Transcriber's Note:

 This etext was produced from Astounding Stories June 1932. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U. S. Copyright on this publication was renewed. 

[Illustration: "_Be still! The power of Liane is absolute here!_"]

 Priestess of the Flame

 By Sewell Peaslee Wright

 * * * * *

[Sidenote: Commander John Hanson recounts the extraordinary story ofLiane, Priestess of the Flame. ]

I have been rather amused by the protests which have come to meregarding the "disparaging" comments I have made, in previous tales ofthe Special Patrol Service, regarding women. The rather surprisingthing about it is that the larger proportion of these have come frommen. Young men, of course. 

Now, as a matter of fact, a careful search has failed to reveal to meany very uncomplimentary remarks. I have suggested, I believe, thatwomen have, in my experience, shown a sad lack of ability tounderstand mechanical contrivances. Perhaps I have pictured some fewof them as frivolous and shallow. If I have been unfair, I wish now tomake humble apology. 

I am not, as some of my correspondents have indicated, a bitter oldman, who cannot remember his youth. I remember it very well indeed, else these tales would not be forthcoming. And women have their greatand proper place, even in a man's universe. 

Some day, perhaps, the mood will seize me to write of my own loveaffair. That surprises you? You smile to think that old John Hanson, lately a commander of the Special Patrol Service, now retired, shouldhave had a love affair? Well, 'twas many years ago, before these eyeslost their fire, and before these brown, skinny hands wearied asquickly as they weary now.... 

But I have known many women--good women and bad; great women and womenof small souls; kindly women, and women fierce as wild bears arefierce. Divinity has dealt lavishly with women; has given them anemotional range far greater than man's. They can sink to depthsunknown to masculinity; they can rise to heights of love and sacrificebefore which man can only stand with reverently bowed head and marvel. 

This is a story of a woman--one of those no man could know and notremember. I make no apologies for her; I pay her no homage. I recordonly a not inaccurate account of an adventure of my youth, in whichshe played a part; I leave to you the task of judging her. 

 * * * * *

We were some three days out from Base, as I recall it, on a missionwhich promised a welcome interlude in a monotonous sequence of routinepatrols. I was commander then of the _Ertak_, one of the crack shipsof the Service, and assisted by the finest group of officers, Ibelieve, that any man ever had under him. 

I was standing a watch in the navigating room with Hendricks, myjunior officer, when Correy brought us the amazing news. 

Correy was my first officer, a square-jawed fighting man if one everbreathed, a man of action, such as these effete times do not produce. His eyes were fairly blazing as he came into the room, and hisgenerous mouth was narrowed into a grim line. 

"What's up, Mr. Correy?" I asked apprehensively. "Trouble aboard?"

"Plenty of it, sir!" he snapped. "A stowaway!"

"A stowaway?" I repeated wonderingly. A new experience, but hardlycause for Correy's obvious anger. "Well, send him below, and tell Miroto put him to work--the hardest work he can find. We'll make him--"

"_Him?_" blurted Correy. "If it were a him it wouldn't be so bad, sir. But it's a _she_!"

 * * * * *

To understand the full effect of the statement, you'd have to besteeped in the traditions of the Service. Women are seldom permittedon board a ship of the Service; despite their many admirablequalities, women play the very devil with discipline. And here werewe, three days out from Base on a tour of duty which promised morethan a little excitement, with a female stowaway on board!

I felt my own mouth set grimly. 

"Where is she, Mr. Correy?" I asked quietly. 

"In my quarters, under guard. It was my watch below, as you know, sir. I entered my stateroom, figuring on catching forty winks, and thereshe was, seated in my big chair, smiling at me. 

"Well, for a second I couldn't speak. I just stared at her, and shekept smiling back at me. 'What are you doing here?' I managed to askher, at last. 'Do you know where you are?'

"'I'll talk to your commanding officer, ' she told me, cool as youplease. 'Will you bring him, please?'

"'You'll see him plenty soon enough, ' I snapped at her, getting overmy surprise somewhat by that time. I called in a couple of men to keepher from getting into mischief, and reported to you. What are yourorders, sir?"

I hesitated a second, wondering. From Correy's account, she must be arather remarkable person. 

"Bring her up here, if you will, Mr. Correy. I'd like to see herbefore we put her in the brig. " The brig, I might explain, was a smallroom well forward, where members of the crew were confined fordiscipline. 

"Right, sir!" It seemed to me that there was a peculiar twinkle inCorrey's eyes as he went out, and I wondered about it while we waitedfor him to return with the prisoner. 

"What an infernal nuisance, sir!" complained Hendricks, looking upfrom his glowing charts. "We'll be the laughing-stock of the Serviceif this leaks out!"

"_When_ it leaks out, " I corrected him glumly. I'd already thought ofthe unpleasant outcome he mentioned. "I'll have to report it, ofcourse, and the whole Service will know about it. We'll just have togrin and make the most of it, I guess. " There was still anotherpossibility which I didn't mention: the silver-sleeves at Base wouldvery likely call me on the carpet for permitting such a thing tohappen. A commander was supposed to be responsible for everything thathappened; no excuses available in the Service as it was in those days. 

 * * * * *

I scowled forbiddingly as I heard Correy open the door; at least Icould make her very sorry she had selected the _Ertak_ for heradventure. I am afraid, however, that it was a startled, rather than ascowling face to which she lifted her eyes. 

