n't there. At least, we didn't see
her. It wasn't likely though that she would come. She probably remained
back in Vaaka-hausen."

McTavish frowned his disappointment. "Ah, weel," he shrugged, "ye canna'
have ever'thing."

"Don't worry, McTavish," Sarnak grinned, "we'll probably have her in a
few hours. A force of Savissans and Green Men have already left to clean
up Vaaka-hausen."

Gerry grinned. "Good. There's one thing I would like to suggest. I
loathed Lansing as much as any of you, but he is a white man, and I
dislike thinking that he may be hauled off and tossed into a common
grave with the rest of the Scaly Ones. Let's go to the garden, and see
that his body has at least a half-way decent interment."

The rest of the party agreed to this, and they made their way back to
the garden. They went down the steps leading to it, then all stopped in
surprise. The bodies of the slain Scaly Men and Lansa were gone!

McTavish rubbed his eyes unbelievingly. "What kind of devilment is
this?" he whispered. Sarnak shook his head slowly. "I don't understand.
Unless the retreating forces found them, and carried them along with
them. They were all dead, of that I'm sure."

"Lansing, too?" inquired McTavish suspiciously.

Gerry laughed. "Lansing never walked away from here, unless as a ghost.
I saw him go down. And men with an arrow transfixing their throats don't
do much walking."

But the big Scot didn't seem entirely convinced, and as they walked
away, he was still shaking his great, shaggy head in doubt.

With the strain of the siege over at last, many of the garrison had
simply dropped to the ground and gone to sleep where they fell. Gerry
was watching the flames sweep over the last of the city. For a long time
the Arrow Tower remained standing above the sea of fire, but then it
began to tip. Faster and faster it fell, till it came down in a shower
of sparks. Closana dropped her head in her hands, but old Rupin-Sang
touched his daughter on the shoulder.

"Save your grief girl," he said. "It is true that the Golden City of our
fathers no longer exists, but there was a second part to the prophesy.
That, after the great disaster, the people of Savissa would have a
re-birth. A message that just came through from those of our people who
are hidden in the hills tells me that--of ten children who have been
born since we sent all the non-combatants out of the city--seven have
been boys! The curse has been lifted from our ra