He stood for a moment blinking in the sunlight. Then he saw the ruined mining machinery around hint, and beyond that a derelict railway stretching down the mountainside. Several kilometres away a dense forest lapped at the base of the mountain, and very far off Stormgren could see the gleam of water from a great lake. He guessed that he was somewhere in South America, though it was not easy to say exactly what gave him that impression.
As he climbed into the little flying machine, Stormgren had a last glimpse of the mine entrance and the men frozen around it. Then the door sealed behind him and with a sigh of relief he sank back upon the familiar couch.
For a while he waited until he had recovered his breath; then he uttered a single, heart-felt syllable:
“Well?”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t rescue you before. But you see how very important it was to wait until all the leaders had gathered here.”
“Do you mean to say,” spluttered Stormgren, “that you knew where I was all the time? If I thought—”
“Don’t be too hasty,” answered Karellen, “at least, let me finish explaining.”
“Very well,” said Stormgren darkly, “I’m listening.” He was beginning to suspect that he had been no more than bait In an elaborate trap.
“I’ve had a — perhaps ’tracer’ is the best word for it — on you For some time,” began Karellen. “Though your late friends were correct in thinking that I couldn’t follow you underground, I was able to keep track until they brought you to the nine. That transfer in the tunnel was ingenious, but when the first car ceased to react it gave the plan away and I soon located you again. Then it was merely a matter of waiting. I knew that once they were certain I’d lost you, the leaders would come here and I’d be able trap them all.”
“But you’re letting them go!”