Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 131: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE METAL MONSTER. 697 ‘The goddess has gone,” he replied sul- lenly. “‘ Gone?”’ I said suspiciously, for certain- ly Norhala had not passed us. ‘‘ Where?” “Who shall-question the goddess?” he whined. ‘She comes and she goes as she pleases.” I translated this for Drake. ‘‘ He’s got to show me,” he said. “ Don’t think I’m going to spill the beans, Good- win. But I want to talk to her. I think I’m right, honestly I do.” _ After all, I reflected, there was much in his determination to recommend it. It was the obvious thing to do—unless we admit- ted that Norbala was superhuman; and that I would not admit. In command of forces we did not yet know, en rapport with these People of Metal, sealed with that alien consciousness Ruth had de- scribed—all these, yes. But still 2 woman —of that I was certain. And surely Drake could be trusted not to repeat Ventnor’s error. . a “ Yuruk,” I said brutally, “we think you lie. We would speak to your mistress. Take us to her.” | “‘T have told you that the goddess is not here,” he said. ‘If you do not believe it is nothing to me. I cannot take you to her for I do not know where she is. Is it your wish that I take you through her house?” “It is,” I said. ‘The goddess .has commanded me to serve you in all things,” he bowed sardon- ically. ‘ Follow.” Our search was short. We stepped out into what for want of better words I can describe only as a tentral hall. It was cir- cular, and strewn with thick piled small rugs whose hues had been softened by the alchemy of time into exquisite, shadowy echoes of color, while the cuneiform shape . of their woven inscriptions confirmed their ancientness. . The walls of this hall were of the same moonstone substance that had enclosed the chamber upon whose inner threshold we were. They whirled straight up to the dome in a crystalline, cylindrical core. Four doorways like that in’ which we stood pierced them. Through.each of their cur- tainings in turn we peered, All were precisely similar in shape and proportions, radiating in a lunetted, curved base triangle from the middle chamber: the curvature of the enclosing globe form- ing back wall and roof; the translucent slicings the sides; the circle of floor of the inner hall the truncating lunette. The first of these chambers was utterly bare. The one opposite held a half-dozen suits of the lacquered armor, as many wicked looking, short and double-edged swords and long javelins. The third I judged to be the lair of Yuruk; within it was a copper brazier, a stand of spears and @ gigantic bow, a quiver full of arrows leaning beside it. The fourth room was lit- tered with coffers great and small, of wood and of bronze, and all tightly closed. The fifth room was beyond question Norhala’s bedchamber. Upon its floor the ancient rugs were thick. A low couch of carven ivory inset with gold rested a few feet from the doorway. A dozen or more of the chests were scattered about and flowing over with silken stuffs. | Upon the backs of four golden lions stood a high mirror of polished silver. And close to it, in curiously incongruous domes- tic array stood a stiffly marshaled row of sandals. Upon one. of the chests were heaped combs and fillets of shell and gold — and ivory studded with jewels blue and yellow and crimson. To all of these we gave but a passing glance. We sought for Norhala. And of her we found no shadow. She had gone even as the black eunuch had said; flitting unseen past Ruth, perhaps, absorbed in her watch over her brother; perhaps through some hidden opening in this room of hers. Summoned by that globe I had thought I had seen drop from the back of the Fly- ing Thing? It might be. CHAPTER XXIV. SOME CERTAINTIES. URUK let drop the curtains, sidled back to the first room, we after him. The two there had not moved. We drew the saddle-bags close, propped our- ‘selves against them. A (C(O) ANT OOO) S (C(O)