Urlich scowled; he was striking the right solution. Something had gone wrong at the Grand Central
Terminal. That might be the trouble.
What did it matter? Death lay at his hand. The fiend cackled forth his challenge to the thumping that still
persisted beyond the outer doors. His eyes went back to the incandescents. The green bulb became
lighted as he watched.
The green!
That meant that some one had reached the circular corridor — the second zone of death! It could not be
the men from outside, they were still trying to burst down the heavy doors. It could only be Sanoja or
Rasch who now trod that silent hallway.
But why had one of them come down? Why, even if one had descended, had the man not come
completely to the bottom of the hollow cylinder, to enter the pit where Urlich now stood?
It could not be possible that one of the servants had gone to admit the intruders. Professor Urlich laughed
at the very thought. He continued to watch the telltale bulb of green. It remained illuminated.
A sound came from the front end of the room, beyond the balcony. It was at the unused door which led
from the circular passage into the balcony itself.
Professor Urlich did not hear the sound as the door opened; but the sudden increase of the thumping
surprised him.
Yet it was not this that made him turn his head. The sign that came as a warning was the sudden lighting
of the white bulb — the signal that a person had reached the metal flooring of the balcony!
With hand still upon the death switch, the scientist wheeled to look at the door.
There, in the dim light, he saw a figure that he recognized; a spectral shape that he had viewed once
before — the being that had dropped through the skylight into the studio of Alfred Sartain's penthouse.
The Shadow!
Professor Urlich's glaring eyes encountered the blazing gaze of the black-cloaked master. The Shadow
had let the door swing shut behind him. With one hand resting upon the rail of the balcony, he held an
automatic in his other fist, the round muzzle of the weapon directed squarely toward Professor Urlich.
The scientist's fingers trembled on the switch; then they grasped it with a firmer hold.
Cunning beyond all measure, the scientist now held an advantage which even The Shadow could not
destroy. Should a bullet from that automatic fell Professor Urlich, his hand would draw the switch also. It
would mean death to the man who killed him!
Silent, The Shadow saw the situation. His laugh came eerily through the vaulted pit. Professor Urlich
cackled nervously. He did not like the chilling tones of that uncanny mockery; nevertheless, his awe was
not sufficient to make him yield the hold that was his hope.
Urlich faced destruction; he knew that The Shadow could also see the hand of doom. The black-garbed
master who had brought about this stalemate made no comment other than his laugh.
Slowly, to the cadence of the muffled beats at the outer door, The Shadow circled the balcony, still
holding Urlich in abeyance with his automatic. The cunning scientist, in turn, kept tight grip upon the lever
and watched The Shadow constantly.
ONE moment of inattention on the part of The Shadow; Urlich would spring the switch. On the contrary,
should the scientist's grip loosen for a single instant, a shot from the automatic would spell his doom.
The Shadow completed a semicircle that brought him opposite the door. Professor Urlich clutched the
lever tensely. He sensed a purpose. By diverting his attention away from the door, Urlich could not see
the others enter. Still, the old man laughed. A shot from behind him could not change the situation. If he
fell, no matter how, his hand would still grip the switch.
'Professor Urlich,' came The Shadow's sudden whisper, 'I have come to end your fiendish schemes.
You can no longer thwart me.'
A sneering chortle was the scientist's reply.
'Three lights are illuminated,' whispered The Shadow. 'Does that not tell you how your plans have
failed?'
Professor Urlich did not even glance toward the bulbs to see that The Shadow had spoken the truth.
'Red: the portico,' went on The Shadow weirdly. 'Green: the corridor. White: the gallery in which I
stand. Does that signify anything to you, Professor Urlich?'
The professor made no reply. He was puzzled, but he did not show it. His fiendish scowl persisted. He
could still hear the pounding at the outer door. He wondered why. Men had entered. Why were others
still trying to get in?
'The white light,' declared The Shadow, in sinister tones, 'is evidence of my presence. The green light
tells that I have visited your laboratory. Your men are prisoners. My agents are released. It is they who
are waiting in the corridor. They expect me to return.
'The red light tells of men beyond the outer door. The law is striking at your portals. You have no
escape. Remove your hand from the switch and await your capture. It is the one chance I offer you!'
Professor Urlich snarled. He raised his voice in sarcastic words— a challenge to The Shadow.
'Remove my hand?' laughed the fiend. 'This hand holds you at my mercy. You and your men alike. You,
your men, and the police. Shoot me if you dare; it will mean your end! You and the others are within the
circles of silent death!'
'Do not draw that switch,' warned The Shadow coldly. 'I promise you — it will mean your death!'
'My death?' And Professor Urlich sneered. 'Like Samson, I may die, but my enemies will perish with
me! It is not within your power to prevent me!'
'It is within my power,' returned The Shadow, with a sinister laugh. 'One bullet from this automatic
would achieve that result. Not your black heart, Urlich, but your trembling hand would be my mark.
Hand and lever both would break, did I decree it!'
The challenge made the scientist tremble. He did not deem such perfect marksmanship possible; but his
recollection of The Shadow's deeds, as recounted by Larry Ricordo, caused his mind to waver.
The Shadow had made the statement as a simple fact. Nevertheless, Urlich gained courage to ridicule
The Shadow's words.
'Try it!' he snarled. 'One shot will be your end. Aim at my hand— and miss. See that hand respond the
moment that your automatic no longer covers my body! It will be your last sight in life!'
'I warn you once again,' returned The Shadow. 'To press that switch will mean your doom! The
invaders are here' — a clanging fall of the outer doors proved the words—'but I shall remain. They will
see only you; but you will know my presence. The choice is yours. Press that switch or yield. My last
warning tells you that death will be yours alone. I have spoken.'
THE tall form shrank beside the rail as men pounded at the door of the balcony. Cardona and the
invading detectives had spotted the second entrance. Professor Urlich stared at the spot, where The
Shadow had been. He saw only two gleaming eyes and the muzzle of an automatic.
The door swung open on the balcony. It had been left loose by The Shadow. The squad of detectives
swarmed into the gallery and stopped beside the rail. Dazed expressions were on their faces. They
waited for Cardona to act; but the leading detective was dumfounded by the sight before him.
The red light had gone out upon the machine. All had come in from the portico. The white, which signified
these men and The Shadow, was still illuminated. The green, which came from the circling corridor,
denoted the presence of The Shadow's agents in that passage.