"This is the stowaway, sir, " said Correy briskly, closing the door. Hewas watching my face, and I saw, now, the reason for the twinkle inhis eye when I mentioned placing the stowaway in the brig. 

The woman was startlingly beautiful; one of the most beautiful women Ihave ever seen, and I have roamed the outer limits of space, and seenthe women of many worlds. Hendricks, standing behind me, gaspedaudibly as his eyes fell upon her. 

The stowaway was regally tall and exquisitely modeled. Her hair wasthe color of pale morning sunlight on Earth; her eyes an amazing blue, the equal of which I have never seen. 

She was beautiful, but not coldly so. Despite her imperious bearing, there was something seductive about the soft curves of her beautifulbody; something to rouse the pulses of a man in the langour of herintensely blue eyes, and the full, sensuous lips, scarlet as a smearof fresh blood. 

"So this is the stowaway, " I said, trying to keep my voice coollyindifferent. "What is your name?"

"I should prefer, " she replied, speaking the universal language with asibilant accent that was very fascinating, "to speak with youprivately. "

"You will speak with me, " I informed her crisply, "in the presence ofthese officers. I repeat: what is your name?"

She smiled faintly, her eyes compelling mine. 

"I am called Liane, " she said. "Chief Priestess of the Flame. Motherof Life. Giver of Death. I believe my name and position are notunknown to you, Commander Hanson?"

 * * * * *

Known to me? If Base was not in error--and for all their faults, thesilver-sleeves are seldom wrong in matters of this sort--this womanwas the reason for our present mission. 

"They are known to me, " I admitted. "They do not explain, however, your presence here. "

"And yet they should, " protested Liane gently. "I was taken from myown people by those who had no right to command me. I was subjected tothe indignity of questioning by many men. I have merely taken thesimplest and quickest way of returning to my own people. "

"You know, then, our destination?"

"I was informed of that by those who questioned me, " nodded Liane. "Then, since I had been assured I was an honored guest, and noprisoner, I secreted myself aboard the ship, hiding in a small roomnearly filled with what I took to be spare parts. I had provisions, and a few personal belongings. When I felt sufficient time had elapsedto make a return improbable, I donned attire more fitting than themasculine workman's guise in which I had secreted myself, and--Ibelieve you are acquainted with the remaining facts. "

"I am. I will consider your case and advise you later. Mr. Correy, will you conduct the stowaway to my quarters and place her underguard? Return when you have attended to this matter, and ask Mr. Kincaide to do likewise. "

"To your quarters, you said, sir?" asked Correy, his eyes veryserious, but not sufficiently so to entirely disguise the twinkle intheir depths. "Not to the brig?"

I could cheerfully have kicked him. 

"To my quarters, " I repeated severely, "and under guard. "

"Right, sir, " said Correy. 

 * * * * *

While we were awaiting Correy and Kincaide, I briefly considered therather remarkable story which had been told me at Base. 

"Commander Hanson, " the Chief of Command had said, "we're turning overto you a very delicate mission. You've proved yourself adept athandling matters of this kind, and we have every confidence you'llbring this one to a highly successful conclusion. "

"Thank you, sir; we'll do our best, " I had told him. 

"I know that; the assurance isn't necessary, although I appreciate it. Briefly, here's what we're confronted with:

"Lakos, as you know, is the principal source of temite for theuniverse. And without temite, modern space travel would be impossible;we would have to resort to earlier and infinitely more crude devices. You realize that, of course. 

"Now, for some time, those in charge of operations on Lakos havecomplained of a growing unrest, increasing insubordination on the partof the Lakonians, and an alarming decrease in production. 

"It has been extremely difficult--indeed, impossible--to determine thereasons for this, for, as you are perhaps aware, the atmosphere ofLakos is permeated with certain mineral fumes which, while notdirectly harmful to those of other worlds, do serve to effectivelyblock the passage of those rays of the sun which are essential to thehealth of beings like ourselves. Those in charge of operations thereare supplied artificially with these rays, as you are in your ship, bymeans of emanations from ethon tubes, but they have to be transferredat frequent periods to other fields of activity. The constant shiftingabout produces a state of disorder which makes the necessaryinvestigation impossible. Too, operations are carried on with aninsufficient personnel, because it is extremely difficult to inducedesirable types of volunteer for such disagreeable service. 

"We have, however, determined a few very important facts. This unresthas been caused by the activities of a secret organization or orderknown as the Worshipers of the Flame. That's as close a translation asI can give you. It sounds harmless enough, but from what we gather, it is a sinister and rather terrible organization, with a fanaticalbelief amounting, at times, to a veritable frenzy. These Lakonians area physically powerful but mentally inadequate people, as perhaps youare aware. 

"The leader of this order or cult call it what you will--seems to be awoman: a very fascinating creature, infinitely superior to her peopleas a whole; what biologists call a 'sport, ' I believe--a radicaldeparture from the general racial trend. 

"This leader calls herself Liane, Chief Priestess of the Flame, Motherof Life, Giver of Death, and a few other high-sounding things. We havecalled her here to Base for questioning, and while she has been heresome time, we have so far learned next to nothing from her. She isvery intelligent, very alluring, very feminine--but reveals nothingshe does not wish to reveal. 

"Our purpose in having her brought here was two-fold: first, to gainwhat information we could from her, and if possible, prevail upon herto cease her activities; second, to deprive her cult of her leadershipwhile you conducted your investigation. 

