alice, on being aroused to consciousness by the ministrations of lylette, the maid, and fernand, and finding herself a prisoner on board a space flyer at the mercy of the latter, was overwhelmed with fury. this cool abduction of herself provoked her to such a passionate outburst that fernand had actually retreated before it.
"you coward," she blazed, "how dare you keep me here! turn around and take me back at once—at once, do you hear?"
fernand, in the act of opening her door and going back to his laboratory, paused smilingly.
"my dear girl," he said mockingly, "ask of me anything and i will grant it—except that. you have a temper that delights me. your smiles will be all the sweeter, later."
her answer was to fly at him with such passion that he involuntarily took a step backwards. in a flash she had run by him, was down the stairs and tugging at the fastening of the door that led outward. fernand bounded after her calling to lylette as he ran, and in a moment they were both struggling with the girl, who had indeed become a veritable wildcat. she had both hands fastened around the great bar that held the door and fought madly to unfasten it. let that door be opened the fraction of an inch and all three would instantly have been blown to pieces.[pg 173] fernand wrenched at her hands in real fear that she would succeed in her purpose, which was evidently their destruction.
she was a strong athletic girl, and at the moment her desperation gave her added vigor. but the combined strength, and by no means gentle handling of fernand and lylette, who herself was a large and powerfully built woman, forced alice to relinquish her hold, and she was dragged, struggling, back to her room, and left there, with the door double-locked.
alone, she passed from the high exaltation of anger to a state of nervous apprehension. another woman in her place might have wept, have begged piteously for mercy where there was no mercy, but this girl was made of sterner stuff. she might be frightened but fernand should never guess it.
dry-eyed, with lips set in a firm line, lest they tremble and betray her, she sat facing the door, gripping in her small hands the only weapon she had been able to find—a small metal vase, having a round, and fairly thick base.
knowing that fernand would come back, prepared as she was for his return, she was unable to repress a start of genuine terror when she heard someone unbolting the door. she clutched the vase more tightly, white-faced, but courageous.
fernand entered alone, carefully closing the door behind him. he wore his customary, rather bland smile, and his voice was suave to the point of oiliness.
"all over our little fit of temper?" he asked.
alice stared at him, disdainfully, unanswering. then her eyes fell upon something in his hand—manacles of glistening steelonium!
[pg 174]
the horror she felt was depicted in her face, for he said, holding them out for her to see, "a pair of bracelets for you, sweetheart. just as a precautionary measure. you are rather too quick with those hands of yours. but i am not unkind, my dear. you need not wear them if you will only give me your word not to repeat your recent performance."
beyond the door she saw lylette standing in readiness, and she knew that physical resistance would be ineffectual. far better to give her promise and be free than to be bound and helpless. besides, there was the laboratory. in it there were many roads to freedom—there were poisons that killed instantly and painlessly. unmanacled she might reach them eventually. bound, even that way would be closed.
coldly, clearly, she gave her promise, but inwardly she offered up a prayer of thankfulness when he turned and handed the handcuffs to lylette.
"you can lay down your weapon, alice," he said, still with his mocking smile. "i can assure you that you have no need of it. you will find me a gentle lover, and one who is willing to wait for his lady's favors." he stopped suddenly, and turning his head in the direction of the stairs, listened intently.
from the laboratory, came the insistent ringing of the radio calling apparatus.
with a muttered order to lylette, he was gone.
what was happening, alice did not know. she could not read radio messages, but she knew that only something of grave import could have made fernand rush like that to the radio. she strained her ears, but heard nothing.
her hopes rose with a great bound with the thought[pg 175] that perhaps ralph was on his way to her. perhaps it was he signalling. she had been sure that he would follow her as soon as possible, and now her dark eyes brightened with hope.
at this moment lylette, without a glance in her direction, closed the door, and alice was once more alone and a prisoner behind bolted doors.
it was then that she gave way to her loneliness and despair. she knew that if it had been ralph signalling, fernand would at once, having received the news that the scientist was in pursuit, set about making plans to elude him. she knew that fernand was desperate, that his life, under the law, was forfeit for this crime he had committed. he would stop at nothing. instinctively, she felt that he would destroy her and himself, rather than be taken. certainly, he would not hesitate to murder ralph if the opportunity presented itself.
she flung herself upon the couch, and burst into tears of agony, and terror. suddenly she sprang to her feet, still sobbing, wide-eyed with dread of what she knew not.
the space flyer had stopped. the throb of the machinery had stilled and the flyer was hanging motionless in space.
standing in the middle of the room, rigid with suspense, alice waited with beating heart. suddenly she heard the sound of rapid steps on the stairs. now they halted at the door, and someone fumbled at the bolts and locks.
the next instant the door was flung wide open, and llysanorh' the martian stood upon the threshold!
