Captain Ilgen looked his disgust.
"Sir," he said to Lane, "we recaptured Nida Mane as she tried to board a public car near the Executive Mansion."
The black lens at the end of Mich'l's needle-ray pressed hard, and Lane said naturally:
"You have her in custody?"
"Sir, we have." And to Mich'l's dismay, Nida, defiant, her lovely form half revealed by rents in her garments, seemed to materialize beside the officer. Her wrathful eyes were fixed on Lane, and then she saw Mich'l.
The technie put all his will into the pleading stare which he returned, and she understood. She gave no sign of recognition, but favored both Lane and Mich'l equally with the chill of her disdain.
"Sir, what are your orders?"
Lane glanced aside at Mich'l, acutely conscious of the lethal pressure in his ribs.
"'Sall right with me, old fellow," Mich'l squawked good-humoredly. "This your girl that got away from you? Let's both go over and bring her back."
Lane nodded assent. The soldier saluted, and his vision and that of the girl disappeared.