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must　answer　before　they　will　hold　us　to　that　promise

wait〃



She　listened；　and　then　her　face　grew　whitewhite　as　those

of　the　Three　themselves；　the　glorious　eyes　widened；　stark

terror　filling　them；　the　whole　lithe　body　of　her　shook　like　a

reed　in　the　wind。



〃Not　that！〃　she　cried　out　to　the　Three。　　〃Oh；　not　that！　　Not

Larrylet　me　go　even　as　you　willbut　not　him！〃　She　threw

up　frantic　hands　to　the　woman…being　of　the　Trinity。　　〃Let

ME　bear　it　alone；〃　she　wailed。　　〃Alonemother！　　Mother！〃



The　Three　bent　their　heads　toward　her；　their　faces　pitiful；

and　from　the　eyes　of　the　woman　One　rolledtears！　　Larry

leaped　to　Lakla's　side。



_〃Mavourneen！〃_　he　cried。　　〃Sweetheart；　what　have　they

said　to　you？〃



He　glared　up　at　the　Silent　Ones；　his　hand　twitching　to…

ward　the　high…hung　pistol　holster。



The　handmaiden　swung　to　him；　threw　white　arms　around

his　neck；　held　her　head　upon　his　heart　until　her　sobbing

ceased。



〃This　theysaythe　Silent　Ones；〃　she　gasped　and　then　all

the　courage　of　her　came　back。　　〃O　heart　of　mine！〃　she　whis…

pered　to　Larry；　gazing　deep　into　his　eyes；　his　anxious　face

cupped　between　her　white　palms。　　〃This　they　saythat

should　the　Shining　One　come　to　succour　Yolara　and　Lugur；

should　it　conquer　its　fearanddo　thisthen　is　there　but

one　way　left　to　destroy　itand　to　save　your　world。〃



She　swayed；　he　gripped　her　tightly。



〃But　one　wayyou　and　I　must　gotogetherinto　its

embrace！　　Yea；　we　must　pass　within　itloving　each　other；

loving　the　world；　realizing　to　the　full　all　that　we　sacrifice　and

sacrificing　all；　our　love；　our　lives；　perhaps　even　that　you　call

soul；　O　loved　one；　must　give　ourselves　ALL　to　the　Shining　One

gladly；　freely；　our　love　for　each　other　flaming　high　within

usthat　this　curse　shall　pass　away！　　For　if　we　do　this；　pledge

the　Three；　then　shall　that　power　of　love　we　carry　into　it

weaken　for　a　time　all　that　evil　which　the　Shining　One　has

becomeand　in　that　time　the　Three　can　strike　and　slay！〃



The　blood　rushed　from　my　heart；　scientist　that　I　am；　es…

sentially；　my　reason　rejected　any　such　solution　as　this　of

the　activities　of　the　Dweller。　　Was　it　not；　the　thought　flashed；

a　propitiation　by　the　Three　out　of　their　own　weakness

and　as　it　flashed　I　looked　up　to　see　their　eyes；　full　of　sorrow；

on　mineand　knew　they　read　the　thought。　　Then　into　the

whirling　vortex　of　my　mind　came　steadying　reflectionsof

history　changed　by　the　power　of　hate；　of　passion；　of　am…

bition；　and　most　of　all；　by　love。　　Was　there　not　actual　dy…

namic　energy　in　these　thingswas　there　not　a　Son　of　Man

who　hung　upon　a　cross　on　Calvary？



〃Dear　love　o'　mine；〃　said　the　O'Keefe　quietly；　〃is　it　in　your

heart　to　say　YES　to　this？〃



〃Larry；〃　she　spoke　low；　〃what　is　in　your　heart　is　in　mine；

but　I　did　so　want　to　go　with　you；　to　live　with　youtoto

bear　you　children；　Larryand　to　see　the　sun。〃



My　eyes　were　wet；　dimly　through　them　I　saw　his　gaze

on　me。