"Your orders, then, are simple: you will proceed at once to Lakos, andinquire into the activities of this order. Somehow, it must becrushed; the means I shall leave to you. You will have completecoöperation of those in charge of operations on Lakos; they areZenians and natives of Earth, and you may depend upon them implicitly. Do not, however, place any faith in any Lakonians; the entire nativepopulace may well be suspected of participation in the rites of thiscult, and they are a treacherous and ruthless people at best. Have youany questions, Commander?"

"None, " I had told him. "I have full authority to take any action Isee fit?"

"Yes, at your discretion. Of course, " he had added rather hastily, "you appreciate the importance of our supply of temite. Only Lakonianscan gather it in commercial quantities, under the existing conditionson Lakos, and our reserve supply is not large. We naturally wish toincrease production there, rather than endanger it. It's a delicatemission, but I'm trusting you and your men to handle it for us. I knowyou will. "

He had arisen then, smilingly, and offered his hand to me in thatgesture which marks a son of Earth throughout the universe, thusbringing the interview to a close. 

 * * * * *

IN talking the things over with my officers, we had decided themission promised to be an interesting one, but full of difficulties. The _Ertak_ had set down on Lakos more than once, and we all hadunpleasant memories of the place. 

The sunlight on Lakos, such as it was, was pale green and thin, lacking in warmth and vitality. The vegetation was flaccid and nearlycolorless, more like a mushroom growth than anything else; and theinhabitants were suspicious and unfriendly. 

Remembering the typical Lakonians, it was all the more surprising thata gracious creature like Liane could have sprung from their midst. They were a beetle-browed, dark race, with gnarled muscles and huge, knotted joints, speaking a guttural language all their own. Few spokethe universal language. 

But Liane, Chief Priestess of the Flame! The image of her keptdrifting back to my mind. There was a woman to turn any man's head!And such a turning would be dangerous, for Liane had no soft woman'ssoul, if I had read her brilliant blue eyes aright. 

"Rather a beauty, isn't she, sir?" commented Hendricks as I paused inmy restless pacing, and glanced at the two-dimensional charts. 

"The stowaway? Rather, " I agreed shortly. "And chief instigator of thetrouble we've been sent to eliminate. "

"That seems almost--almost unbelievable, doesn't it?"

"Why, Mr. Hendricks?"

Correy and Kincaide entered before my junior officer could reply. Ithink he was rather glad of the excuse for not presenting his reasons. 

"Well, sir, she's under guard, " reported Correy. "And now what's to bedone about her?"

"That, " I admitted, "is a question. After all, she's an importantpersonage at home. She was brought to Base as a guest, probablysomething of a guest of honor, of the Council, I gather. And, considering the work that's cut out for us, it would seem like a poormove to antagonize her unduly. What do you gentlemen think?"

"I think you're right, sir, " said Hendricks quickly. "I believe sheshould be given every consideration. "

 * * * * *

Kincaide, my level-headed second officer, glanced curiously atHendricks. "I see she's made one friend, anyway, " he said. "Don't letyourself slip, my boy; I've run across her kind before. They'redangerous. "

"Thanks, but the warning's not necessary, Mr. Kincaide, " repliedHendricks stiffly, an angry flush mounting to his checks. "I merelyexpressed a requested opinion. "

"We'll let that phase of it drop, gentlemen, " I cut in sharply, as Isaw Kincaide's eyes flash. Trust a woman to stir up strife andill-feeling! "What shall we do with her?"

"I believe, sir, " said Correy, "that we'd be nice to her. Treat her asan honored guest; make the best of a bad situation. If she's what theChief thought she is, the boss of this outfit we've got to lick, thenthere's no need of stroking her the wrong way, as I see it. "

"And you, Mr. Kincaid?"

"I see no other way out of it. Under the circumstances, we can't treather like a common culprit; both her position and her sex wouldprevent. "

"Very well, then; we seem to be agreed. We'll find suitable quartersfor her--"

"I'll give her mine, " put in Hendricks. "Correy will let me double upwith him, I imagine. "

"Sure, " nodded Correy. 

Kincaide glanced sharply at Hendricks, but said nothing. I knew, however, that he was thinking just what I was: that my young thirdofficer was in for a bad, bad time of it. 

Just how bad, I think neither of us guessed. 

 * * * * *

Liane became a member of the officers' mess on the _Ertak_. Sheoccupied Hendricks' stateroom, and, I must confess, with uncommon goodjudgment for a woman, remained there most of the time. 

She knew the reason for our mission, but this was one subject we neverdiscussed. Nor did we mention the sect of which, according to theChief of Command, she was the head. We did talk freely, when broughttogether at the table, on every other general topic. 

Liane was an exceedingly intelligent conversationalist. Her voice wasfascinating, and her remarks were always to the point. And she was avery good listener; she paid flattering attention to the most casualremark. 

It seemed to me she was particularly gracious to Hendricks. Herstrangely arresting blue eyes seldom left his face when he wasspeaking, and the greater portion of her remarks seemed addressed tohim. Naturally, Hendricks responded as a flower responds to thewarming rays of the sun. 

"We'll do well, sir, to keep a weather eye on the youngster, " opinedCorrey one morning. (I think I have previously explained that even inthe unchanging darkness of space, we divided time arbitrarily intodays and nights). "Unless I'm badly mistaken, Hendricks is fallingvictim to a pair of blue eyes. "

"He's young, " I shrugged. "We'll be there in two more days, and thenwe'll be rid of her. "

"Yes, " nodded Correy, "we'll be there in a couple of days. And we'llbe rid of her, I hope. But--suppose it should be serious, sir?"

