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Updated: June 25, 2025
By which I knew that our remarks upon the frog woman were still bothering O'Keefe. "He thinks of foolish nothings like the foolish sailor!" grunted Marakinoff, acid contempt in his words. "What are their women to this?"
Thus it was that we first saw the city of the Dweller; blessed and accursed as no place on earth, or under or above earth has ever been or, that force willing which some call God, ever again shall be! "Chert!" whispered Marakinoff. "Incredible!" "Trolldom!" gasped Olaf Huldricksson. "It is Trolldom!" "Listen, Olaf!" said Larry. "Cut out that Trolldom stuff!
"All right, Professor," he grinned. "I believe you mean every word you say. Nevertheless, I'll just keep the guns." Marakinoff bowed, imperturbably. "And now," he said, "I will tell you what I know. I found the secret of the door mechanism even as you did, Dr. Goodwin. But by carelessness, my condensers were broken. I was forced to wait while I sent for others and the waiting might be for months.
I watched them pacing slowly ahead, his arm around her, black hair close to bronze-gold ringlets. Then I followed. Half were they over the bridge when through the roar of the imprisoned stream I heard my name called softly. "Goodwin! Dr. Goodwin!" Amazed, I turned. From behind the pedestal of a carved group slunk Marakinoff! My premonition had been right.
O'Keefe paused at the head of the stairway and handed me one of the automatics he had taken from Marakinoff. "Shall I not have one also?" rather anxiously asked the latter. "When you need it you'll get it," answered O'Keefe. "I'll tell you frankly, though, Professor, that you'll have to show me before I trust you with a gun. You shoot too straight from cover."
From all the amphitheatre arose a clamour, a shouting. Marakinoff, his eyes staring, was leaning out, listening. Unrestrained now by Rador, I vaulted the wall and rushed forward. But not before I had heard the green dwarf murmur: "There is something stronger than the Shining One! Two things yea a strong heart and hate!" Olaf, panting, eyes glazed, trembling, shrank beneath my hand.
The flash of anger in the Russian's eyes turned to a cold consideration. "You say always just what is in your mind, Lieutenant O'Keefe," he mused. "Da that I shall remember!" Later I was to recall this odd observation and Marakinoff was to remember indeed. In single file, O'Keefe at the head and Olaf bringing up the rear, we passed through the portal.
"I've no secrets from Goodwin," answered O'Keefe. "So?" queried Marakinoff, suavely. He bent, whispered to Larry. The Irishman started, eyed him with a certain shocked incredulity, then turned to me. "Just a minute, Doc!" he said, and I caught the suspicion of a wink. They drew aside, out of ear-shot. The Russian talked rapidly. Larry was all attention.
There was bitter, nameless menace in those last words and whatever their hidden message to Lugur, it was potent. He stood, choking, face hell-shadowed Marakinoff leaned out again, whispered. The red dwarf bowed, now wholly ironically; resumed his place and his silence. And again I wondered, icy-hearted, what was the power the Russian had so to sway Lugur. "What says the Council?"
There's no Trolldom, or fairies, outside Ireland. Get that! And this isn't Ireland. And, buck up, Professor!" This to Marakinoff. "What you see down there are people just plain people. And wherever there's people is where I live. Get me? "There's no way in but in and no way out but out," said O'Keefe. "And there's the stairway.
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