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"Wait!" cried Ghek "Unless I am to be starved, send me food"

"You have had food," replied the warrior

"Am I to be fed but once a day?" asked Ghek "I require food oftener than that Send me food"

"You shall have food," replied the officer "None may say that the prisoners of Manator are ill-fed Just are the laws of Manator," and he departed

No sooner had the sounds of their passing died away in the distance than Ghek clambered from the shoulders of his rykor, and scurried to the burrohere he had hidden the key Fetching it he unlocked the fetter from about the creature's ankle, locked it empty and carried the key farther down into the burrow Then he returned to his place upon his brainless servitor After a while he heard footsteps approaching, whereupon he rose and passed into another corridor fro Here he waited out of sight, listening He heard the man enter the chamber and halt He heard a le of metal dishes as a salver was sla footsteps, which quickly died away in the distance

Ghek lost no ti the rykor to his chain Then he replaced the key in the burrow and squatting on the table beside his headless body, directed its hands toward the food While the rykor ate Ghek sat listening for the scraping sandals and clattering ar to wait Ghek scra Again it was the officer who had been summoned by U-Van and with him were three warriors The one directly behind hiht the food, for his eyes hen he saw Ghek sitting at the table and he looked very foolish as the dwar turned his stern glance upon him

"It is even as I said," he cried "He was not here when I brought his food"

"But he is here now," said the officer grimly, "and his fetter is locked about his ankle Look! it has not been opened-but where is the key? It should be upon the table at the end opposite him Where is the key, creature?" he shouted at Ghek

"How should I, a prisoner, know better than my jailer the whereabouts of the key to my fetters?" he retorted

"But it lay here," cried the officer, pointing to the other end of the table