man, or woman, far better than he
has had opportunity, in a matter of hours only, to know Luar!"

He left it there then, as he strode boldly, with Jaska by his side, to
the nearest of the aircars.

* * * * *

As he approached the car, the gleam cube beneath it seemed to gleam
brighter and brighter, as though it echoed the radiance of Sarka.
Sarka knew, studying this phenomenon, that he possessed at least a
hint of the secret of Luar's omnipotence. There had been a hint
before, but by now its meaning was clearer. The white flames, out of
the heart of the dying Moon, gave new life, exaltation, not only to
the bodies but to the brains of those who passed through it, and with
their brains quickened, they possessed such knowledge as men of Earth,
for ages, had wished to possess.

Transmutation of metals ... the ability, at will, to endow the higher,
more selective metals with intelligence ... and the ability to retain
command of the intelligences thus endowed. This explained the power of
Luar over the Gnomes, and the power of the Gnomes over the cubes--if
they possessed that power.

But the Gnomes, what of them? What were they?

But for a space Sarka must await the answer to that question, for
there was little time. Already he knew that the tale of his escape,
and his taking over of a portion of the Gens of Dalis, must have gone
like wildfire through all the crater, and from this crater, perhaps,
had been transmitted to all the craters of the Moon. All the
craters....

* * * * *

That explained to him the absence from the lake of white flames, where
he had seen so few, comparatively, of the people of Dalis' Gens. The
Moon was honeycombed by such craters, and perhaps the white flame
connected them all, made them all one. And Luar commanded all from her
dais in this crater Sarka and his people were escaping. The millions
of the Gens had been swallowed by the craters of the Moon, at command
of Luar, acceded to by Dalis--and all over the Moon the very things
which Sarka and Jaska had witnessed were taking place.

Even now, as Sarka raced for the aircar, and Jaska with him, he could
feel a backward pulling that was well-nigh invincible. Someone was
willing him to return, willing the Gnomes to pursue him, willing the
cubes to refuse obedience to him; but he laughed and stepped to the
aircar, passing by the nearest writhing tentacle as though he knew it
posse