e. I screamed again, dodged away from him. He
pursued me. I threw myself backward, tripped, and fell. My head
crashed against the floor.
"The next thing I knew I was here, and you were twisted and jammed
there in front of me. At first I wanted to run, then I saw your robe.
I dragged you out. Then I spied that other pile of wreckage, and I
thought you too were dead...." She covered her face with her hands.
* * * * *
Allan turned his head, saw for the first time the crumpled debris of
the black ship, a hundred feet away, saw stark forms. "There's nothing
to be afraid of now," he said. "It's all over. We'll soon be with your
father's friend, with Anthony."
A little smile of reassurance trembled on the girls lips. "Oh, do you
think so?"
Allan nodded.
"Sure thing! Just trust to me, Miss ...?"
"Call me Naomi."
"I'm Allan." The pilot thrust out his big hand, full fleshed now, and
a little white one fluttered into it. An electric thrill rippled at
the contact, and the two hands clung. The girl gave a little gasp, and
pink flushed her cheeks.
Naomi shivered a little, and Allan realized that a chill breeze was
sweeping across the roof-tops and that daylight was almost gone. "Look
here, partner, we'd better get started, somewhere." He pulled himself
to his feet. Pain shot through him and his head still throbbed. "I'd
better take a look at that." He gestured to the wreck of the Eastern
ship. "You wait here."
When he returned his face was pallid, and there was a sick look in his
eyes. The girl asked sharply: "What is it? What's wrong? Tell me,
Allan!"
He looked at her grimly, started to say something, thought better of
it. Then: "It wasn't a pleasant sight." He shrugged. "Come on, let's
see what we can find. We'll have to spend the night here, and start
for Sugar Loaf Mountain in the morning."
Once more Allan descended a narrow, spiral staircase into darkness and
silence. But this time someone was at his side, and a warmness ran
through him at the thought.
* * * * *
The topmost floor of this building was a residential level. Like the
one where he had found Naomi, a green mold covered everything, and
pallid fungi, emitting a pale-green phosphorescence, clung to the
walls and ceiling of the long corridor. Apparently the dwellers here
had rushed out at the first alarm, had died elsewhere. "This is luck,"
Allan said. "We shall have a comforta
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