The Coming of the Shining One
The Norseman toward us. There was now no in his eyes; only a great weariness. And there was peace on the once face.
"Helma," he whispered, "I go a little before! Soon you will come to me—to me and the Yndling who will you—Helma, liebe!"
Blood from his mouth; he swayed, fell. And thus died Olaf Huldricksson.
We looked upon him; did Lakla, Larry, I try to our tears. And as we the Akka to us that other fighter, Rador; but in him there was life, and we to him there as best we could.
Then Lakla spoke.
"We will him into the where we may give him care," she said. "For, lo! the of Yolara have been back; and on the comes Nak with tidings."
We looked over the parapet. It was as she had said. Neither on was there of men of Muria—only of that everywhere—and thick against the mouth still the of those the green had destroyed.
"Over!" Larry incredulously. "We live then—heart of mine!"
"The Silent Ones their veils," she said, pointing to the dome. Back through the opening the was streaming; from sea and island; over the with that same ordered, motion. Behind it the red light pressed, like on the of a army.
"And yet—" the as we passed into her chamber, and were the she upon the O'Keefe.
"I don't believe," he said, "there's a left in them—"
What was that into the faintly, so faintly? My gave a great and to stop for an eternity. What was it—coming nearer, nearer? Now Lakla and O'Keefe it, life from and cheeks.
Nearer, nearer—a music as of of bells, tinkling, tinkling—a of upon of glass! Nearer, nearer—not now, luring; no—raging, wrathful, words; on; nearer—
The Dweller! The Shining One!
We to the narrow window; out, aghast. The notes through and about us, a hurricane. The was once more a ferment. Back, were the Akka being swept, as though by brooms, on the of the ledge, into the waters. Swiftly they were finished; and where they had was an in or naked, swaying, drifting, arms tossing—like of Satan.
The dead-alive! The of the Dweller!
They and tossed, and then, like water through an opened dam, they upon the bridge-head. On and on they pushed, like the of a tide. The frog-men against them, clubbing, spearing, them. But those not to fall. On they pushed, forward, irresistible—a of and bone. They the of the Akka, pressing them to the of the and over. Through the open gates they them—for there was no room for the frog-men to against that tide.
Then those of the Akka who were left their and ran. We the of the of the portal, and none too soon to keep out the of the Dweller's hordes.
Now upon the and over the whole length of the there were none but the dead-alive, men and women, black-polled ladala, sloe-eyed Malays, slant-eyed Chinese, men of every that the seas—milling, turning, swaying, like in a current.
The notes sharper, more insistent. At the mouth a to grow—a from which the of diamond to try to flee. As the and the notes nearer, every of that stiffly, slowly toward the right, looking toward the end; their and glaring; every an of and of horror!
A movement them. Those in the centre to back, and faster, ranks on each side. Back they until from doors to mouth a wide stretched, on each by the dead-alive.
The brighter; it itself at the end of the lane; it was with and with of light. The was intolerable, the ears with lances; still the radiance.
From the the Shining One!
The Dweller paused, to the of the Silent Ones doubtfully; then slowly, stately, it out upon the bridge. Closer it drew; it Yolara at the of a company of her dwarfs, and at her was the of the Council was the withered, echo of her own.
Slower the Dweller's as it nearer. Did I in it a doubt, an uncertainty? The crystal-tongued, that it to the doubt; their notes were not sure, no longer insistent; was there in them an of hesitancy, of warning! Yet on came the Shining One until it plain us, with those that from and into unknown spheres, the gateway, the face, the castle's bulk—and more than any of these, the sat the Three.
Behind it each of the dead-alive toward it, and those it and with its luminescence.
Yolara close, just the of its spirals. She murmured—and the Dweller toward her, its seven in their mists, as though listening. It once more, its scrutiny. Yolara's darkened; she abruptly, spoke to a captain of her guards. A the of dead-alive.
Now the out, her voice like a clarion.
"Ye are done, ye Three! The Shining One at your door, entrance. Your are and your power is gone. Who are ye, says the Shining One, to it entrance to the place of its birth?"
"Ye do not answer," she again, "yet know we that ye hear! The Shining One offers these terms: Send your and that she stole; send them to us—and ye may live. But if ye send them not forth, then shall ye too die—and soon!"
We waited, silent, as did Yolara—and again there was no answer from the Three.
The laughed; the flashed.
"It is ended!" she cried. "If you will not open, needs must we open for you!"
Over the was a long file of the dwarfs. They a and tree-trunk was with a of metal. Past the priestess, past the Shining One, they it; fifty of them to each of the ram; and them stepped—Marakinoff!
Larry to life.
"Now, thank God," he rasped, "I can that devil, anyway!"
He his pistol, took aim. Even as he pressed the there through the a clanging. The was at the gates. O'Keefe's wild. The Russian must have the shot; the was closer than we knew. He a the guards; was to sight.
