ut. The
smile on his face faded, but his voice remained imperturbable as he
added:

"You are aggressive, young Larry--but to no purpose.... Princess, I
like not the attitude of the Robots. Beyond question some of them must
have seen Migul, but they would not tell me so. I still think I can
control them, though. I hope so."

* * * * *

Larry could think of nothing to say. It seemed to him childish that he
should stand listening to a scoundrel tricking this girl Tina. A dozen
wild schemes of what he might do to try and rescue Mary Atwood and me
revolved in his mind, but they all seemed wholly impractical.

"The Robots are working badly," Tugh went on. "In the north district
one of the great foundries where they are casting the plates for the
new Inter-Allied airliner has ceased operations. The Robot workmen
were sullen, inefficient, neglectful. The inert machinery was ill
cared for, and it went out of order. I was there, Princess, for an
hour or more to-day. They have started up again now; it was
fundamentally no more than a burned bearing which a Robot failed to
oil properly."

"Is that what you call searching for Migul?" Larry burst out. "Tina,
see here--isn't there something we can do?" Larry found himself
ignoring Tugh. "I'm not going to stand around! Can't we send a squad
of police after Migul?--go with them--actually make an effort to find
them? This man Tugh certainly has not tried!"

"Have I not?" Tugh's cloak parted as he swung on Larry. His bent legs
were twitching with his anger; his voice was a harsh rasp. "I like not
your insolence. I am doing all that can be done."

* * * * *

Larry held his ground as Tugh fronted him. He had a wild thought that
Tugh had a weapon under his cloak.

"Perhaps you are," said Larry. "But to me it seems--"

Tugh turned away. His gaze went to the cylinder which Tina was still
clutching. His sardonic smile returned.

"So Harl made a confession, Princess?"

"That," she said, "is none--"

"Of my affair? Oh, but it is. I was here in the archway and I heard
you read it. A very nice young man, was Harl. I hope Migul has not
murdered him."

"You come from future Time?" Tina began.

"Yes, Princess! I must admit it now. I invented the cages."

Larry murmured to himself, "You stole them, probably."

"But my Government and I had a quarrel, so I decided to leave my own
Time-world and come back to yours--perman