Avon Murder Mystery Monthly No. 41 — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

76 THE METAL MONSTER They can not help,” there was a shadow of apology in her tones. “They did not know. They thought it was the’—she hesitated as though at loss for words—“the—the Fire Play.” “The Fire Play?” I gasped. , | “Yes,” she nodded. “You shall see it. And now I will take him to my house, You are safe—now, nor'need you trouble. For he has given you to me.” : “Who has given us to you—-Norhala?” I asked, as calmly as I could. “Fe”—she nodded to the Disk, then spoke the phrase that was both ancient Assyria’s and ancient Persia’s title for their all-conquering rulers, and that meant—“the King of Kings. The Great King, Master of Life and Death.” She took Ruth from Drake’s arms, pointing to Ventnor. “Bear him,” she commanded, and led the way back through the walls of light. | / : As we lifted the body, I slipped my hand through the shirt, felt at _ the heart. Faint was the pulsation and slow, hut regular. ‘Close to the encircling vapors I cast one look behind me. The shapes stood immobile, flashing disks, gigantic radiant stars and the six great spheres beneath their geometric super-Euclidean god or shrine or .machine of interwoven threads of luminous force and metal—still mo- tionless, still watching. | | We emerged into the place of pillars. There stood the hooded pony and its patience, its uncomplaining acceptance of its place as servant to man brought a lump into my throat, salved, I suppose, my human vanity, abased as it had been by the colossal indifference of those things to which we were but playthings. : | Again Norhala sent forth her call. Out bf the maze glided her quin- tette of familiars; again the four clicked into one. Upon its top we lifted, Drake ascending first, the pony; then the body of Ventnor. I saw Norhala lead Ruth to the remaining cube; saw the girl break away from her, leap beside me, and kneeling at her brother’s head, cradle it against her soft breast. Then as I found in the medicine case the hypodermic needle and the strychnine for which I had been search- ing, I began my examination of Ventnor. | The cubes quivered—swept away through the forest of columns. We crouched, the three of us, blind to anything that lay about us, heedless of whatever road of wonders we were on, striving to strength- en in Ventnor the spark of life so near extinction. ECOMC OOO (GO)