Several days passed before Lane felt himself equal to the momentous interview with Mel Iden.

After his call upon Mel's father and mother he was overcome by one of his sick, weak spells, that happily had been infrequent of late.

This one confined him to his room.

He had about fought and won it out, when the old injury at the base of his spine reminded him that misfortunes did not come singly.

Quite unexpectedly, as he bent over with less than his usual caution, the vertebra slipped out; and Lane found his body twisted like a letter S.And the old pain was no less terrible for its familiarity.
He got back to his bed and called his mother.