nature from these archives of the Mahars. That you may not appreciate
my plan I shall briefly outline the history of the race.

"Once the males were all-powerful, but ages ago the females, little
by little, assumed the mastery. For other ages no noticeable change
took place in the race of Mahars. It continued to progress under
the intelligent and beneficent rule of the ladies. Science took
vast strides. This was especially true of the sciences which we
know as biology and eugenics. Finally a certain female scientist
announced the fact that she had discovered a method whereby eggs
might be fertilized by chemical means after they were laid--all
true reptiles, you know, are hatched from eggs.

"What happened? Immediately the necessity for males ceased to
exist--the race was no longer dependent upon them. More ages elapsed
until at the present time we find a race consisting exclusively
of females. But here is the point. The secret of this chemical
formula is kept by a single race of Mahars. It is in the city of
Phutra, and unless I am greatly in error I judge from your description
of the vaults through which you passed today that it lies hidden
in the cellar of this building.

"For two reasons they hide it away and guard it jealously. First,
because upon it depends the very life of the race of Mahars, and second,
owing to the fact that when it was public property as at first so
many were experimenting with it that the danger of over-population
became very grave.

"David, if we can escape, and at the same time take with us this
great secret what will we not have accomplished for the human race