imagine is the Flame itself. And unless I'm badly mistaken, that'sLiane waiting up there in the center!"
It was Liane. She was seated on a massive, simple throne of thegreenish-yellow metal, the column of fire rising directly behind herlike an impossible plume. In a semicircle at her feet, in massivechairs made of the odd metal, were perhaps twenty old men, their headscrowned with great, unkempt manes of white hair.
And standing beside Liane's throne, at her right hand,was--_Hendricks!_
* * * * *
His shoulders drooped, his chin rested upon his breast. He waswearing, not the blue-and-silver uniform of the Service, but a simpletunic of pale green, with buskins of dark green leather, laced withblack. He did not look up as we were ushered before this impressivegroup, but Liane watched us with smiling interest.
Liane, seated there upon her throne, was not the Liane of those daysin the _Ertak_. There, she had been scarcely more than a peculiarlyfascinating young woman with a regal bearing and commanding eyes.Here, she was a goddess, terrifyingly beautiful, smiling with herlips, yet holding the power of death in the white hands which hunggracefully from the massive arms of the throne.
She wore a simple garment of thin, shimmering stuff, diaphanous asfinest silk. It was black, caught at one shoulder with a flashinggreen stone. The other shoulder was bared, and the black garment was aperfect foil for the whiteness of her perfect skin, her amazing blueeyes, and the pale gold of her hair.
She lifted one hand in a slight gesture as our conductors pausedbefore the dais; they fell away and formed a close cordon behind us.
"We have awaited your coming," she said in her sibilant voice. "Andyou are here."
"We are here," I said sternly, "representing, through our Service, theSupreme Council of the universe. What word shall we take back to thosewho sent us?"
Liane smiled, a slow, cruel smile. The pink fingers of one hand tappedgently on the carven arm of her throne. The eyes of the semicircle ofold men watched us with unwavering hatred.
"The word you carry will be a good word," she said slowly. "Liane hasdecided to be gracious--and yet it is well that you have fullunderstanding of Liane's power. For while the word Liane shall giveyou to bear back is a good word, still, Liane is but a woman, andwomen have been known to change their minds. Is that not so, CommanderHanson?"
"That is so, Liane," I nodded. "And we are glad to hear that yourwisdom has led you to be gracious."
She leaned forward suddenly, her eyes flashing with anger.
"Mark you, it is not wisdom but a whim of mine which causes me to begraciously minded!" she cried. "Think you that Liane is afraid? Lookabout you!"
* * * * *
We turned slowly and cast our eyes about that great gathering. As faras the eye could reach, in every direction, was a sea of faces. And aswe looked, the door through which we had entered this great hall wasflung open, and a crowd of tiny specks came surging in.
"And still they come, at Liane's command," she laughed. "They arethose who played, to disarm your suspicions, at blocking your entry tothis place. They did but follow you, a safe distance behind."
"I thought so," murmured Correy. "Things were going too smoothly. Thatwas what we heard, sir."
I nodded, and looked up at Liane.
"You have many followers," I said. "Yet this is but a small world, andbehind the Council are all the worlds of the universe."
Liane threw back her head and laughed, a soft, tinkling sound thatrose clearly above the hollow roar of the mighty flame behind herthrone.
"You speak bravely," she said, "knowing that Liane holds the upperhand. Did your Council take armed action against us, we would blow upthese caverns which are the source of your precious temite, and buryit so deeply no force that could live here could extract it in thequantities in which the universe needs it.
"But enough of this exchange of sharp words. Liane has already saidthat she is disposed to be gracious. Does that not content you?"
"I will bear back to those who sent me whatever word you have tooffer; it is not for me to judge its graciousness," I said coolly.
"Then--but first, let me show you how well I rule here," she said. Shespoke to one of the old men seated at her feet; he arose anddisappeared in a passage leading from directly beneath the dais.
