either
of the other Foanna."

"They have gone to do what is to be done," Ashe's companion replied. "So
some of the enemy fled. Well, perhaps they have learned one lesson, not
to meddle with others' devices. Ahh, so much gone which will never come
again! Never again--"

She held up the half-melted wand, turning it back and forth before her,
before she cast it away. It flew out, up, then dropped into the caldron
of the hall which had been. A gust of rain, cold, chilling the lightly
clad Terrans, swept across them.

The Foanna was helped to her feet by Ashe. For a moment she turned
slowly, giving a lingering look to the ruins. Then she spoke: "Broken
stone holds no value. Take hands, my brothers, my sister, it is time we
go hence."

Karara's hand in Ross's right, Ashe's in his left, and both linked to
Ynvalda in turn. Then--they were indeed elsewhere, in a courtyard where
bodies lay flaccid under the drenching downpour of the rain. And moving
among those bodies were the two other Foanna, bending to examine one man
after another. Perhaps over one in three they so inspected they held
consultation before a wand was used in tracing certain portions of the
body between them. When they were finished, that man stirred, moaned,
showed signs of life once more.

"Rosss--!" From behind a tumbled wall crept a Hawaikan who did not wear
the guard armor of the others. Gill-pack, flippers, diver's belt, had
been stripped from him. There was a bleeding gash down the side of his
face, and he held his left arm against his body, supported by his right
hand.

"Baleku!"

The Rover pulled himself up to his feet and stood swaying. Ross reached
him quickly to catch him as he slumped forward.

"Loketh?" the Terran asked.

"The women-killers took him." Somehow the Rover got that out as Ross
half supported, half led him to where the Foanna were gathering those
they had been able to revive. "They wanted to learn"--Baleku was
obviously making a great effort to tell his story--"about ... about
where we came from ... where we got the packs."

"So now they will know of us, or will if they get the story out of
Loketh." Ashe worked with Ross to splint the Rover's broken arm. "How
many of them were here, Baleku?"

The Rover's head moved slowly from side to side. "I do not know in
truth. It is--was--like a dream. I was in the water swimming through the
sea gate. Then suddenly I was in another place where those from the
stars waited about me. T