〃If　the　world　IS　at　stake；〃　he　whispered；　〃why　of　course

there's　only　one　thing　to　do。　　God　knows　I　never　was　afraid

when　I　was　fighting　up　thereand　many　a　better　man　than

me　has　gone　West　with　shell　and　bullet　for　the　same　idea；

but　these　things　aren't　shell　and　bulletbut　I　hadn't　Lakla

thenand　it's　the　damned　DOUBT　I　have　behind　it　all。〃



He　turned　to　the　Threeand　did　I　in　their　poise　sense　a

rigidity；　an　anxiety　that　sat　upon　them　as　alienly　as　would

divinity　upon　men？



〃Tell　me　this；　Silent　Ones；〃　he　cried。　　〃If　we　do　this；　Lakla

and　I；　is　it　SURE　you　are　that　you　can　slay　theThing；　and

save　my　world？　　Is　it　SURE　you　are？〃



For　the　first　and　the　last　time；　I　heard　the　voice　of　the

Silent　Ones。　　It　was　the　man…being　at　the　right　who　spoke。



〃We　are　sure；〃　the　tones　rolled　out　like　deepest　organ

notes；　shaking；　vibrating；　assailing　the　ears　as　strangely　as

their　appearance　struck　the　eyes。　　Another　moment　the

O'Keefe　stared　at　them。　　Once　more　he　squared　his　should…

ers；　lifted　Lakla's　chin　and　smiled　into　her　eyes。



〃We　stick！〃　he　said　again；　nodding　to　the　Three。



Over　the　visages　of　the　Trinity　fell　benignity　that　was

awesome；　the　tiny　flames　in　the　jet　orbs　vanished；　leaving

them　wells　in　which　brimmed　serenity；　hopean　extraor…

dinary　joyfulness。　　The　woman　sat　upright；　tender　gaze　fixed

upon　the　man　and　girl。　　Her　great　shoulders　raised　as　though

she　had　lifted　her　arms　and　had　drawn　to　her　those　others。

The　three　faces　pressed　together　for　a　fleeting　moment；

raised　again。　　The　woman　bent　forwardand　as　she　did　so；

Lakla　and　Larry；　as　though　drawn　by　some　outer　force；　were

swept　upon　the　dais。



Out　from　the　sparkling　mist　stretched　two　hands；　enor…

mously　long；　six…fingered；　thumbless；　a　faint　tracery　of

golden　scales　upon　their　white　backs；　utterly　unhuman　and

still　in　some　strange　way　beautiful；　radiating　power　and

all　womanly！



They　stretched　forth；　they　touched　the　bent　heads　of　Lakla

and　the　O'Keefe；　caressed　them；　drew　them　together；　softly

stroked　themlovingly；　with　more　than　a　touch　of　bene…

diction。　　And　withdrew！



The　sparkling　mists　rolled　up　once　more；　hiding　the　Silent

Ones。　　As　silently　as　once　before　we　had　gone　we　passed　out

of　the　place　of　light；　beyond　the　crimson　stone；　back　to　the

handmaiden's　chamber。



Only　once　on　our　way　did　Larry　speak。



〃Cheer　up；　darlin'；〃　he　said　to　her；　〃it's　a　long　way　yet

before　the　finish。　　An'　are　you　thinking　that　Lugur　and　Yo…

lara　are　going　to　pull　this　thing　off？　　Are　you？〃



The　handmaiden　only　looked　at　him；　eyes　love　and　sorrow

filled。



〃They　are！〃　said　Larry。　　〃They　are！　　Like　HELL　they　are！〃











CHAPTER　XXXIII



The　Meeting　of　Titans



IT　IS　NOT　my　intention；　nor　is　it　possible　no　matter　how　in…

teresting　to　me；　to　set　down　_ad　seriatim_　the　happenings　of

the　next　twelve　hours。　　But　a　few　will　not　be　denied　recital。



O'Keefe　regained　cheerfulness。



〃After　all；　Doc；〃　be　said　to　me；　〃it's　a　beautiful　scrap

