, in the clear, untroubled gaze. Of course she could not understand his words Lang — but it was not that which made my own sick apprehension grow.
It was that she did not understand what called them forth. Did not even understand Dame Moncler Suyen Norge Salg what reason lay behind Ruth’s sorrow, Ruth’s prayer.
And more and more wondering grew in her eyes as she looked from the threatening Drake to the supplicating Ruth, and from them to the still body of Ventnor.
“Tell her what I say, Goodwin. I mean it.”
I shook my head. That was not the way, I knew. I looked toward the Disk, still flanked with its sextette of spheres, still guarded by the flaming blue stars. They were motionless, calm, watching. I sensed no hostility, no anger; it was as though they were waiting for us to — to — waiting for us to do what?
It came to me — they were indifferent. That was it — as indifferent as we could be to the struggle of an ephemera; and as mildly curious.
“Norhala,” Moncler Hatt I turned to the woman, “she would not have him suffer; she would not have him die. She loves him.”
“Love?” she repeated, and all Canada Goose Tremblant Jackor of her wonderment seemed crystallized in the word. “Love?” she asked.
“She loves him,” I said; and then, why I did not know, but I added, pointing to Drake: “and he loves her.”
There was a tiny, astonished sob from Ruth. Again Norhala brooded over her. Then with a little despairing shake of her head, she paced over and faced the great Disk.
Tensely we waited. Communication there was between them, interchange of — thought; how carried out I would not hazard even to myself.
But of a surety these two — the goddess woman, the wholly unhuman shape of CG Menn Manitoba Jakke Norge Salg metal, of jeweled fires and conscious force — understood each other.
For she turned, stood aside — and the body of Ventnor quivered, arose from the floor, stood upright and with closed eyes, head dropping upon one shoulder, glided toward the Disk like a dead man carried by those messengers never seen by man who, the Arabs believe, bear the death drugged souls before Allah for their awakening.
Ruth moaned and hid her eyes; Drake reached down, Dame Moncler Hermine gathered her up in his arms, held her close.
Ventnor’s body stood before the Disk, then swam up along its face. The tendrils waved out, felt of it, thrust themselves down through the wide collar of the shirt. The floating form passed higher, over the edge of the Disk; lay high beside the right star point of the rayed shape to which Ruth had been passing when Ventnor’s shot brought the tragedy upon us. I saw other tentacles whip forth, examine, caress.
Then down the body swung, was borne through air, laid gently at our feet.
“He is not — dead,” it was Norhala beside me; she lifted Ruth’s face from Drake’s breast. “He will not die. It may be he will walk again. They can not help,” there was a shadow of apology in her tones. “They did not know. They thought it was the”— she hesitated as though at loss for words —“the — the Menn Moncler Himalaya Fire Play.”
“The Fire Play?” I gasped. |
