We crept around the bend. A hundred feet further on I saw that the passage was barred by a grille, faintly luminous with electrification.
I called cautiously:
"Alent! Alent!"
A glow of light illuminated me as I stood in the middle of the passage; Migul was in a shadow behind me.
A man's voice answered, "You are a human? How come you there? Who are you?"
"A stranger. A friend of the Princess Tina. I came in the Time-traveling cage. I want to pass now into the palace."
could see the dark man's figure behind the grille. His voice called, "Come slowly forward and stop at twenty feet. Walk only in the middle of the passage: the sides are electrified, but I will admit you along the middle."
I took a step, but no more. The figure of the guard stood now at the grille doorway. I was conscious of Migul towering over me from behind. Abruptly I felt a huge hand in my jacket pocket, and before I could prevent it my cylinder came out, clutched by the Robot.