up-and-down shadow. Again his speed and agility amazed the
Terran. Loketh might be lame, but he had learned to adapt to his
handicap very well.

The light increased and Ross marked slits in the walls to his right, no
wider than the breadth of his two fingers. He peered out of one and was