"What do you mean?" I asked sharply. I had been thinking, rathervaguely, along much the same lines, but to hear it put into words cameas rather a shock. 

"I hope I'm wrong, " said Correy very gravely. "But this Liane is anunusual woman. When I was his age, I could have slipped rather badlymyself. Her eyes--that slow smile--they do things to a man. 

"At the same time, Liane is supposed to be the head of the thing we'reto stamp out; you might say the enemy's leader. And it wouldn't be agood thing, sir, to have a--a friend of the enemy on board the_Ertak_, would it?"

A rebuke rose to my lips, but I checked it. After all, Correy had nomore than put into words some fears which had been harassing me. 

 * * * * *

A traitor--in the Service? Perhaps you won't be able to understandjust what that thought meant to those of us who wore the Blue andSilver in those days. But a traitor was something we had never had. Itwas almost unbelievable that such a thing would ever happen; that itcould ever happen. And yet older men than Hendricks had thrown honoraside at the insistence of women less fascinating than Liane. 

I had felt the lure of her personality; there was not one of us onboard the _Ertak_ who had not. And she had not exercised her wiles onany of us save Hendricks; with the shrewdness which had made her theleader she was, she had elected to fascinate the youngest, theweakest, the most impressionable. 

"I'll have a talk with him, Mr. Correy, " I said quietly. "Probably itisn't necessary; I trust him implicitly, as I am sure you do, and therest of us. "

"Certainly, sir, " Correy replied hastily, evidently relieved by themanner in which I had taken his remarks. "Only, he's very young, sir, and Liane is a very fascinating creature. "

I kept my promise to Correy the next time Hendricks was on watch. 

"We'll be setting down in a couple of days, " I commented casually. "It'll be good to stretch our legs again, won't it?"

"It certainly will, sir. "

"And I imagine that's the last we'll see of our fair stowaway, " Isaid, watching him closely. 

Hendricks' face flushed and then drained white. With the tip of hisforefinger he traced meaningless geometrical patterns on the surfaceof the instrument table. 

"I imagine so, sir, " he replied in a choked voice. And then, suddenly, in a voice which shook with released emotion. "Oh, I know what you'rethinking!" he added. "What you've all been thinking; you, sir, andCorrey and Kincaide. Probably the men, too, for that matter. 

"But it's not so! I want you to believe that, sir. I may beimpressionable, and certainly she is beautiful and--and terriblyfascinating; but I'm not quite a fool. I realize she's on the otherside; that I can't, that I must not, permit myself to care. You--youdo believe that, sir?"

"Of course, lad!" I put my hand reassuringly on his shoulder; hiswhole body was shaking. "Forget it; forget her as soon as you can. None of us have doubted you for an instant; we just--wondered. "

"I could see that; I could feel it. And it hurt, " said my juniorofficer with shame-faced hesitancy. "But I'll forget her--after she'sgone. "

I let it go at that. After all, it was a rather painful subject for usboth. The next day it did seem that he treated her with lessattention; and she noticed it, for I saw the faint shadow of a frownform between her perfect brows, and her glance traveled meditativelyfrom Hendricks' flushed face to my own. 

 * * * * *

The next morning, after the first meal of the day, she walked down thepassage with me, one slim white hand placed gently within the curve ofmy arm. 

"Mr. Hendricks, " she commented softly, "seems rather distraught thelast day or so. "

"Yes?" I said, smiling to myself, and wondering what was coming next. 

"Yes, Commander Hanson. " There was just the faintest suggestion ofsteeliness in her voice now. "I fancy you've been giving him goodadvice, and painting me in lurid colors. Do you really think so badlyof me?" Her hand pressed my arm with warm friendliness; her great blueeyes were watching me with beseeching interest. 

"I think, Liane, " I replied, "that Mr. Hendricks is a very young man. "

"And that I am a dangerous woman?" She laughed softly. 

"That, at least, " I told her, "your interests and ours are notidentical. "

"True, " she said coolly, pausing before the door of her stateroom. Herhand dropped from my arm, and she drew herself up regally. In thebright flow of the ethon tubes overhead she was almost irresistiblybeautiful. "Our interests are not identical, Commander Hanson. Theyare widely divergent, directly opposed to each other, as a matter offact. And--may I be so bold as to offer you a bit of advice?"

I bowed, saying nothing. 

"Then, don't attempt to meddle with things which are more powerful, than you and the forces you control. And--don't waste breath on Mr. Hendricks. Fair warning!"

Before I could ask for more complete explanation, she had slippedinside her stateroom and firmly closed the door. 

 * * * * *

We set down on Lakos late that afternoon, close to the city--town, rather--of Gio, where those in charge of operations made theirheadquarters. With Liane and Correy, leaving the ship in charge ofKincaide, I made my way quickly toward the headquarters building. 

We had gone but a few steps when Liane was surrounded by a shoutingthrong of her fellow Lakonians, and with a little mocking wave of awhite hand, she stepped into a sort of litter which had been rushed tothe scene, and was carried away. 

"For one, " commented Correy with a sigh of relief, "I'm glad she's outof sight. If I never see her again, it'll be too soon. When do westart something?"

"Not until we've talked with Fetter, who's in command here. I have aletter for him from the Chief. We'll see what he has to say. "

One thing was certain; we could look for no assistance of any kindfrom the natives. They regarded us with bleak scowls, from beneathshaggy, lowering brows, our uniforms of blue, with the silverornaments of our service and rank, identifying us clearly. 

