Part 45 (1/2)

To this our only ansas to attend to the lighting of our lamps and the disposal of our small impedimenta, such as our tins of oil and water bottles Yva noted this and laughed outright

”Courage did not die with the Sons of Wisdo ahead of us and Toh the teates I started, for there, in the centre of that glorious building, I perceived a change The statue of Fate was no ments of its torshi+ppers which I had seen shaken down some hours before

”What does this mean?” I whispered to Yva ”I have felt no other earthquake”

”I do not know,” she answered, ”or if I know I may not say Yet learn that no God can live on without a single worshi+pper, and, in a fashi+on, that idol was alive, though this you will not believe”

”How very re the ruin ”If I were superstitious, which I am not, I should say that this occurrence was an o the final fall of a false God At any rate it is dead now, and I wonder what caused it?”

”I felt an earth treh it is odd that it should only have affected this particular statue A thousand pities, for it was a wonderful work of art”

Then I remembered and reminded Bickley of the crash which we had heard while Yva and Bastin were absent on soth of the great church, if so it could be called, we came to an apse at the head of it where, had it been Christian, the altar would have stood In this apse was a little open door through which we passed Beyond it lay a space of rough rock that looked as though it had been partially prepared for the erection of buildings and then abandoned All this space was lighted, however, like the rest of the City of Nyo, and in the same mysterious way Led by Yva, we threaded our path between the rough stones, following a steep doard slope

Thus alked for perhaps half a e pit that ine, have lain quite a thousand feet below the level of the tee of this pit and shrank back terrified It seereat wind rushed up it with a roaring sound like to that of an angry sea Or rather there were tinds, perhaps draughts would be a better term, if I may apply it to an air movement of so fierce and terrible a nature One of these rushed up the pit, and one rushed down Or it may have been that the up rush alternated with the down rush Really it is iing to the others and shrinking back in alare and bottomless depth, for that this was enorht which flowed doards farther than the eye could follow

”It is a vent up and dohich air passes from and to the central hollows of the earth,” Yva answered ”Doubtless in the beginning through it travelled that hty force which blew out these caves in the heated rocks, as the craftslass”

”I understand,” said Bastin ”Just like one blows out a bubble on a pipe, only on a larger scale Well, it is very interesting, but I have seen enough of it Also I a bloay”

”I fear that you must see more,” answered Yva with a smile, ”since we are about to descend this pit”

”Do you o down that hole, and if so, how? I don't see any lift, orof that sort”

”Easily and safely enough, Bastin See”

As she spoke a great flat rock of the size of a small rooht which roared past us on its upward course When it reached the lip of the shaft, it hung a little while, then an to descend with such incredible swiftness that in a few seconds it had vanished fro out of his head, ”that's the lift, is it? Well, I tell you at once I don't like the look of the thing It gives me the creeps Suppose it tilted”

”It does not tilt,” answered Yva, still sht to fear Only yesterday, I rode this rock and returned unharmed”

”That is all very well, Lady Yva, but you et on and off”

”If you are afraid, Bastin, remain here until your companions return

They, I think, will make the journey”

Bickley and I intih to tell the truth, if less frank ere quite as alarmed as Bastin

”No, I'll come too I suppose onewere to happen to them and I were left alone, it would be worse still”

”Then be prepared,” said Yva, ”for presently this air-chariot of ours will return When it appears and hangs upon the edge, step on to it and throw yourselves upon your faces and all will be well At the foot of the shaft the , or even crawl to the firm earth”

Then she stooped down and lifted Toe of the pit, his long ears blown straight above his head, holding hiht not see and be frightened