it lay directly above my own. I raced into the open door of the prince's
quarters, and to that window by which Carna had entered. I leaned out,
shouted at the top of my voice.

"Zoorph, are you there?"

Her voice came to me with a message of relief, yet it justified my worse
fears. She was here, and the place was about to be blasted by some
titanic explosive of the Croen science creation! Her words were
indistinct, but the tone was almost mocking, and I thought I heard her
laugh.

"Can you come down, Carna, or do I have to come after you?"

Seconds later the knotted drape she had used before swayed down into
sight, I grasped it to steady it. Her bare legs followed, and now her
voice came to me with a sweet mockery:

"Never let it be said that Carna required a lover to climb to her
window! Rather let it be said that passion made Carna risk...."

Overhead another of the terrible blasts of flame blazed across the sky.
The light blazed all about us, and Carna leaped from the window ledge
into my arms even as the concussion struck at us. I lost my balance; we
fell to the floor together ... and her voice went calmly, mockingly on,
loud in the sudden ensuing silence:

"... death itself to be at her lover's side! And it sounds as if we both
risked death this night!"

I lay there staring into those mysterious depths of her strange
wide-spaced eyes, and she giggled a little. I could not help laughing.
Even as I struggled to retain sense an almost hysterical laugh of relief
broke from me.

We got to our feet, and in spite of the terrible danger, our arms kept
hold of each other, our eyes still held together, and our lips were
drawn together and burned there for minutes.

"This is madness, woman, we must get out of here. The Croen has made
bombs for the prince's ships. He has rebelled against the Jivros,
released the Croen, Cyane, they will blast this place, perhaps the whole
city, before this night is over!"

"So no one placed any value on the life or the help of Carna but the
earth man! Why did you come here for me, Carl?"

"I saw your scarf at the window. I learned then what I did not know
before--I could not let you die! Do you know what I felt when I knew you
were still in this prison?"

"Of course I know. You see, Carl, the magic of the Zoorphs is really a
magic of love. You love me, and I willed it so. You will always love me
now!"

I was not entranced by her words.

"We have no time for a discussion of m