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drawing the truant craft back toward the launching port from which she had so hopefully emerged a few
days before. Back and back it was drawn; Costigan s utmost efforts futile to affect by a hair s breadth its
line of motion. Through the open port the boat slipped neatly, and as it came to a halt in its original
position within the mufti-layered skin of the monster, the prisoners heard the heavy doors clang shut
behind them, one after another.
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And then sheets of blue fire snapped and crackled about the three suits of Triplanetary armor - the two
large human figures and the small ones were outlined starkly in blinding blue flame.
That s the first thing that has come off according to schedule. Costigan laughed, a short, fierce bark.
That is their paralyzing ray, we ve got it stopped cold, and we ve each got enough iron to hold it
forever.
But it looks as though the best we can do is a stalemate, Bradley argued.
Even if they can t paralyze us, we can t hurt them, and we are heading back for Nevia.
I think Nerado will come in for a conference, and we ll be able to make terms of some kind. He must
know what these Lewistons will do, and he knows that we ll get a chance to use them, some way or
other, before he gets to us again, Costigan asserted, confidently - but again he was wrong.
The door opened, and through it there waddled, rolled, or crawled a metal-clad monstrosity - a thing
with wheels, legs and writhing tentacles of jointed bronze; a thing possessed of defensive screens
sufficiently powerful to absorb the full blast of the Triplanetary projectors without effort. Three brazen
tentacles reached out through the ravening beams of the Lewistons, smashed them to bits, and wrapped
themselves in unbreakable shackles about the armored forms of the three human beings. Through the
door the machine or creature carried its helpless load, and out into and along a main corridor. And soon
the three Terrestrials, without arms, without armor, and almost without clothing, were standing in the
control room, again facing the calm and unmoved Nerado. To the surprise of the impetuous Costigan, the
Nevian commander was entirely without rancor.
The desire for freedom is perhaps common to all forms of animate life, he commented, through the
transformer. As I told you before, however, you are specimens to be studied by the College of Science,
and you shall be so studied in spite of anything you may do. Resign yourselves to that.
Well, say that we don t try to make any more trouble; that we cooperate in the examination and give
you whatever information we can, Costigan suggested. Then you will probably be willing to give us a
ship and let us go back to our own world?
You will not be allowed to cause any more trouble, the amphibian declared, coldly. Your cooperation
will not be required. We will take from you whatever knowledge and information we wish. In all
probability you will never be allowed to return to your own system, because as specimens you are too
unique to lose. But enough of this idle chatter - take them back to their quarters!
Back to their three inter-communicating rooms the prisoners were led under heavy guard; and, true to
his word, Nerado made certain that they had no more opportunities to escape. To Nevia the space-ship
sped without incident, and in manacles the Terrestrials were taken to the College of Science, there to
undergo the physical and psychical examinations which Nerado had promised them.
Nor had the Nevian scientist-captain erred in stating that their cooperation was neither needed nor
desired. Furious but impotent, the human beings were studied in laboratory after laboratory by the coldly
analytical, unfeeling scientists of Nevia, to whom they were nothing more or less than specimens; and in
full measure they came to know what it meant to play the part of an unknown, lowly organism in a
biological research. They were photographed, externally and internally. Every bone, muscle, organ,
vessel, and nerve was studied and charted. Every reflex and reaction was noted and discussed. Meters
registered every impulse and recorders filmed every thought, every idea, and every sensation. Endlessly,
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