"You will see, presently, the punishment of Liane," she saidsmilingly. "Liane, Chief Priestess of the Flame, Mother of Life, Giverof Death, Most Worshiped of the Worshipers.
"Perhaps you wonder how it came that Liane sits here in judgment upona whole people? Let me tell you, while we await the execution ofLiane's judgment.
"The father of Liane, and his father before him, back unto thoseremote days of which we have no knowledge, were Chief Priests of theWorshipers of the Flame. But they were lacking in ambition, inknowledge, and in power. Their followers were but few, and their handswere held out in benediction and not in command.
"But the father of Liane had no son; instead he had a daughter, inwhom was all the wisdom of those who had been the Chief Priests. Shegathered about her a group of old men, shrewd and cunning, the lesserpriests and those who would know the feel of power, who were notpriests. You see them here at the feet of Liane.
"And under Liane's guidance, the ranks of the Worshipers grew, and asthis power grew, so grew the power of Liane, until the time came whenno man, no woman, on the face of Lakos, dared question the command ofthe Chief Priestess. And those who would have rebelled, were made tofeel the power of Liane--as these you see here now."
* * * * *
The old man had reappeared, and behind him were two miserablewretches, closely guarded by a dozen armed men. Liane spoke briefly tothe old man, and then turned to us.
"The first of these is one who has dared to disobey," she explained."He brought out more of the ore than Liane had ordered. Do you hearthe multitude? They know already what his fate will be."
A long, shuddering whisper had arisen from the thousands of beingscrouched there in the amphitheater, as the uncouth figure of theprisoner was led up a flight of steep, narrow steps to the very baseof the flame.
Hendricks, still hiding his face from us, bent over Liane andwhispered something in her ear; she caressed his arm softly, and shookher head. Hendricks leaned more heavily against the throne,shuddering.
Slowly, the flame was dying, until we could see that it was not asolid pillar of fire, but a hollow circle of flame, fed by innumerablejets set at the base of a circle of a trifle more than the length of aman across.
Into those deadly circles the condemned man was led. His legs werebound swiftly, so that he could not move, and the old man stepped backquickly.
As though his movement had been a signal, the flames shot up with aroar, until they lost themselves far over our heads. As one man, thethree of us started forward, but the guards hemmed us in instantly.
"Fools!" cried Liane. "Be still! The power of Liane is absolute here."
We stared, fascinated, at the terrible sight. The flame spouted,streaks of blue and yellow streaking up from its base. Mercifully, wecould not see within that encircling wall of fire.
* * * * *
Slowly, the flame died down again. A trap-door opened in the circle,and some formless thing dropped out of sight. Liane questioned theold man again, her eyes resting upon the other prisoner. The old mananswered briefly.
"This one spoke against the power of Liane," she explained smilingly."He said Liane was cruel; that she was selfish. He also must feel theembrace of the sacred Flame."
I heard, rather than saw, the ghastly drama repeated, for I had bentmy head, and would not look up. Liane was no woman; she was a fiend.And yet for her a trusted officer, a friend, had forsworn his serviceand his comrades. I wondered, as I stood there with bowed head, whatwere the thoughts which must have been passing through Hendricks'mind.
"You fear to look upon the punishment of Liane?" the voic
e of theunholy priestess broke in upon my shuddering reverie. "Then youunderstand why her power is absolute; why she is Mother of Life, andGiver of Death, throughout all Lakos. And now for the word I promisedyou, a gracious word from one who could be terrible and not gracious,were that her whim.
"It has been in the mind of Liane to extend her power, to make forherself a place in this Supreme Council of which you speak with somuch awe and reverence, Commander Hanson. But, by happenchance,another whim has seized her."
* * * * *
Liane looked up at Hendricks, smilingly, and took one of his hands inhers. It was wonderful how her face softened as he returned, fiercely,the pressure of her soft hands.
"I know it will sound strange to your ears," she said in a voicealmost tender, "but Liane is,