He whirled and ran, straight up the corridor toward the laboratory door. It shot back before the thrust of his arms. He leaped for the white tables as Emerson and Nichols stared at him, wondering at his pale face.
Big brown hands seized on the straps that held Emerson, fighting to burst them.
"Calm down, man," said Emerson evenly. "If those things could break, I'd have broken them. Undo the buckles."
"Yeah, yeah. You're right," sobbed the big convict.
"What happened to you?"
"Not to me. To Gunn. Little Tilford Gunn. Gone. That—that damned black beast killed him with his blue color. Right in front of my eyes. It's going to take all of us to lick him. That's why I came back."
"What are you babbling about?" said Emerson softly. "Take your time, man. What blue color?"
"In the big room up the corridor. There's a deep roar and splashes of this deep light, as dark as a sapphire. Caught him, it did. Melted him into nothing at all. I—I can't forget it."
He unsnapped the last buckle and stood silent as Emerson got up and stretched. His chest heaved as he gasped for air.
He said suddenly, "We might as well get out of here while we can. If that thing wants to experiment on us any more—the hell with him. Let's go, and fast."