we're　going　to　have。　　At　the　worst　the　worst　is　no　more　than

the　leprechaun　warned　about。　　I　would　have　told　the　Taitha

De　about　the　banshee　raid　he　promised　me；　but　I　was　a　bit

taken　off　my　feet　at　the　time。　　The　old　girl　an'　all　the　clan'll

be　along；　said　the　little　green　man；　an'　I　bet　the　Three　will

be　damned　glad　of　it；　take　it　from　me。〃



Lakla；　shining…eyed　and　half　fearful　too：



〃I　have　other　tidings　that　I　am　afraid　will　please　you　little；

Larrydarlin'。　　The　Silent　Ones　say　that　you　must　not　go

into　battle　yourself。　　You　must　stay　here　with　me；　and　with

Goodwinfor　ififthe　Shining　One　does　come；　then

must　we　be　here　to　meet　it。　　And　you　might　not　be；　you　know；

Larry；　if　you　fight；〃　she　said；　looking　shyly　up　at　him　from

under　the　long　lashes。



The　O'Keefe's　jaw　dropped。



〃That's　about　the　hardest　yet；〃　he　answered　slowly。　　〃Still

I　see　their　point；　the　lamb　corralled　for　the　altar　has　no

right　to　stray　out　among　the　lions；〃　he　added　grimly。　　〃Don't

worry；　sweet；〃　he　told　her。　　〃As　long　as　I've　sat　in　the　game

I'll　stick　to　the　rules。〃



Olaf　took　fierce　joy　in　the　coming　fray。

〃The　Norns　spin　close　to　the　end　of　this　web；〃　he　rum…

bled。　〃_Ja！_　　And　the　threads　of　Lugur　and　the　Heks　woman

are　between　their　fingers　for　the　breaking！　　Thor　will　be　with

me；　and　I　have　fashioned　me　a　hammer　in　glory　of　Thor。〃　In

his　hand　was　an　enormous　mace　of　black　metal；　fully　five

feet　long；　crowned　with　a　massive　head。



I　pass　to　the　twelve　hours'　closing。



At　the　end　of　the　_coria_　road　where　the　giant　fernland　met

the　edge　of　the　cavern's　ruby　floor；　hundreds　of　the　_Akka_

were　stationed　in　ambush；　armed　with　their　spears　tipped

with　the　rotting　death　and　their　nail…studded；　metal…headed

clubs。　　These　were　to　attack　when　the　Murians　debauched

from　the　_corials_。　　We　had　little　hope　of　doing　more　here　than

effect　some　attrition　of　Yolara's　hosts；　for　at　this　place　the

captains　of　the　Shining　One　could　wield　the　_Keth_　and　their

other　uncanny　weapons　freely。　　We　had　learned；　too；　that

every　forge　and　artisan　had　been　put　to　work　to　make　an

armour　Marakinoff　had　devised　to　withstand　the　natural

battle　equipment　of　the　frog…peopleand　both　Larry　and　I

had　a　disquieting　faith　in　the　Russian's　ingenuity。



At　any　rate　the　numbers　against　us　would　be　lessened。



Next；　under　the　direction　of　the　frog…king；　levies　com…

manded　by　subsidiary　chieftains　had　completed　rows　of

rough　walls　along　the　probable　route　of　the　Murians　through

the　cavern。　　These　afforded　the　_Akka_　a　fair　protection　behind

which　they　could　hurl　their　darts　and　spearscuriously

enough　they　had　never　developed　the　bow　as　a　weapon。



At　the　opening　of　the　cavern　a　strong　barricade　stretched

almost　to　the　two　ends　of　the　crescent　strand；　almost；　I　say；

because　there　had　not　been　time　to　build　it　entirely　across

the　mouth。



And　from　edge　to　edge　of　the　titanic　bridge；　from　where

it　sprang　outward　at　the　shore　o