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It in no way tended to sweeten Lord Ventnor's temper, which was further exasperated when he hurt his shin against one of Robert's disreputable-looking tins, with its accumulation of debris. The boat swung off into the tideway. Her progress shorewards was watched by a small knot of people, mostly loungers and coolies.
What have they been doing why haven't they been ready to strike if Ventnor's right at humanity until now?" "I don't know," I answered, helplessly. "But evolution is not the slow, plodding process that Darwin thought. There seem to be explosions nature will create a new form almost in a night. Then comes the long ages of development and adjustment, and suddenly another new race appears.
"I should think so indeed," muttered the stout midshipman, glancing at Iris. "But I am curious to know," continued the commander, "why you lay claim to the island? You can hardly intend to return here." He pointed to Robert's placard stuck on the rock. Anstruther paused before he answered. He felt that Lord Ventnor's dark eyes were fixed on him.
"No," he interrupted, "if there is a body as we know a body it must be between the outer surface and the inner, for the latter is crystal, jewel hard, impenetrable. "Goodwin Ventnor's bullets hit fair. I saw them strike. They did not ricochet they dropped dead. Like flies dashed up against a rock and the Thing was no more conscious of their striking than a rock would have been of those flies."
And now I saw that Ruth was not clad as she had been when we had left her. She stood in scanty kirtle that came scarcely to her knees, her shoulders were bare, her curly brown hair unbound and tangled. Her face was set with wrath hardly less than that which beat from Norhala. On Ventnor's forehead was a blood red scar, a line that ran from temple to temple like a brand.
We struck across the hollow to the crevice we knew nothing of the entrance you came through. The hollow was not pleasant, either. But it was penetrable, then. "We crossed. As we were about to enter the cleft there issued out of it a most unusual and disconcerting chorus of sounds wailings, crashings, splinterings." I started, shot a look at Dick; absorbed, he was drinking in Ventnor's every word.
"Yes," she sighed; "yes, Martin have no fear for me " And turned from us, gazing forward once more with the woman and as silent as she. I glanced covertly at Ventnor, at Drake had I imagined, or had they too seen? Then I knew they had seen, for Ventnor's face was white to the lips, and Drake's jaw was set, his teeth clenched, his eyes blazing with anger.
Ruth moaned and hid her eyes; Drake reached down, gathered her up in his arms, held her close. Ventnor's body stood before the Disk, then swam up along its face. The tendrils waved out, felt of it, thrust themselves down through the wide collar of the shirt.
Ventnor's hand thrust out, covered Ruth's mouth, choking her crying. "Your son" Norhala spoke swiftly; and back flashed the cruel face of Cherkis, devouring her with his eyes. "Your son and Queenship here and Empire of the World." Her voice was rapt, thrilled. "All this you offer? Me Norhala?" "This and more!" The huge bulk of his body quivered with eagerness.
If it were he would never trust a man's face again. But Ventnor's well-balanced arguments swayed him. The course indicated was the only decent one. It was humanly impossible for a man to chide his daughter and flout her rescuer within an hour of finding them. Lord Ventnor played his cards with a deeper design. He bowed to the inevitable. Iris said she loved his rival. Very well.
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