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Updated: June 15, 2025
The light streamed through it, the flaming colors, the lightning glare, the drifting shadows were all beyond it. The suggestion of sphere had been an illusion, born of the darkness in which we were moving and in its own luminescence. And I saw that the steel tongue was a ramp, a slide, dropping down into the gulf. Norhala raised her hands high above her head.
The shadow of those walls fell upon us. As one we looked back; as one we searched out the patch of blue with the black blot at its breast. We found it; then the precipices hid it. Silently we streamed through the chasm, through the canyon and the tunnel speaking no word, Drake's eyes fixed with bitter hatred upon Norhala, Ventnor brooding upon her always with that enigmatic sympathy.
And at last it was twin sister of Norhala who looked upon her from the face of Ruth! The white arms of the woman encircled her; the glorious head bent over her; flaming tresses mingled with tender brown curls. "Sister!" she whispered. "Little sister! These men you shall have as long as it pleases you to do with as you will.
The globe had opened into that splendor of jewel fires before which had floated Norhala and Ruth. I saw again the luminous ovals of sapphire, studding its golden zone, the mystic rose of pulsing, petal flame, the still core of incandescent ruby that was the heart of that rose. Strangely I felt my own heart veer toward this Thing; bowing before its beauty and its strength; almost worshiping!
I knew no harm would come to you, and I went my ways and forgot you. Then I came here again and found Yuruk and these the maid had slain." The great eyes flashed. "Now do I honor the maid for the battle that she did," she said, "though how she slew so many strong men I do not know. My heart goes out to her. And therefore when I bring her back she shall no more be plaything to Norhala, but sister.
"Sister it shall be so. Norhala I am tired. Norhala I have seen enough of men." An ecstasy of tenderness, a flame of unearthly rapture, trembled over the woman's wondrous face. Hungrily, defiantly, she pressed the girl to her; the stars in the lucid heavens of her eyes were soft and gentle and caressing. "Ruth!" cried Drake and sprang toward them.
There was a dreadful screaming of horses, a shrieking of men. Then silence. Shuddering, I looked. Where the mounted men had been was nothing. Nothing? There were two great circular spaces whose floors were glistening, wetly red. Fragments of man or horse there was none. They had been crushed into what was it Norhala had promised had been stamped into the rock beneath the feet of her servants.
"Norhala!" we shouted; and again and again again "Norhala!" Before our cries could have reached her the cubes swerved; came to a halt beneath us. Through the hundred feet of space between I caught the brilliancy of the weird constellations in Norhala's great eyes saw with a vague but no less dire foreboding that on her face dwelt a terrifying, a blasting wrath.
I saw Drake enter with the saddlebags; saw them drop from hands relaxing under the shock of this amazing tableau; saw his eyes widen and fill with wonder and half-awed admiration. Now Norhala stepped out of her fallen robes and moved toward the further wall, Yuruk following. He stooped, raised an ewer of silver and began gently to pour over her shoulders its contents.
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.
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