nown
in our universe for ten million years, which is as far back as I can
remember. You have millions of years to go before you will amount to
anything; before you will even rise above death and its attendant
necessity, sex."

The strange being then assumed form after form with bewildering
rapidity, while the spectators stared in dumb astonishment. In rapid
succession it took on the likeness of each member of the party, of the
vessel itself, of the watch in Seaton's pocket--reappearing as Seaton.

"Well, bunch," it said in a matter-of-fact voice, "there's no mental
exercise in you and you're such a low form of life that you're of no use
on this planet; so I'll dematerialize you."

* * * * *

A peculiar light came into its eyes as they stared intently into
Seaton's, and he felt his senses reel under the impact of an awful
mental force, but he fought back with all his power and remained
standing.

"What's this?" the stranger demanded in surprise, "This is the first
time in history that mere matter--which is only a manifestation of
mind--has ever refused to obey mind. There's a screw loose somewhere."

"I must reason this out," it continued analytically, changing
instantaneously into Crane's likeness. "Ah! I am not a perfect
reproduction. This is the first matter I have ever encountered that I
could not reproduce perfectly. There is some subtle difference. The
external form is the same, the organic structure likewise. The molecules
of substance are arranged as they should be, as are also the atoms in
the molecule. The electrons in the atom--ah! There is the difficulty.
The arrangement and number of electrons, as well as positive charges,
are entirely different from what I had supposed. I must derive the
formula."

"Let's go, folks!" said Seaton hastily, drawing Dorothy back toward the
Skylark. "This dematerialization stunt may be play for him, but I don't
want any of it in my family."

"No, you really _must_ stay," remonstrated the stranger. "Much as it is
against my principles to employ brute force, you must stay and be
properly dematerialized, alive or dead. Science demands it."

As he spoke, he started to draw his automatic pistol. Being in Crane's
form, he drew slowly, as Crane did; and Seaton, with the dexterity of
much sleight-of-hand work and of years of familiarity with his weapon,
drew and fired in one incredibly rapid movement, before the other had
withdrawn the pistol f