In the greenish Lakonian twilight, they were sinister figures indeed, clothed all alike in short, sleeveless tunics, belted loosely at thewaist, feet and legs encased in leather buskins reaching nearly to theknees, their brown, gnarled limbs and stoop-shouldered postures givingthem a half-bestial resemblance which was disturbing. Their walk was asort of slow shuffle, which made their long arms dangle, swingingdisjointedly. 

We entered the administration building of gray, dull stone, and wereushered immediately into the office of the head of operations. 

"Hanson?" he greeted me. "Mighty glad to see you. You too, Correy. Terrible hole, this; hope you're not here for long. Sorry I couldn'tmeet you at the ship; got your radio, but couldn't make it. Everything's in a jam. Getting worse all the time. And we'reshorthanded; not half enough men here. Sit down, sit down. Seem goodto feel firm ground under your feet?"

"Not particularly; your air here isn't as good as the _Ertak's_. "Correy and I seated ourselves across the desk from the garrulousFetter. "I've a letter here from the Chief; I believe it explains whywe're here. "

"I can guess, I can guess. And none too soon. Things are in terribleshape. Terrible. " Fetter ripped open the letter and glanced through itwith harried eyes. 

"Right, " he nodded. "I'm to help you all I can. Place myself at yourdisposal. What can I do?"

"Tell us what's up, " I suggested. 

"That would be a long story. I suppose you know something about thesituation already. Several reports have gone in to Base. What did theChief tell you, Hanson?"

 * * * * *

Briefly, I sketched the Chief's report, Fetter nodding every fewwords. When I had finished, he rubbed his long, thin fingers togethernervously, and stared down, frowning at the littered top of his desk. 

"Right as far as he went, " he said. "But he didn't go far enough. Wanted you to find out for yourself, I suppose. 

"Well, there _is_ a secret society working against us here. Sect, I'dcall it. Undermined the whole inhabited portion of Lakos--which isn'ta great area, as you know. "

"The Chief Priestess is Liane. I believe you said she stowed away onthe _Ertak_ with you?"

I nodded. 

"You're keeping her under guard?" asked Fetter. 

"No; under the circumstances, we couldn't. We had no authority, yousee. A crowd of natives bore her away in triumph. "

"Then your work's cut out for you, " groaned Fetter. "She's a devilincarnate. Beautiful, irresistible, and evil as corruption itself. Ifshe's back, I'm afraid there's nothing to be done. We've been sittingon a volcano ever since she left. Pressure growing greater everyinstant, it seemed. She's just what's needed to set it off. "

"We'll have to take our chances, " I commented. "And now; just what isthe set-up?"

"The Worshipers of the Flame, they call themselves. The membershiptakes in about every male being on Lakos. They meet in the greatcaverns which honeycomb the continent. Ghastly places; I've seen someof the smaller ones. Continent was thrust up from the sea in a moltenstate, some scientific chap told me once; these caverns were made bygreat belches of escaping steam or gas. You'll see them. 

"She--Liane--and her priests rule solely by terror. The Lakonians arenaturally just horses" (a draft animal of ancient Earth, now extinct), "content to work without thinking. Liane and her crew have made themthink--just enough to be dangerous. Just what she tells them to think, and no more. Disobedient ones are punished by death. Rather a terribledeath, I gather. 

"Well, her chief aim is to stop the production of temite. She wishesto bargain with the Council--at her own terms. "

"What's her price?" I asked. "What does she want, wealth?"

"No. _Power!_" Fetter leaned forward across the desk, hammering itwith both fists to emphasize the word, his eyes gleaming from theirdeep sockets. "Power, Hanson, that's what she craves. She's insane onthe subject. Utterly mad. She lusts after it. You asked her price;it's this: a seat in the Council!"

 * * * * *

I gasped audibly. A seat in the Council! The Council, composed of thewisest heads of the universe, and ruling the universe with absoluteauthority!

"She _is_ mad, " I said. 

"Crazy, " grunted Correy. "Plain crazy. A woman--in the Council!"

Fetter nodded solemnly. 

"Mad--crazy--use your own terms, " he said. "But that's her price. TheChief didn't tell you that, did he? Well, perhaps he didn't know. Ilearned it in a very roundabout way. She'll make the formal demandwhen the time is ripe, never fear. And what's more, unless theseWorshipers of the Flame are stamped out--_she'll get what shedemands!_"

"Impossible!"

"Not at all. You know what this place is. Only a Lakonian can standthis atmosphere long. No vitality to the light that does come throughthis damned green stuff they breathe for air; and after a few days, the acid, metallic tang of it drives you frantic. Never can get usedto it. 

"So the Lakonians have to mine the temite. And the universe must havetemite, in quantities that can't be supplied from any other source. Ifthe Lakonians won't mine it--and they won't, when Liane tells them toquit--what will the Council and your Service do about it?"

"Plenty, " growled Correy. 

"Nothing, " contradicted Fetter. "You can kill a man, disintegrate him, imprison him, punish him, as you will, but you can't make him work. "And there that phase of the matter rested. 

I asked him a number of questions which I felt would help us to startour work properly, and he answered every one of them promptly andfully. Evidently, Fetter had given his problem a great deal ofthought, and had done more than a little intelligent investigating ofhis own. 

