."

"I love you, Wolfgar."

"Yes--that's how I always dreamed it would sound.
I--love--you--Wolfgar."

His voice trailed away; a film was settling over his staring eyes. Then
again his lips moved. "Maida says--'I love you, Wolfgar' ... I'm--so
happy...."

Quite suddenly she realized that he was gone. Her pent-up emotion came
with a sob.

"Wolfgar! My friend--my wonderful, loyal friend--don't die, Wolfgar!
Don't die!"

CHAPTER XIX

_Waters of Eternal Peace_

Little Wolfgar was gone. It seemed at first very strange, unreal. It lay
a shadow of grief upon our spirits, for many hours a deeper shadow than
all those grave events impending upon which hung the fate of three
worlds.

Tarrano ordered for Wolfgar a public burial of ceremony and honor in the
waters of eternal peace--ordered it for that same evening. Once again
Tarrano demonstrated the strangeness of his nature. His arrival to take
possession of Venus had been made the occasion of a great festival. "The
Water Festival," they called it, which was held only at times of
universal public rejoicing. It was planned now to do honor to
Tarrano--planned for this same evening. But he postponed it a night;
tonight was for Wolfgar.

We were still captives in Tarrano's hands, as we had been on Earth in
Venia. Yet here in the Great City of Venus a curious situation arose.
Tarrano himself explained it to us that afternoon. An embarrassing
situation for him, he termed it.

"Very embarrassing," he said, with eyes that smiled at us quizzically.
"Just for your ears alone, you understand, I am willing to admit that I
must handle these Great City people very carefully. You, Princess
Maida--you are greatly beloved of your people."

"Yes," she said.

He nodded. "For that reason they would not like to know you are
virtually a captive. And you, Georg Brende--really, they are beginning
to look on you as a savior--to save them from disease and death. It is
rather unflattering to me----"

He broke off, then with sudden decision added:

"Soon you two will realize that to join me will be your best course. And
best for all the worlds, for it will bring to them all peace and health
and happiness.... No, I ask no decision from you now. Nor from you, Lady
Elza." His gaze softened as he regarded her--softened almost to a
quantity of wistfulness. "_You_ know, Lady Elza, for what I am striving.
I may--indeed I shall--conquer the worlds. But you hold in the palm of
your lit