lly he decided that he wanted her with
him in case of trouble."

* * * * *

"And are they--the Lodorians--still here?" queried Dirk.

"Yes," responded Lazarre. "Teuxical returned to his ship last night with
Zitlan and his other followers, but they came back late this afternoon,
and they are still here. Zitlan seemed to be all right this afternoon,
too. They must have used some means of bringing him out of the daze that
he was in. We did everything we could to revive you, but none of our
measures were effective."

"I'm all right now," asserted Dirk, as he finished attiring himself. "I
want to see Fragoni at once."

"We'll go out on the terrace then," said Steinholt. "They are all out
there."

Dirk, with his two companions, strolled out through the maze of rooms
and corridors that led to the garden which hung so high above the city
and the Sound below it.

The first thing that Dirk saw, when he passed out onto the terrace, was
the white tunic of Inga, who was leaning against a coping and talking
with Zitlan.

The latter was pointing skyward and, very apparently, he was telling her
of worlds which circled high among the stars.

As if she were suddenly aware of his presence, Inga turned and saw Dirk
and he realized, by the expression on her face, that she was distraught
and nervous. She came toward him quickly, after a few words to Zitlan,
and the face of the latter darkened. There was hatred in his expression
as he stared malevolently at Dirk.

* * * * *

Steinholt and Lazarre passed along and joined Fragoni and Teuxical, who
were the center of a group that had formed in another part of the
terrace.

"Oh, Dirk," said Inga, "I am so afraid of that frightful Zitlan. He has
been telling me again that he is going to take me back to his own world
with him and it makes me shudder to think of it. He is so strange and
queer and his eyes are so terrible. He can't be as young as he looks,
because he speaks of years like we speak of minutes. I will die if I
ever find myself in that monster's power! He has been telling me of all
the creatures he has slain on the worlds on which he has landed, and I
tell you, Dirk, that he is cruel and ruthless and horrible."

"He will never have you!" swore Dirk. "And if I hear of any more of his
insolence, I will throw him headlong from this terrace."

"Please, Dirk," she begged, "don't do anything--not yet. He is utterly