Once more the through the castle.
Lakla herself erect; upon her the aloofness. Gravely she her head.
"It is time, O love of mine." She to O'Keefe. "The Silent Ones say that the way of is closed, but the way of love is open. They call upon us to our promise!"
For a hundred heart-beats they to each other, to and lip to lip. Below, the was increasing, the great and upon the metal gates. Now Lakla the arms of the O'Keefe, and for another those two looked into each other's souls. The tremulously.
"I would it might have been otherwise, Larry darlin'," she whispered. "But at least—we pass together, of mine!"
She to the window.
"Yolara!" the voice out sweetly. The ceased. "Draw your men. We open the Portal and come to you and the Shining One—Larry and I."
The priestess's of out, cruel, mocking.
"Come, then, quickly," she jeered. "For surely the Shining One and I for you!" Her malice-laden high once more. "Keep us not long!" the mocked.
Larry a breath, hands out to me.
"It's good-by, I guess, Doc." His voice was strained. "Good-by and good luck, old boy. If you out, and you will, let the old Dolphin know I'm gone. And on, pal—and always the O'Keefe loved you like a brother."
I his hands desperately. Then out of my a was born.
"Maybe it's not good-by, Larry!" I cried. "The has not cried!"
A of passed over his face; the old forth.
"It's so!" he said. "By the Lord, it's so!"
Then Lakla toward me, and for the second time—kissed me.
"Come!" she said to Larry. Hand in hand they moved away, into the that to the door of which waited the Shining One and its priestess.
And by them, as they were their love and sacrifice, I behind. For I had that if enter the Dweller's they must, they should not go alone.
They paused the Golden Portals; the pressed its opening lever; the rolled back.
Heads high, proudly, serenely, they passed through and out upon the span. I followed.
On each of us the Dweller's slaves, toward their master. A hundred away the Shining One and in its of plumes.
Unhesitating, always with that same high serenity, Lakla and the O'Keefe, hands like little children, closer to that shape. I not see their faces, but I saw upon those of the dwarfs, and into the of Yolara a doubt. Closer they to the Dweller, and closer, I them step by step. The Shining One's lessened; its were faint, almost stilled. It to watch them apprehensively. A upon us all, a thick silence, brooding, ominous, palpable. Now the pair were to with the child of the Three—so near that with one of its it have them.
And the Shining One back!
Yes, back—and with it Yolara, the in her deepening. Onward the and the O'Keefe—and step by step, as they advanced, the Dweller withdrew; its notes out, puzzled questioning—half fearful!
And it drew, and until it had the very centre of that over the in the green of earth heart. And there Yolara herself; the that her out of her eyes, a cry, a of rage, from her lips.
As at a signal, the Shining One high; its and madly, the of it radiance. A score of upon the pair who intrepid, unresisting, its embrace. And upon me, them.
Through me a exaltation. It was the end then—and I was to meet it with them.
Something us back, with an swiftness, and yet as as a a of thistle-down! Drew us from those arms as they were a hair-breadth from us! I the Dweller's notes out ragingly! I Yolara scream.
What was that?
Between the three of us and them was a ring of moon flames, about the Shining One and its priestess, pressing in upon them, them!
And it I the of the Three—implacable, sorrowful, with a power!
Sparks and of white from the ring, the of the Dweller, through its nucleus, its seven orbs.
Now the Shining One's to dim, the seven to dull; the that ran from them into the Dweller's snapped, vanished! Through the Yolara's forth—horror-filled, distorted, inhuman!
The ranks of the dead-alive quivered, moved, writhed, as though each the of the Thing that had them. The that the Three more intense, thicker, to expand. Within it, suddenly, were of triangles—scores of like those of the Silent Ones!
And the Shining One's seven little of amber, of silver, of and and green, of rose and white, split, shattered, were gone! Abruptly the ceased.
Dulled, all its soul-shaking dead, and squalidly, its tarnished, its dancing from it, that which had been the Shining One itself about Yolara—wrapped and her into itself; writhed, swayed, and itself over the of the bridge—down, into the green of the abyss—with its still in its coils!
From the who had that terror came of panic fear. They and ran, over the toward the mouth.
The ranks of the dead-alive trembled, shook. Then from their the of and anguish. Peace, peace, in its wake.
And as of are and the wind, they fell. No longer dead-alive, now all of the dead, from their slavery!
Abruptly from the the cloud of was gone. Faintly in them were only the of the Silent Ones. And they us; were us! No now in their eyes—for the were in great tears, the marble white faces. They toward us, over us; their us. My darkened. I not see. I a hand upon my head—and panic and and that me fled.
Then they, too, were gone.
Upon Larry's the was sobbing—sobbing out her heart—but this time with the of one who is up from the very of into paradise.