"If there's anything else I can do to help you, " he said as heaccompanied us to the door, "don't fail to call upon me. And rememberwhat I said: trust no one except yourselves. Study each move beforeyou make it. These Lakonians are dull-witted, but they'll do whateverLiane tells them. And she thinks fast and cunningly!"

 * * * * *

We thanked him for his warning, and hurried back to the ship throughthe sickly-green Lakonian dusk. The acrid odor of the atmosphere wasalready beginning to be disagreeable. 

"Decent sort of a chap, Fetter, " commented Correy. "All wrought up, isn't he? Worried stiff. "

"I imagine he has cause to be. And--he might have been right in sayingwe should have held Liane: perhaps we could have treated with her insome way. "

"No chance! Not that lady. When we treat with her, we'll have to havethe whip hand, utterly and completely. "

The heavy outer door of the _Ertak's_ exit was open, but thetransparent inner door, provided for just such an emergency, was inplace, forming, in conjunction with a second door, an efficientair-lock. The guard saw us coming and, as we came up, had the innerdoor smartly opened, standing at salute as we entered. We returned hissalute and went up to the navigating room, where I proposed to hold abrief council of war, informing Kincaide and Hendricks of what we hadlearned from Fetter, and deciding upon a course of action for thefollowing day. Kincaide, whom I had left on watch, was there waiting. 

"Well, sir, how do things stack up?" he asked anxiously. 

"Not so good. Please ask Mr. Hendricks to report here at once, andI'll give you the whole story. "

Kincaide pressed the attention signal to Hendricks' room, and waitedimpatiently for a response. There was none. 

"Try my room, " suggested Correy. "Maybe he hasn't moved back to hisown quarters yet. "

"That's what he said he would be doing, " replied Kincaide. But thatsignal too failed to bring any response. 

 * * * * *

Correy glanced at me, a queer, hurt expression in his eyes. 

"Shall I go forward and see if he--if he's ill?" he asked quickly. 

"Please do, " I said, and as soon as he was gone I turned to themicrophone and called the sentry on duty at the exit. 

"Commander Hanson speaking. Has Mr. Hendricks left the ship?"'

"Yes, sir. Some time ago. The lady came back, saying she had word fromyou; she and Mr. Hendricks left a few minutes later. That was allright, sir?"

"Yes, " I said, barely able to force the word from between my lips. Hendricks ... And Liane? Hendricks ... A traitor? I cut the microphoneand glanced at Kincaide. He must have read the facts in my eyes. 

"He's ... Gone, sir?"

"With Liane, " I nodded. 

The door burst open, and Correy came racing into the room. 

"He's not there, sir!" he snapped. "But in his room I found this!"

He held out an envelope, addressed to me. I ripped it open, glancedthrough the hasty, nervous scrawl, and then read it aloud:

 "Sir:

 I am leaving with Liane. I am sorry. It had to be. 

 Hendricks. "

"That, gentlemen, " I said hoarsely, after a long silence, "will makethe blackest entry ever spread upon the log of the _Ertak_--upon anyship of the Service. Let us dismiss this thing from our minds, andproceed. "

But that was easier, by far, to propose than to accomplish. 

 * * * * *

It was late indeed when we finished our deliberations, but the plandecided upon was exceedingly simple. 

We would simply enforce our authority until we located definiteresistance; we would then concentrate our efforts upon isolating thesource of this resistance and overcoming it. That we would find Lianeat the bottom of our difficulties, we knew perfectly well, but wedesired to place her in a definite position as an enemy. So far, wehad nothing against her, no proof of her activities, save the ratherguarded report of the Chief, and the evidence given us by Fetter. 

There were three major continents on Lakos, but only one of them wasinhabited or habitable, the other two being within the large northernpolar cap. The activities of The Worshipers of the Flame were centeredabout the chief city of Gio, Fetter had told us, and therefore we werein position to start action without delay. 

Force of men would avail us nothing, since the entire crew of the_Ertak_ would be but a pitiful force compared to the horde Liane couldmuster. Our mission could be accomplished--if, indeed, it could beaccomplished at all--by the force of whatever authority our positioncommanded, and the outwitting of Liane. 

Accordingly, it was decided that, in the emergency, all three of uswould undertake the task, leaving the ship in charge of Sub-officerScholey, chief of the operating room crew, and a very capable, level-headed man. I gave him his final instructions as we left theship, early the next morning:

"Scholey, we are leaving you in a position of unusual responsibility. An emergency makes it necessary, or at least desirable, for Mr. Correy, Mr. Kincaide and myself to leave the ship. Mr. Hendricks hasalready departed; therefore, the _Ertak_ will be left in your charge. 

"Remain here for five days; if we do not return in that time, leavefor Base, and report the circumstances there. The log will reveal fullauthority for your actions. "

"Very well, sir!" He saluted, and we passed through the air-lock whichprotected the _Ertak_ from the unpleasant atmosphere of Lakos, armedonly with atomic pistols, and carrying condensed rations and menoresat our belts. 

 * * * * *

We went directly to the largest of the mines, the natives regarding uswith furtive, unfriendly eyes. A great crowd of men were loungingaround the mouth of the mine, and as we approached, they tightenedtheir ranks, as though to block our passage. 

"We'll bluff it through, " I whispered. "They know the uniform of theService, and they have no leader. "

"I'd like to take a swing at one of them, " growled Correy. "I don'tlike their looks--not a bit. But just as you say, sir. "

Our bluff worked. We marched up to the packed mass as though we hadnot even noticed them, and slowly and unwillingly, they opened a pathfor us, closing in behind us with rather uncomfortable celerity. For amoment I regretted we had not taken a landing crew from the _Ertak_. 

