l wonder of it.

Did the tall man speak? His lips did not move, yet McGuire heard the
words as in some inner ear.

"We were awaiting you, friend Mack Guire." The voice was musical,
thrilling, and yet the listening man could not have sworn that he
heard a voice at all. It was as if a thought were placed within his
mind by the one beside him.

The one who had paused hurried on to aid the others, and McGuire let
his gaze wander.

* * * * *

The porthole beside him showed dimly a pale green light; they were
submerged, and the hissing rush of water told him that they were
travelling fast. There was a door in the farther wall; beyond was a
room of gleaming lights that reflected from myriads of shining levers
and dials. A control room. A figure moved as McGuire watched, to press
on a lever where a red light was steadily increasing in brightness. He
consulted strange instruments before him, touched a metal button here
and there, then opened a switch, and the rippling hiss of waters
outside their craft softened to a gentler note.

The tall one was beside him again.

"Your friend will live," he told him in that wordless tongue, "and we
are almost arrived. The invisible arms of our anchorage have us now
and will draw us safely to rest."

The kindly tone was music in McGuire's ears, and he smiled in reply.
"Friends!" he thought. "We are among friends."

"You are most welcome," the other assured him, "and, yes, you are
truly among friends." But the lieutenant glanced upward in wonder, for
he knew that he had uttered no spoken word.

Their ship turned and changed its course beneath them, then came
finally to rest with a slight rocking motion as if cushioned on
powerful springs. Sykes was being assisted to his feet as the tall man
reached for McGuire's hand and helped him to rise.

The two men of Earth stood for a long minute while they stared
unbelievingly into each other's eyes. Their wonder and amazement found
no words for expression but must have been apparent to the one beside
them.

"You will understand," he told them. "Do not question this reality
even to yourselves. You are safe!... Come." And he led the way through
an opening doorway to a wet deck outside. Beyond this was a wharf of
carved stone, and the men followed where steps were inset to allow
them to ascend.

Again McGuire could not know if he heard a tumult of sound or sensed
it in some deeper way. The air about them was