ss."

Rador gripped the base of the globe; abruptly it ceased its spinning.
He turned to us as though to speak and even as he did so its bell note
sounded peremptorily and on it the colour films began to creep at
their accustomed pace.

"I hear," the green dwarf whispered. "They shall be taken there at
once." The globe grew silent. He stepped toward us.

"You have heard," he turned to us.

"Not on your life, Rador," said Larry. "Nothing doing!" And then in
the Murian's own tongue. "We follow Lakla, Rador. And _you_ lead the
way." He thrust the pistol close to the green dwarf's side.

Rador did not move.

"Of what use, _Larree_?" he said, quietly. "Me you can slay--but in
the end you will be taken. Life is not held so dear in Muria that my
men out there or those others who can come quickly will let you
by--even though you slay many. And in the end they will overpower
you."

There was a trace of irresolution in O'Keefe's face.

"And," added Rador, "if I let you go I dance with the Shining One--or
worse!"

O'Keefe's pistol hand dropped.

"You're a good sport, Rador, and far be it from me to get you in bad,"
he said. "Take us to the temple--when we get there--well, your
responsibility ends, doesn't it?"

The green dwarf nodded; on his face a curious expression--was it
relief? Or was it emotion higher than this?

He turned curtly.

"Follow," he said. We passed out of that gay little pavilion that had
come to be home to us even in this alien place. The guards stood at
attention.

"You, Sattoya, stand by the globe," he ordered one of them. "Should
the _Afyo Maie_ ask, say that I am on my way with the strangers even
as she has commanded."

We passed through the lines to the _corial_ standing like a great
shell at the end of the runway leading into the green road.

"Wait you here," he said curtly to the driver. The green dwarf
ascended to his seat, sought the lever and we swept on--on and out
upon the glistening obsidian.

Then Rador faced us and laughed.

"_Larree_," he cried, "I love you for that spirit of yours! And did
you think that Rador would carry to the temple prison a man who would
take the chances of torment upon his own shoulders to save him? Or
you, Goodwin, who saved him from the rotting death? For what did I
take the _corial_ or lift the veil of silence that I might hear what
threatened you--"

He swept the _corial_ to the left, away from the temple approach.

"I am done with Lug