rom one building came a low
musical chant.

"Honor to Wolfgar! The man who gave his life for our Princess. Honor to
Wolfgar!"

We came to the edge of the city. The lake here narrowed to a river--a
length of winding river opening to the pond which was the burial place
of Eternal Peace. On Tarrano's barge, with Elza and Georg, we led the
way. Maida was not with us. I asked Tarrano where she was, but solemnly
he denied me.

At the burial waters--on the sloping banks of which a silent throng had
gathered--we landed. And following us, the other vessels of the cortege
came along and stopped beside us. The pond was dotted with white markers
for the graves. The whole scene unlighted, save for the stars, and the
red and purple aural lights of the Venus heavens, which mounted the sky
at this midnight hour. A great, glowing arc--the reflected glow from a
myriad cluster of tiny moons and moon-dust, encircling Venus. The soft
light from it flooded the water and the tombs with a flush of red and
purple.

As we lay there against the bank, with that silent throng breathlessly
watching, from down the river came the last vessel of our cortege. It
made a scene I shall never forget. The bier. Draped in purple. A single,
half-naked _slaan_ propelling it with a sweep from its stern. The body
of Wolfgar lying on its raised prow--his dead, white face, with peace
upon it. Beside the body, the lone figure of Maida, kneeling at
Wolfgar's head, with her white, braided hair falling down over her
shoulders. Kneeling and staring, almost expressionless; but I knew that
with her whole heart she was speeding the soul of Wolfgar to its eternal
peace.

CHAPTER XX

_Unseen Menace_

That day following the burial of Wolfgar, there was nothing of
importance occurred. No news from the Earth could get in. I felt that
the Earth might be planning an attack. Probably was, since war had been
declared. Yet that of course was months away.

Tarrano apparently was engaged in the pleasurable triumph of the coming
Water Festival. All day he seemed engaged in planning it. But I knew
that he was engaged secretly with far sterner things concerning the Cold
Country, which lay a day's journey from us. But what they were, I did
not know.

The Water Festival was all we talked of. That afternoon, Tarrano
describing it, said smilingly:

"They say it is for me. But, Lady Elza--it is _I_ who plan it--for you.
You have not seen the Red Woman." A gleam of amuse