hn Hanson," he nodded gravely. "In
behalf----"

The hundreds of blue lights hung from the vaulted roof clacked suddenly
and went out. Almost instantly they flashed on again--and then clicked
out. A third time they left us momentarily in darkness, and, when they
came on again, a murmur that was like a vast moan rose from the sea of
humanity surrounding the dais. And the almost beautiful features of
Artur were drawn and ghastly with pain.

"They come!" he whispered. "At this hour, they come!"

"Who, Artur?" I asked quickly. "Is there some danger?"

"Yes. A very great one. I will tell you, but first--" He strode to the
edge of the dais and spoke crisply, his voice ringing out like the thin
cry of military brass. The thousands in the auditorium rose in unison,
and swept down the aisles toward the doors.

"Now," cried Artur, "I shall tell you the meaning of that signal. For
three or four generations, we have awaited it with dread. Since the
last anniversary of his coming, we have known the time was not far off.
And it had to come at this moment! But this tells you nothing.

* * * * *

"The signal warns us that the Neens have at last made good their threat
to come down upon us with their great hordes. The Neens were once men
like ourselves, who would have none of Him"--and Artur glanced toward
the gleaming ship upon the dais--"nor His teachings. They did not like
the new order, and they wandered off, to join those outcasts who had
broken His laws, and had been sent to the smaller land of this world,
where it is always warm, and where there are great trees thick with
moss, and the earth underfoot steams, and brings forth wriggling life.
Neen, we call that land, as this larger land is called Libar.

"These men of Neen became the enemies of Libar, and of us who call
ourselves Libars, and follow His ways. In that warm country they became
brown, and their hair darkened. They increased more rapidly than did
the Libars, and as they forgot their learning, their bodies developed
in strength.

"Yet they have always envied us; envied us the beauty of our women, and
of our cities. Envied us those things which He taught us to make, and
which their clumsy hands cannot fashion, and which their brutish brains
do not understand.

"And now they have the overwhelming strength that makes us powerless
against them." His voice broke, he turned his face away, that I might
not see the agony writte