Avon Murder Mystery Monthly No. 41 — page 180: what you’re looking at

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

182 THE METAL MONSTER the third sphere—three weird shapes in silent consultation. On Vent- nor’s face I saw pity—and a vast relief. With shocked amaze J realized that Ruth’s agony—for in agony she-clearly was—was calling forth in him elation. He spoke—and I knew why. | “Norhala!” he whispered. “She is seeing with Norhala’s eyes—feeling what Norhala feels. It’s not going well with—That—out there. If we dared leave Ruth—could only see—” Ruth leaped to her feet; cried out—a golden bugling that might have been Norhala’s own wrathful trumpet notes. Instantly the two pyramids flamed open, became two gleaming stars that bathed her in violet radi- ance. Beneath their upper tips I saw the blasting ovals glitter—men- acingly. | oe The girl glared at us—more brilliant grew the glittering ovals as though their lightnings trembled on their lips. “Ruth!” called Ventnor softly. A shadow softened the intolerable, hard brilliancy of the brown eyes. In them something struggled to arise, fighting its way to the surface like some drowning human thing. It sank back—upon her face dropped a cloud of heartbreak, appalling woe; the despair of a soul that, having withdrawn all faith in its own kind to rest all faith, as it thought, on angels—sees that faith betrayed. asia stared upon us a stripped spirit, naked and hopeless and ter- rible. Despairing, raging, she screamed once more. The central globe swam to her; it raised her upon its back; glided to the doorway. Upon it she stood poised like some youthful, anguished Victory—a Victory who faced and knew she faced destroying defeat; poised upon that enig- matic orb on bare slender feet, one sweet breast bare, hands upraised, virginally archaic, nothing about her of the Ruth we knew. “Ruth!” cried Drake; despair as great as that upon her face was in his voice. He sprang before the globe that held her; barred its way. For an instant the Thing paused—and in that instant the human soul of the girl rushed back. | “No!” she cried. “No!” A weird call issued from the white lips—stumbling, uncertain, as though she who sent it forth herself wondered whence ‘it sprang. en i Pend angry stars closed, The three globes spun—doubting, p : Again sne called—now a tremulous, halting ¢adence. She was lifted; dropped gently to her feet. For an instant the globes and pyramids whirled: and danced before her—then sped away through the portal. way, fe dthevay pay ain as though drawn, she ran to the door- , ¢ sprang after her. Rods ahead her white GOGO .S (GO)