eep slope; now the
amethystine, gleaming ring was almost overheard.

Norhala's song ceased. One breathless, soundless moment and we had
pierced the veils. A globule of sapphire shone afar, the elfin bubble of
her home. We neared it.

Heart leaping, I saw three ponies, high and empty saddles turquoise
studded, lift their heads from their roadway browsing. For a moment they
stood, stiff with terror; then whimpering raced away.

We were at Norhala's door; were lifted down; stood close to its
threshold. Slaves to a single thought, Drake and I sprang to enter.

"Wait!" Norhala's white hands caught us. "There is peril there--without
me! Me you must--follow!"

Upon the exquisite face was no unshadowing of wrath, no diminishing of
rage, no weakening of dreadful determination. The star-flecked eyes were
not upon us; they looked over and beyond--coldly, calculatingly.

"Not enough," I heard her whisper. "Not enough--for that which I will
do."

We turned, following her gaze. A hundred feet on high, stretching nearly
across the gorge, an incredible curtain was flung. Over its folds was
movement--arms of spinning globes that thrust forth like paws and down
upon which leaped pyramid upon pyramid stiffening as they clung like
bristling spikes of hair; great bars of clicking cubes that threw
themselves from the shuttering--shook and withdrew. The curtain was a
ferment--shifting, mercurial; it throbbed with desire, palpitated with
eagerness.

"Not enough!" murmured Norhala.

Her lips parted; from them came another trumpeting--tyrannic, arrogant
and clangorous. Under it the curtaining writhed--out from it spurted
thin cascades of cubes. They swarmed up into tall pillars that shook and
swayed and gyrated.

With blinding flash upon flash the sapphire incandescences struck forth
at their feet. A score of flaming columned shapes leaped up and curved
in meteor flight over the tumultuous curtain. Streaming with violet
fires they shot back to the valley of the City.

"Hai!" shouted Norhala as they flew. "Hai!"

Up darted her arms; the starry galaxies of her eyes danced madly, shot
forth visible rays. The mighty curtain of the Metal Things pulsed and
throbbed; its units interweaving--block and globe and pyramid of which
it was woven, each seeming to strain at leash.

"Come!" cried Norhala--and led the way through the portal.

Close behind her we pressed. I stumbled, nearly fell, over a
brown-faced, leather-cuirassed body that