A shock of revulsion went through me. I shot a quick, half frightened
glance at Drake. He was crouching dangerously close to the lip of the
ledge, hands clasped and knuckles white with the intensity of his grip,
eyes rapt, staring--upon the verge of worship even as I had been.

"Drake!" I thrust my elbow into his side brutally. "None of that!
Remember you're human! Guard yourself, man--guard yourself!"

"What?" he muttered; then, abruptly: "How did you know?"

"I felt it myself," I answered: "For God's sake, Dick--hold fast to
yourself! Remember Ruth!"

He shook his head violently--as though to be rid of some clinging,
cloying thing.

"I'll not forget again," he said.

He huddled down once more close to the edge of the shelf; peering over.
No one of the Metal People had moved; the silence, the stillness, was
unbroken.

Now the flanking pyramids shot forth into twin stars, blazing with
violet luminescences. And one by one after them the ten lesser spheres
expanded into flaming orbs; beautiful they were, but far less glorious
than that Disk of whom they were the counselors?--ministers?--what?

Still there was no movement among all the arrased, girdered, pillared
hosts.

There came a little wailing; far away it was and far. Nearer it drew.
Was that a tremor that passed through the crowded crater? A quick pulse
of--eagerness?

"Hungry!" whispered Drake. "They're HUNGRY!"

Closer was the wailing; again that faint tremor quivered over the place.
And now I caught it--a quick and avid pulsing.

"Hungry," whispered Drake again. "Like a lot of lions with the keeper
coming along with meat."

The wailing was below us. I felt, not a quiver this time, but an
unmistakable shock pass through the Horde. It throbbed--and passed.

Into the field of our vision, up to the flaming Disk rushed an immense
cube.

Thrice the height of a tall man--as I think I have noted before--when it
unfolded its radiance was that shape of mingled beauty and power I call
the Metal Emperor.

Yet this Thing eclipsed it. Black, uncompromising, in some indefinable
way BRUTAL, its square bulk blotted out the Disk's effulgence; shrouded
it. And a shadow seemed to fall upon the crater. The violet fires of the
flanking stars pulsed out--watchfully, threateningly.

For only an instant the darkening block loomed against the Disk;
blackened it.

There came another meteor burst of light. Where the cube had been was
now a tremendous, fiery cross-