She sighed. A strange weakness came over me; I was drowsy; I
lapsed again into unconsciousness; just as I was fading away I
heard her speaking: "I am so sorry!"




XI

BAFFLED


Was it a dream? The next I knew somebody was dousing water down my
neck. It was Hobart Fenton. "Lord," he was saying, "I thought you
were never coming to. What hit us? You are pretty well cut up.
That was some fight. This Rhamda, who is he? Can you figure him
out? Did you hear that bell? What was it?"

I sat up. "Where is the Nervina?" I asked. "The who?" He was
bewildered. "Oh, down at the cafe, I suppose. Thought you had
forgotten her. Wasn't her mate enough? It might be healthy to
forget his Nervina."

He was a fine sight; his clothes were in ribbons; his plump figure
was breaking out at the seams. He regarded me critically.

"What d'you think of the Blind Spot?" he asked. "Who is the
Rhamda? He put us out pretty easily."

"But the girl?" I interrupted. "The girl? Confound it, the girl?"