However, we won through the mouth of the mine without violence, buthere a huge Lakonian who seemed to be in authority held up his handand blocked our way. 

"Let me handle him, sir, " said Correy from the corner of his mouth. "Iunderstand a little of their language. "

"Right, " I nodded. "Make it strong!"

Correy stepped forward, his head thrust out truculently, thumbs hookedthrough his belt, his right hand suggestively near his automaticpistol. He rapped out something in unpleasant gutturals, and the tallLakonian replied volubly. 

"He says it's orders, " commented Correy over his shoulder. "Now I'lltell him who's giving orders around here!"

He stepped closer to the Lakonian, and spoke with emphatic briefness. The Lakonian fell back a step, hesitated, and started to reply. Correystopped him with a single word, and motioned us to follow him. Theguard watched us doubtfully, and angrily, but he let us pass. 

"He told me, " explained Correy, "that _she_ had given orders. Didn'tname her, but we can guess, all right. I told him that if she wishedto say anything to us, she could do it in person; that we weren'tafraid of her, of him, or all the Lakonians who ever breathed greensoup and called it air. He's a simple soul, and easily impressed. Sowe got by. "

"Nice work, " I commended him. "It's an auspicious start, anyway. "

 * * * * *

The mouth of the mine was not the usual vertical shaft; as Fetters hadtold us, it was a great ramp, of less than forty-five degrees, leadingunderground, illuminated by jets of greenish flame from metal bracketsset into the wall at regular intervals, and fed by a never-failinginterplay of natural gas. The passageway was of varying height andwidth, but nowhere less than three times my height from floor toceiling, and it was broad enough at its narrowest so that ten menmight have marched easily abreast. 

The floor, apparently, had been smoothed by human effort, but for therest, the corridor was, to judge from the evidence, entirely naturalfor the walls of shiny black rock bore no marks of tools. 

At intervals, other passages branched off from the main one we werefollowing, at greater and less angles, but these were much narrower, and had very apparently been hewn in the solid rock. Like the centralpassage, they were utterly deserted. 

"We'll be coming out on the other side, pretty soon, " commented Correyafter a steady descent of perhaps twenty minutes. "This tunnel must goall the way through. I--what's that?"

We paused and listened. From behind us came a soft, whispering sound, the nature of which we could not determine. 

"Sounds like the shuffle of many feet, far behind, " suggested Kincaidegravely. 

"Or, more likely, the air rushing around the corners of those smallerpassages, " I suggested. "This is a drafty hole. Or it may be just thecombined flarings of all these jets of flame. "

"Maybe you're right, sir, " nodded Correy. "Anyway, we won't worryabout it until we have to. I guess we just keep on going?"

"That seems to be about all there is to do; we should enter one of thebig subterranean chambers Fetters mentioned, before long. "

 * * * * *

As a matter of fact, it was but a minute or two later, that we turneda curve in the corridor and found ourselves looking into a vast openspace, the roof supported by huge pillars of black stone, and thefloor littered with rocky debris and mining tools thrown down byworkmen. 

"This is where they take out the temite ore, I imagine, " saidKincaide, picking up a loose fragment of rock. He pointed to a smudgeof soft, crumbly gray metal, greasy in appearance, showing on thesurface of the specimen he had picked up. "That's the stuff, sir, that's causing us all this trouble: nearly pure metallic temite. " Hedropped the fragment, looking about curiously. "But where, " he added, "are the miners?"

"I'm inclined to believe we'll find out before we get back to the_Ertak_, " said Correy grimly. "Everything's moved along too sweetly;trouble's just piling up somewhere. "

"That remains to be seen, " I commented. "Let's move on, and see what'sbeyond. That looks like a door of some sort, on the far side. Perhapsit will lead us to something more interesting. "

"I hope it does, " growled Correy. "This underground business isgetting on my nerves!"

It was a door I had seen, a huge slab of light yellow-green metal. Ipaused, my hand on the simple latch. 

"Stand to one side, " I said softly. "Let's see what happens. "

I lifted the latch, and the heavy door opened inward. Cautiously, Istared through the portal. Inside was blackness and silence;somewhere, in the far distance, I could see two or three tinypin-pricks of green light. 

"We'll take a look around, anyway, " I said. "Follow me carefully andbe ready for action. It seems all right, but somehow, I don't like thelooks of things. "

In single file, we passed beyond the massive door, the light from thelarge room outside streaming ahead of us, our shadows long andgrotesque, moving on the rocky floor ahead of us. 

Then, suddenly, I became aware that the path of light ahead of us wasnarrowing. I turned swiftly; the door must be closing!

As I turned, lights roared up all around us, intense light whichstruck at our eyes with almost tangible force. A great shout rose, echoing, to a vaulted ceiling. Before we could move or cry out, ascore of men on either side had pinioned us. 

"Damnation!" roared Correy. "If I only had the use of my fists--justfor a second!"

 * * * * *

We were in a great cavern, the largest I have ever beheld. A hugebubble, blown in the molten rock by powerful gases from the seethinginterior of the world. 

The roof was invisible above our heads, and the floor sloped downgently in every direction, toward a central dais, so far away that itsdetails were lost to us. From the center of the dais a mighty pillarof green flame mounted into the air nearly twenty times the height ofa man. All around the dais, seated on the sloping floor of the cavern, were Lakonians. 

