For the Sixteenth Day was now only forty-eight hours removed.

Both Chick and Harry realised that their lives were at stake; the doctor had made that clear.  In the last minute, in the final crisis, they must crowd their way through the Blind Spot.  Only the professor knew how it was to be done.

At the temple they found the Nervina and the Aradna waiting.  The Jan Lucar was with them.  The Geos had secured entrance by a side door.  From it they could look out, themselves unobserved, over the entire building and upon the Spot of Life.  The place was packed—­ thousands upon thousands of people, standing in silent awe and worship, one and all gazing toward the all-important Spot.  There was no sound save the whisper of multitudinous breathing.

Said Harry to Chick: 

“I see Queen up there!”

Harry circled the group, and bounded up the great stairs.  In a moment he was patting his dog’s head.  She looked up and wagged her tail to show her pleasure.  But she was not effusive.  Somehow she wasn’t just like his old shepherd.  She glanced at him, and then out at the concourse below, and lolled her tongue expectantly.  Then she settled back into her place and resumed watch—­exactly as any of her kind would have held guard over a band of sheep.

The dog was serious.  Afterward, Wendel said he had a dim notion that she was no longer a dog at all, but a mere instrument in the hand of Fate.

“What’s the matter, old girl?” he asked.  “Don’t you like ’em?”

For answer she gave a low whine.  She looked up again, and out into the throng; she repeated the whine, with a little whimper at the end.

Harry returned to the others.  Nothing was said of what he had done.  At once the Geos led the group through a small, half-hidden door, beyond which was a narrow, winding stairway of chocolate-coloured stone.  The Geos halted.

“Dost wish the building emptied, O Jarados?”

“I do.  When we come back from under the Spot of Life, we should have the place to ourselves.”

Accompanied by the two queens the Rhamda returned to the main body of the temple.  Dr. Holcomb, Harry and Chick were left to themselves.

The professor took out a notebook.  In it was traced a map, or chart, together with several notations.

“The three of us,” said he, “are going to take a look at the under side of the Blind Spot.  This stairway leads into a secret chamber inside the foundations of the great stair; and according to this data I found in the palace, together with some calculations of my own, we ought to find some of the secrets of the Spot.”

He led the way up the steps.  At the top of the flight they came to a blank, blue wall.  There was no sign of a door, but in the front of the wall stood a low platform, in the centre of which was set a strange, red stone.  The professor consulted his chart, then opened his black case.  From it he took another stone, red like the other, but not so intense.  This he touched to the first, and waited.