It began to move upward ... to beat against Ketrik, surging ... tearing....
He had been just in time. The white rays, lancing out from the walls, now formed a gorgeous criss-crossing pattern that held the Entity in leash. It writhed and cowered. Slowly its own tentacles of light drew back. It lay in seeming quiescence. But even then Ketrik received its thought-emanations, as they crashed with frightening impact upon his brain. Yes, the thing was alive and evil. Too long had Dar Vaajo held it in subservience. It wished to escape these barriers, launch out for itself. There was sustenance aplenty on Mars, and it would grow titanically. Then would come Earth—and there were many other planets.
Perhaps the Entity sensed Ketrik's rising horror. Perhaps it guessed what he meant to do! For now, despite the concentration of rays, it tried to lash out in new fury. Ketrik laughed then, a bit wildly; laughed in mockery and joy, seeing the thing in thrall, watching its futile efforts against the barriers....
Then the laughter died in his throat. Something was happening. The rays, the controlling rays across the walls—one by one they were blanking out! One by one, then suddenly whole rows at a time!
Ketrik whirled to the control-panel. Another figure was there—Dar Vaajo! Somewhere he had obtained another protective suit, had entered silently. Now he was blanking out the control-rays, enough of them to allow the power of the Entity through!
Even as Ketrik hurled himself forward, he saw madness on Vaajo's face. More of the rays blanked off as Vaajo swept his hand down. Then Ketrik was upon him. The two metal-suited figures clashed, went spinning backward and then to the floor of the balcony in a wild tangle.