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"Drake, boy" I dropped into his own colloquialism "we're up against it. We can't help it. And remember she's there in Norhala's home. I don't believe, I honestly don't believe, Dick, that there's any danger as long as she remains there. And Ventnor ties her fast." "That's true," he said, more hopefully. "That's true and probably Norhala is with her by now." "I don't doubt it," I said cheerfully.
And still Norhala's golden chant lured; higher and even higher reached the following wave. Now we were rising upon a steep slope; now the amethystine, gleaming ring was almost overheard. Norhala's song ceased. One breathless, soundless moment and we had pierced the veils. A globule of sapphire shone afar, the elfin bubble of her home. We neared it.
As plain was it that their knowledge of magnetic force and its manipulation were far beyond the sphere of humanity. That they had realization of beauty this palace of Norhala's proved and no human imagination could have conceived it nor human hands have made its thought of beauty real. What were their senses through which their consciousness fed?
Norhala's laughter had ceased. Somberly she looked upon Cherkis, into the devil fires of his eyes. "Cherkis!" she half whispered. "Now comes the end for you and for all that is yours! But until the end's end you shall see." The hanging body was thrust forward; was thrust up; was brought down upon its feet on the upper plane of the prostrate pyramid tipping the metal arm that held him.
"They tortured him," Ruth's voice was tense, bitter; she spoke in Persian for Norhala's benefit I thought then, not guessing a deeper reason. "They tortured him. They gave him agony until he returned. And they promised him other agonies that would make him pray long for death. "And me me" she raised little clenched hands "me they stripped like a slave.
My heart stopped beating for from the depths of Ruth's eyes shining shadows were rising, wraiths answering Norhala's calling; and, as they rose, steadily they drew life from the clear radiance summoning drew closer to the semblance of that tranquil spirit which her vengeance had banished but that had now returned to its twin thrones of Norhala's eyes.
Norhala's house stood in its center; and it was like a garden, dotted with flowering and fragrant lilies and here and there a tiny green meadow. The great globe of blue that was Norhala's dwelling seemed less to rest upon the ground than to emerge from it; as though its basic curvatures were hidden in the earth. What was its substance I could not tell.
Past us ran Ruth, all dream, all unearthliness gone from a face now a tragic mask of human woe and terror. She threw herself down beside her brother, felt of his heart; then raised herself upon her knees and thrust out supplicating hands to the shapes. "Don't hurt him any more! He didn't mean it!" she cried out to them piteously like a child. She reached up, caught one of Norhala's hands.
"Ruth are you all right?" Slowly she turned to us my heart gave a great leap, then seemed to stop. For her sweet face was touched with that same unearthly tranquillity which was Norhala's; in her brown eyes was a shadow of that passionless spirit brooding in Norhala's own; her voice as she answered held within it more than echo of Norhala's faint, far-off golden chiming.
I saw the Thing we sought to join lift itself into a prodigious pillar; the pillar's base thrust forth stilts; upon them the Thing stepped over the blue dome of Norhala's house. The blue bubble was close; now it curved below us. Gently we were lifted down; were set before its portal. I looked up at the bulk that had carried us.
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