heat. Where the crushed head had been there was now only an irregularly charred spot upon the polished
wood. Within it lay the blue crystals that had been the eyes of the doll-lusterless and blackened. The
knotted cord had vanished.
And the body of the doll had disappeared. Upon the table was a nauseous puddle of black waxy liquid
out of which lifted the ribs of the wire skeleton!
The Annex 'phone rang; mechanically I answered it.
"Yes," I said. "What is it?"
"Mr. Ricori, sir. He's out of the coma. He's awake!"
I turned to McCann.
"Ricori's come through!"