him oddly, then reached out and ran an exploratory hand
over Torlos' chest. It was smooth and solid!

"Morey!" Arcot exclaimed. "These men have no ribs! Their chest is as
solid as their skulls!"

"Then how do they breathe?" Morey asked.

"How do you breathe? I mean most of the time. You use your diaphragm and
your abdominal muscles. These people do, too!"

Morey grinned. "No wonder Torlos jumped in front of that bullet! He
didn't have as much to fear as we do--he had a built-in bullet proof
vest! You'd have to shoot him in the abdomen to reach any vital organ."

Arcot turned back to Torlos. "Who is this man?"

"Undoubtedly a Satorian spy sent to murder you Earthmen. I saw the
muzzle of his pistol as he was aiming and jumped in the way of the
bullet. There is not much damage done."

"We'd better get back to the city," Arcot said. "Fuller and Wade might
be in danger!"

They bundled the Satorian spy into the ship, where Morey tied him
further with thin strands of lux cable no bigger than a piece of string.

Torlos looked at it and shook his head. "He will break that as soon as
he awakens, without even knowing it. You forget the strength of our
people." Morey smiled and wrapped the cord around Torlos' wrists.

Torlos looked amused and pulled. His smile vanished. He pulled harder.
His huge muscles bulged and writhed in great ridges along his arms. The
thin cord remained complacently undamaged. Torlos relaxed and grinned
sheepishly.

"You win," he thought. "I'll make no more comments on the things I see
you do."

They returned to the capital at once. Arcot shoved the speed up as high
as he dared, for Torlos felt there might be some significance in the
attempt to remove Arcot and Morey. Wade and Fuller had already been
warned by radio, and had immediately retired to the Council Room of the
Three. The members of the Investigation Board joined them to question
the prisoner upon his arrival.

When they arrived, Arcot and Morey went in with Torlos, who was carrying
the struggling, shackled spy over his shoulder.

The Earthmen watched while the expert interrogators of the Investigation
Board questioned the prisoner. The philosophy of Norus did not permit
torture, even for a vicious enemy, but the questioners were shrewd and
ingenious in their methods. For hours, they took turns pounding
questions at the prisoner, cajoling, threatening, and arguing.

They got nowhere. Solidly, the prisoner stuck by his guns. Why ha