Part 23 (1/2)

After all, I reflected, there was much in his deter to do--unless we admitted that Norhala was superhuman; and that I would not admit In command of forces we did not yet know, en rapport with these People of Metal, sealed with that alien consciousness Ruth had described--all these, yes But still a woman--of that I was certain And surely Drake could be trusted not to repeat Ventnor's error

”Yuruk,” I said, ”we think you lie We would speak to your mistress

Take us to her”

”I have told you that the Goddess is not here,” he said ”If you do not believe it is nothing to me I cannot take you to her for I do not knohere she is Is it your wish that I take you through her house?”

”It is,” I said

”The Goddess has cos” He bowed, sardonically ”Follow”

Our search was short We stepped out into what for want of better words I can describe only as a central hall It was circular, and streith thick piled ss whose hues had been softened by the alchemy of time into exquisite, shadowy echoes of color

The walls of this hall were of the same moonstone substance that had enclosed the chaht up to the dome in a crystalline, cylindrical cone Four doorways like that in which we stood pierced thes in turn we peered

All were precisely si in a lunetted, curved base triangle frolobe fors the sides; the circle of floor of the inner hall the truncating lunette

The first of these chambers was utterly bare The one opposite held a half-dozen suits of the lacquered ared swords and long javelins The third I judged to be the lair of Yuruk; within it was a copper brazier, a stand of spears and a gigantic bow, a quiver full of arrows leaning beside it The fourth rooreat and shtly closed

The fifth room was beyond question Norhala's bedchas were thick A low couch of carven ivory inset with gold rested a few feet from the doorway A dozen orover with silken stuffs

Upon the back of four golden lions stood a high mirror of polished silver And close to it, in curiously incongruous domestic array stood a stiffly marshaled row of sandals Upon one of the chests were heaped coold and ivory studded with jewels blue and yellow and crilance We sought for Norhala

And of her we found no shadow She had gone even as the black eunuch had said; flitting unseen past Ruth, perhaps, absorbed in her watch over her brother; perhaps through so in this room of hers

Yuruk let drop the curtains, sidled back to the first room, we after his close, propped ourselves against the us, chin upon his knees, taking us in with unblinking eyes blank of any e ar the floor upon their talons in arcs and circles It was curious how these hands seemed to be endoith a volition of their own, independent of the ar

And now I could see only the hands, shuttling so s so sleepily, so sleepily back and forth--black hands that dripped sleep--hypnotic

Hypnotic! I sprang frolance I saw Drake's head nodding--nodding in time to thewith an intensity of rage unfamiliar to me; thrust my pistol into the wrinkled face

”damn you!” I cried ”Stop that Stop it and turn your back”

The cordedpaws drew in as though he were about to clutch me; the ebon pools of eyes were covered with a frozen film of hate

He could not have knoas this tube hich I menaced him, but its threat he certainly sensed and was afraid to meet He squattered about, wrapped his arms around his knees, crouched with back toward us

”What's the matter?” asked Drake drowsily

”He tried to hypnotize us,” I answered shortly ”And pretty nearly did”