uth and
Norhala stood with white arms interlaced.

The serpent shape flashed toward us; it vanished beneath, merging into
the waiting Thing.

Then slowly the Thing began to move; quietly it glided to the chasm it
had blasted in the cliff wall. The shadow of those walls fell upon us.
As one we looked back; as one we searched out the patch of blue with the
black blot at its breast.

We found it; then the precipices hid it. Silently we streamed through
the chasm, through the canyon and the tunnel--speaking no word, Drake's
eyes fixed with bitter hatred upon Norhala, Ventnor brooding upon her
always with that enigmatic sympathy. We passed between the walls of the
further cleft; stood for an instant at the brink of the green forest.

There came to us as though from immeasurable distances, a faint,
sustained thrumming--like the beating of countless muffled drums. The
Thing that carried us trembled--the sound died away. The Thing quieted;
it began its steady, effortless striding through the crowding trees--but
now with none of that speed with which it had come, spurred forward by
Norhala's awakened hate.

Ventnor stirred; broke the silence. And now I saw how wasted was his
body, how sharpened his face; almost ethereal; purged not only by
suffering but by, it came to me, some strange knowledge.

"No use, Drake," he said dreamily. "All this is now on the knees of the
gods. And whether those gods are humanity's or whether they are--Gods of
Metal--I do not know.

"But this I do know--only one way or another can the balance fall; and
if it be one way, then you and we shall have Ruth back. And if it falls
the other way--then there will be little need for us to care. For man
will be done!"

"Martin! What do you mean?"

"It is the crisis," he answered. "We can do nothing, Goodwin--nothing.
Whatever is to be steps forth now from the womb of Destiny."

Again there came that distant rolling--louder, now. Again the Thing
trembled.

"The drums," whispered Ventnor. "The drums of destiny. What is it they
are heralding? A new birth of Earth and the passing of man? A new child
to whom shall be given dominion--nay, to whom has been given dominion?
Or is it--taps--for Them?"

The drumming died as I listened--fearfully. About us was only the
swishing, the sighing of the falling trees beneath the tread of the
Thing. Motionless stood Norhala; and as motionless Ruth.

"Martin," I cried once more, a dreadful doubt upon me. "Martin--w