m.
He went down under a torrent of blows that drove everything from his
mind but the thought that he had failed Marna.

* * * * *

Daylight, and Gaar's head ached as consciousness returned. He seemed
to be a single aching bruise from head to foot. After a while he
realized that Marna lay beside him at the bottom of the stairs that
led to the cavern mouth.

Light came down strongly, too strongly. It was long after dawn. A
stray thought flashed across Gaar's mind: his men would be well on
their way to the ship: Yet there was no use castigating himself. Marna
would have died before they could have reached her if they had come in
a body.

"I'm sorry," Gaar said, and tried to turn toward Marna. Leather thongs
bound him tightly but he rocked back and forth until he tipped onto
his side.

"Not as sorry as I," she said, her eyes soft on his face. "If I had
not called you would never have come."

"The only thing a Norseman fears is that he should die in bed," Gaar
told her.

But he wasn't ready to die yet. If he could only get a little play
into these thongs! His muscles bulged with the strain as he threw his
strength into the effort. Then a scream filtered down and sent a
shiver along his spine.

"The sacrifices have started," Marna said. "It will not be long now.
They will be coming for us soon."

"Can't _you_ do anything?" Gaar asked. "Can't you fight them with
their own weapons?"

"Not while I am awake. When I sleep my soul is in communion with my
people who have gone and I draw strength from them. But this is the
feast of Beltane. While the sun comes directly between the two great
stones the magic of the Druids is at its most potent. And mine is
waning."

As her voice faded there came again the scream of a soul in mortal
fear. The scream died quickly, merging into a rising paean from the
Druids. Then there was a patter of sandal-clad feet and the light from
above was blocked by the figure of Cyngled, the high priest.

In Cyngled's hand the great sacrificial knife dripped blood. Be'al
would drink well this day, Be'al would be appeased. Behind Cyngled
came other priests, lesser ones whose faces revealed unholy joy as
they came down the stairs.

Two of them lifted Marna but it took four to carry Gaar. Strong light
made him blink as they emerged from the mouth of the cave. Shock
forced his eyes to remain open as they entered the charmed circle.

Blood-red came the sun between