The Meeting of Titans
It is not my intention, is it possible no how to me, to set ad the of the next twelve hours. But a will not be recital.
O'Keefe cheerfulness.
"After all, Doc," he said to me, "it's a we're going to have. At the the is no more than the about. I would have told the Taitha De about the he promised me; but I was a taken off my at the time. The old girl an' all the clan'll be along, said the little green man, an' I the Three will be of it, take it from me."
Lakla, shining-eyed and too:
"I have other that I am will you little, Larry—darlin'. The Silent Ones say that you must not go into yourself. You must here with me, and with Goodwin—for if—if—the Shining One come, then must we be here to meet it. And you might not be, you know, Larry, if you fight," she said, looking up at him from under the long lashes.
The O'Keefe's dropped.
"That's about the yet," he answered slowly. "Still—I see their point; the for the has no right to out among the lions," he added grimly. "Don't worry, sweet," he told her. "As long as I've sat in the game I'll to the rules."
Olaf took in the fray. "The Norns close to the end of this web," he rumbled. "Ja! And the of Lugur and the Heks woman are their for the breaking! Thor will be with me, and I have me a in of Thor." In his hand was an of black metal, five long, with a head.
I pass to the twelve hours' closing.
At the end of the road where the met the of the cavern's floor, hundreds of the Akka were in ambush, with their with the death and their nail-studded, metal-headed clubs. These were to attack when the Murians from the corials. We had little of doing more here than some of Yolara's hosts, for at this place the captains of the Shining One the Keth and their other freely. We had learned, too, that every and had been put to work to make an Marakinoff had to the natural of the frog-people—and Larry and I had a in the Russian's ingenuity.
At any the numbers against us would be lessened.
Next, under the direction of the frog-king, by had of along the of the Murians through the cavern. These the Akka a protection which they their and spears—curiously they had the as a weapon.
At the opening of the a almost to the two ends of the strand; almost, I say, there had not been time to it across the mouth.
And from to of the bridge, from where it at the of the Crimson Sea to a hundred away from the door of the abode, after was piled.
Behind the the mouth of the cavern, waited other thousands of the Akka. At each end of the they were thickly, and at right and left of the where their began, more were assembled to make way up to the as opportunity offered.
Rank upon rank they the barriers; they over the and in the of the island's lip; the was a of them, if I may mix my metaphors—and the and gardens that the with them.
"Now," said the handmaiden, "there's nothing else we can do—save wait."
She us out through her and up the little path that ran to the embrasure.
Through the came a sound, a sighing, a half-mournful that about us and away.
"They come!" Lakla, the light of in her eyes. Larry her to him, her in his arms, her.
"A woman!" the O'Keefe. "A woman—and mine!"
With the of the Portal there was movement among the Akka, the of moving spears, of metal-tipped clubs, of spurs, of battle-cries.
And we waited—waited it interminably, upon the low across the mouth. Suddenly I the through which I had when the had upon us. Mentioning it to Lakla, she gave a little of vexation, a to her attendant; and not long that if lady had returned with a of the glasses. Raising mine, I saw the lines away into activity. Spurred after upon the and over it. Flashes of intense, green light, with like of moon rays, from the wall—sprang and and upon the of the batrachians.
"They come!" Lakla.
At the ends of the a had begun. Here it was plain the Akka were holding. Faintly, for the was great, I see fresh upon up and take the places of those who had fallen.
Over each of these ends, and along the whole line of the a of dancing, to rise; sparking, points of diamond that and danced.
What had once been Lakla's guardians—dancing now in the nothingness!
"God, but it's hard to here like this!" the O'Keefe; Olaf's teeth were bared, the in such a as his on their ships must have borne; Rador was with rage; the handmaiden's wide, all her in her eyes.
Suddenly, while we looked, the which the Akka had at the mouth—was not! It vanished, as though an unseen, hand had with the lightning's speed it away. And with it vanished, too, long lines of the great close it.
Then upon the ledge, into the Crimson Sea, sending up of spray, on the bridge, the frog-men, a of stone, with and still as they from above.
"That which makes upward," Olaf. "That which I saw in the garden of Lugur!"
The agency of which Marakinoff had to Larry; the that cut off and sent all its range into space!
And now over the upon the ledge, with long and daggers, here and there a captain the green ray, moving on in ordered squares, came the soldiers of the Shining One. Nearer and nearer the of the they pushed Nak's warriors. Leaping upon the dwarfs, them with and club, with teeth and spur, the Akka like devils. Quivering under the ray, they and and slew.
Now there was but one long line of the frog-men at the very of the cliff.
