y.
And fear not--you two. For I, Norhala, will bring back my own.

"Woe, woe to you, Cherkis, and to all of yours! For I, Norhala, am
awake, and I, Norhala, remember. Woe to you, Cherkis, woe--for now all
ends for you!

"Not by the gods of my mother who turned their strength against her do
I promise this. I, Norhala, have no need for them--I, Norhala, who have
strength greater than they. And would I could crush those gods as I
shall crush you, Cherkis--and every living thing of yours! Yea--and
every UNLIVING thing as well!"

Not halting now was Norhala's speech; it poured from the ruthless
lips--flamingly.

"We go," she cried. "And something of vengeance I have saved for you--as
is your right."

She tossed her arms high; stamped upon the back of the Metal Thing that
held us.

It quivered and sped away. Swiftly dwindled the City's bulk; fast faded
its glimmering watchful face.

Not toward the veils of light but out over the plain we flew. Above us,
crouching against the blast of our going, streamed like a silken banner
Norhala's hair, gemmed with the witch lights.

We were far out now, the City far away. The cube slowed. Norhala threw
high her head. From the arched, exquisite throat pealed a trumpet
call--golden, summoning, imperious. Thrice it rang forth--and all the
surrounding valley seemed to halt and listen.

Followed upon its ending, a chanting as goldenly sonorous. Wild,
peremptory, triumphant. It was like a mustering shouting to adventurous
stars, buglings to buccaneering winds, cadenced beckonings to restless
ranks of viking waves, signaling to all the corsairs and picaroons of
the elemental.

A cosmic call to slay!

The gigantic block upon which we rode quivered; I myself felt a thousand
needle-pointed roving arrows prick me, urging me on to some jubilant,
reckless orgy of destruction.

Obeying that summoning there swirled to us cube and globe and pyramid
by the score--by the hundreds. They swept into our wake and
followed--lifting up behind us, an ever-rising sea.

Higher and higher arose the metal wave--mounting, ever mounting as other
score upon score leaped upon it, rushed up it and swelled its crest. And
soon so great it was that it shadowed us, hung over us.

The cubes we rode angled in their course; raced now with ever-increasing
speed toward the spangled curtains.

And still Norhala's golden chant lured; higher and even higher reached
the following wave. Now we were rising upon a st