It was nearing
eight o'clock, and if Eva kept the appointment at the inventor's he knew
his adversaries well enough to be sure that they would take advantage of
his absence.
He dashed down the stairs and out of the building. Dora and her evil
band could wait. He must reach the inventor's shop. As the seconds sped,
so increased his premonition that all would not be well there.
It was at the moment that Zita came flying down-stairs that Locke burst
into the hallway to the inventor's.
Zita saw him. Above, she knew was the terrible Automaton and his
bloodthirsty emissary. More horrible yet, she had her fears of the
package that had been given her by Balcom to deliver.
"You must not go up there!" she cried, impulsively, flinging her arms
about Locke's neck.
Locke tried to remove her arms as he questioned her. But Zita either
would not or could not tell more. Instead she merely clung to him.
Thus it was that Eva, determined at keeping her appointment with the
inventor at all costs, entered the hallway at just this unpropitious
moment. To her it looked as if Locke and Zita were very familiar. Could
it be that Quentin was such a cad? She could not deny the evidence of
her eyes.
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