And the clouds of dancing, over them all!
That last thin line of the Akka was going; yet they to the last, and none over the lip without at least one of the Murians in his arms.
My to the of the cliffs. Stretched along their length was a wide of beauty—a of gleaming, pulsing, moons; glowing, brighter, more wondrous—the Medusae on and frog-man alike!
Across the waters, faintly, came a from Lugur's and Yolara's men!
Was the light of the place lessening, paler, to a rose? There was an from Larry; something like the of his face. He pointed to the sat the Three—and then I saw!
Out of it, through the long through which the Silent Ones their watch on cavern, bridge, and abyss, a of the light was pouring. It like a waterfall, and as it it spread out, in and eddies, clouds and of misty, coruscations. It like a over all the islands, everywhere, the light as though of substance—and still it not the upon our vision.
"Good God!" Larry. "Look!"
The was marching—marching—down the bridge. It moved swiftly, in some way intelligently. It the Akka, and closer, closer it toward the approach upon which Yolara's men had now foothold.
From their ranks came after of the green ray—aimed at the abode! But as the light and the it was out! The to enfold, to it.
Lakla a breath.
"The Silent Ones me for them," she whispered; and again on her as it did on Larry's.
The frog-men were gaining. Clothed in the of that mist, they pressed from the bridge-head the invaders. There was another movement at the ends of the crescent, and up, pressing against the dwarfs, came other of Nak's warriors. And re-enforcing those out on the arch, the frog-men in the gardens us to the and out through the open Portal.
"They're licked!" Larry. "They're—"
So I not the movement his to his hand—spoke, once and again and again. Rador to the of the little path, in hand; Olaf, and his mace, followed. I to my own gun quickly.
For up that path were of Lugur's men, while from Lugur's own voice roared.
"Quick! Slay not the or her lover! Carry them down. Quick! But the others!"
The toward Larry, stopped, shrilly—again and again. Larry's pistol was empty, but as the upon him I two of them with mine. It jammed—I not use it; I to his side. Rador was down, in a of Lugur's men. Olaf, a Viking of old, was his great hammer, and striking, through armour, flesh, and bone.
Larry was down, Lakla to him. But the Norseman, now blood from a dozen wounds, a of her coming, turned, out a hand, sent her back, and then with his the of those trying to the O'Keefe the path.
A from Lakla—the had her, had her despite her struggles, were her away. One I with the of my pistol, and then myself under the of another.
Through the I a of the Akka, closer, closer; then through it the of Lugur. I a effort, a hand up, and my in the of the soldier to kill me. Writhing over him, my touched a poniard; I it deep, to my feet.
The O'Keefe, Lakla, was with a long against a dozen of the soldiers. I started toward him, was struck, and under the impact to the ground. Dizzily I myself—and upon my elbow, and moved no more. For the dead, and Larry, Lakla tightly, was as I, and at the of the path were the Akka, in to the handmaiden's call I had heard.
And at what we all was Olaf, with his wounds, and Lugur, in blood-red armour, locked in each other's grip, struggling, smiting, tearing, kicking, and about the little space the embrasure. I over toward the O'Keefe. He his pistol, it.
"Can't him without Olaf," he whispered. Lakla the frog-men; they toward the two—but Olaf saw them, the red dwarf's hold, sent Lugur a dozen away.
"No!" the Norseman, the ice of his pale-blue like flames, blood his and from his hands. "No! Lugur is mine! None but me him! Ho, you Lugur—" and him and Yolara and the Dweller hideously—I cannot set those here.
They Lugur. Mad now as the Norseman, the red sprang. Olaf a that would have killed an ordinary man, but Lugur only grunted, in, and him about the waist; one arm to up toward Huldricksson's throat.
"'Ware, Olaf!" O'Keefe; but Olaf did not answer. He waited until the red dwarf's hand was close to his shoulder; and then, with an movement—once had I something like it in a match Papuans—he had Lugur around; him so that Olaf's right arm across the breast, the left the neck, and Olaf's left leg the Voice's against his right while over that the small of the red dwarf's back.
For a second or two the Norseman looked upon his enemy, in that grip. And then—slowly—he to him!
Lakla gave a little cry; a motion toward the two. But Larry her against his breast, her eyes; then his own upon the pair, white-faced, stern.
Slowly, so slowly, Olaf. Twice Lugur moaned. At the end he screamed—horribly. There was a sound, as of a snapped.
Huldricksson stooped, silently. He up the of the Voice, not yet dead, for the rolled, the to speak; it, walked to the parapet, it twice over his head, and it to the red waters!
