dancing of the Shining One; they learned--not all; only a little part
but little enough--of their arts. And ever the Shining One danced more
gaily out there within the black amphitheatre; grew ever stronger--and
ever the hordes of its slaves behind the Veil increased.

"Nor did the _Taithu_ who clung to the old ways check this--they
could not. By the sinking of the land above, their own spaces were
imperilled. All of their strength and all of their wisdom it took to
keep this land from perishing; nor had they help from those others mad
for the poison of the Shining One; and they had no time to deal with
them nor the earth race with whom they had foregathered.

"At last came a slow, vast flood. It rolled even to the bases of the
walled islets of the city of the gods--and within these now were all
that were left of my people on earth face.

"I am of those people," she paused, looking at me proudly, "one of the
daughters of the sun king whose seed is still alive in the _ladala_!"

As Larry opened his mouth to speak she waved a silencing hand.

"This tide did not recede," she went on. "And after a time the
remnant, the moon king leading them, joined those who had already fled
below. The rocks became still, the quakings ceased, and now those
Ancient Ones who had been labouring could take breath. And anger grew
within them as they looked upon the work of their evil kin. Again they
sought the Three--and the Three now knew what they had done and their
pride was humbled. They would not slay the Shining One themselves, for
still they loved it; but they instructed these others how to undo
their work; how also they might destroy the evil _Taithu_ were it