rew
up the curly head; swung her upon her back.

"Hold her feet." He nodded to Drake, who caught the slender bare ankles
in his hands.

She lay there, helpless, being unable to use her hands or feet.

"Too little Ruth, and too much Norhala," said Ventnor, looking up at me.
"If she'd only thought to cry out! She could have brought a regiment of
those Things down to blast us. And would--if she HAD thought. You don't
think THAT is Ruth, do you?"

He pointed to the pallid face glaring at him, the eyes from which cold
fires flamed.

"No, you don't!" He caught Drake by the shoulder, sent him spinning a
dozen feet away. "Damn it, Drake--don't you understand!"

For suddenly Ruth's eyes softened; she had turned them on Dick
pitifully, appealingly--and he had loosed her ankles, had leaned forward
as though to draw away the band that covered her lips.

"Your gun," whispered Ventnor to me; before I had moved he had snatched
the automatic from my holster; had covered Drake with it.

"Drake," he said, "stand where you are. If you take another step toward
this girl I'll shoot you--by God, I will!"

Drake halted, shocked amazement in his face; I myself felt resentful,
wondering at his outburst.

"But it's hurting her," he muttered, Ruth's eyes, soft and pleading,
still dwelt upon him.

"Hurting her!" exclaimed Ventnor. "Man--she's my sister! I know what I'm
doing. Can't you see? Can't you see how little of Ruth is in that body
there--how little of the girl you love? How or why I don't know--but
that it is so I DO know. Drake--have you forgotten how Norhala beguiled
Cherkis? I want my sister back. I'm helping her to get back. Now let be.
I know what I'm doing. Look at her!"

We looked. In the face that glared up at Ventnor was nothing of
Ruth--even as he had said. There was the same cold, awesome wrath that
had rested upon Norhala's as she watched Cherkis weep over the eating up
of his city. Swiftly came a change--like the sudden smoothing out of the
rushing waves of a hill-locked, wind-lashed lake.

The face was again Ruth's face--and Ruth's alone; the eyes were Ruth's
eyes--supplicating, adjuring.

"Ruth!" Ventnor cried. "While you can hear--am I not right?"

She nodded vigorously, sternly; she was lost, hidden once more.

"You see." He turned to us grimly.

A shattering shaft of light flashed upon the veils; almost pierced them.
An avalanche of sound passed high above us. Yet now I noted that where
we stood th