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She was standing in the corridor. Did I imagine it, or had she been gazing up at the mechanism ten feet above the floor the mechanism controlling the insulated room? "You wish me, Miss Elza? I thought I heard you call." "No, Ahla, not 'til later." With a gesture of respect, the girl withdrew, passing from our sight down the incline which led to the lower part of the house.
I just want to see in case she is doing something." He jerked open the door suddenly and bounded through, with me after him. The corridor was empty. But there was a whirring coming from the instrument room. We leaped across the padded corridor. In the instrument room, Ahla the maid sat at the table with a head-piece clasped to her ears. She was talking softly but swiftly into the transmitter.
"That girl, Ahla can you trust her?" They all looked at me in surprise. When one is close to danger, sometimes one recognizes it least; with Ahla in this household for over a year now, they could not imagine her an enemy. "I saw her looking up at the insulator," I added swiftly. "Out there in the corridor. Am I talking wild? Perhaps I am.
It was a false move, for before we could reach her, with a piercing cry, she was tearing at the instruments on the table; her fingers, with burns unheeded, ripping the delicate wires, smashing the small mirrors, flinging everything to the floor. A few seconds only, but it was enough. She was panting when Georg caught her by the wrists, and we others gathered around them. "Ahla!"
He became more serious. "You, Georg you could build one of those models?" Georg did not answer. "You could, of course," Tarrano insisted. "My spy, Ahla you remember her, the Lady Elza's maid for so long? She is here in Venia; she tells me of your knowledge and skill with your father's apparatus. So you see, I realize I have two to guard the model itself, and you, who know its secret."
We went into the corridor, out of earshot of the girl, but where we could watch her. That we were in immediate danger was obvious, and we all realized it. Ahla had told some of her people that we were here on the island; doubtless was planning to have them come here at once and seize us. How far away from us were they? I had seen in the mirror the interior of a cave-like room. Where was it?
Ahla was sitting obediently where I had left her. "You stay there," I told her. "If you move, I'll break every bone in your rotten little body." Back at the landing stage I found Dr. Brende in despair. Headquarters could not raise Robins. They had relayed the message to Wrangel and Spitzbergen Islands but the stations there reported similarly. Dr. Brende's laboratory did not answer its call.
I wanted to tie up Ahla, but as Georg said, she could do nothing now that the instrument room was out of commission. We admonished her sternly to stay where she was, and left the house. On the open landing stage my small aero was lying where I had left it; but a moment's glance showed us it was wrecked its instruments and its driving mechanism demolished!
There was no doubt about it now; Ahla had planned to keep us on the island while her people came and seized us. Fortunately the Brende car was well housed and barred. We saw that the gates had been tampered with, but with the limited time Ahla had to work in, she had been unable to force them. We swung them wide, and to our infinite relief found the car unharmed. At once Dr. Brende called Robins.
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