There were hundreds of them, thousands of them, and they were assilent and motionless as death. They paid no heed to us; theycrouched, each in his place, and stared at the column of greenishflame. 

"It was a trap, " muttered Kincaide as our captors marched us rapidlytoward the dais in the center of the huge amphitheater. "They werewaiting for us; I imagine we have been watched all the time. And wewalked into the trap exactly like a bunch of schoolboys. "

"True--but we've found, I believe, what we wished to find, " I toldhim. "This is the meeting place of the Worshipers of the Flame. There, I 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 voice 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, after all, a woman, with many, if notall, a woman's many weaknesses. And while even in his presence Lianewill say that her lover was at the beginning looked upon as no morethan a tool which might further Liane's power, he has won now a placein her heart. "

I saw Hendricks tremble as she admitted her love, and that portion ofhis face which we could see flushed hotly. 

"And so, Liane has elected to give up, at least for the present, theplace in the Council which she could command. For after all, thatwould be a remote power, lacking in the elements of physical powerwhich Liane has over these, her people, and in which she has learnedto delight. 

"So, Commander Hanson, bear to your superiors this word: Liane willpermit a production of whatever reasonable amount of temite isdesired. She will remain here with her consort, brooking nointerference, no changes, no commands from any person or organization. Go, now, and take with you the words of Liane!"

I looked up at her gravely, and shook my head. 

"We shall go, " I said, "and we shall take with us your words. But Iwarn you that the words you have spoken are treason to the universe, in that you have defied the Council!"

Liane leaped from her throne, her scarlet lips drawn back against herwhite and gleaming teeth. Her eyes, dilated with anger, blazed downupon us almost as hotly as the flame which rose behind her. 

"Go! And quickly!" she fairly screamed. "If you have no desire to feelthe embrace of the sacred Flame, then _go_!"

I bowed silently, and motioned to Correy and Kincaide. Swiftly, wemade our way down a long aisle, surrounded by motionless figuresstaring unwinkingly at the column of fire, toward the door by which wehad entered this great chamber. 

Behind us, I could hear Liane's clear voice lifted in her own gutturallanguage, as she addressed the multitude. 

 * * * * *

Safely within the _Ertak_, we discussed the morning's adventure over alate luncheon. 

"I suppose, " said Kincaide, "there's nothing left to do but tellFetter as much as seems wise, to reassure him, and then return to Baseto make our report. "

"We'll come back, if we do, " growled Correy. "And we'll come back to_fight_. The Council won't stand for her attitude. "

"Undoubtedly that's true, " I admitted. "Still, I believe we should putit up to Base, and through Base to the Council, before doing anythingmore. Much, if not all, of what she said was perfectly true. "

"It was that, " nodded Kincaide. "There were scores, if not hundreds ofdoors leading into that big chamber; I imagine it can be reached, underground, from any point on the continent. And those windingpassages would be simple to defend from any form of invasion. "

"But could these Lakonians fight?" asked Correy. "That's what I'd liketo know. I doubt it. They look like a sleepy, ignorant lot. "

"I think they'd fight, to the death, if Liane ordered them to, " Ireplied thoughtfully. "Did you notice the way they stared at theflame, never moving, never even winking? My idea is that it exercisesa sort of auto-hypnotic influence over them, which gives Liane justthe right opportunity to impress her will upon them. "

"I wondered about that, " Kincaide commented. "I believe you're right, sir. Any idea as to when we'll shove off?"

"There's no particular hurry; Fetter will be busy until evening, Iimagine, so we won't bother him until then. As soon as we've had achat with him, we can start. "

"And without Hendricks, " said Kincaide, shaking his head sadly. "Iwonder--"

"If you don't mind, Mr. Kincaide, we won't mention his name on the_Ertak_ after this, " I interrupted. "I, for one, would rather forgethim. Wouldn't you?"

"I would, sir, if I could, " said Kincaide softly. "But that's noteasy, is it?"

It wasn't easy. As a matter of fact, it was impossible. I knew I wouldnever forget my picture of him, standing there shaken and miserable, beside the woman for whom he had disgraced his uniform, hiding hishead in shame from the eyes of the men he had called comrades, and whohad called him friend. But to talk of him was morbid. 

 * * * * *

It was late in the afternoon when I called Correy and Kincaide to thenavigating room, where I had spent several hours charting our returncourse. 

"I believe, gentlemen, " I remarked, "that we can call on Mr. Fetternow. I'll ask you to remain in charge of the ship, Mr. Kincaide, whileMr. Correy and I--"

An attention signal sounded sharply to interrupt me. I answered itinstantly. 

"Sentry at exit, sir, " said an excited voice. "Mr. Hendricks and thewoman stowaway are here asking for you. They say it is very urgent. "

"Bring them both here at once, under guard, " I ordered. "Be sure youare properly relieved. "

"Right, sir!"

I turned to Correy and Kincaide, who were watching me with curiouseyes. My excitement must have shown upon my face. 

"Mr. Hendricks and Liane are at the exit, asking to see me, " Isnapped. "They'll be here in a moment. What do you suppose is in theair?"

"Hendricks?" muttered Correy, his face darkening. "It seems to me hehas a lot of nerve to--"

There was a sharp tap on the door. 

"Come!" I ordered quickly. The door opened and Liane, followed byHendricks, hurried into the room. 

"That will do, " I nodded to the guard who had accompanied them. "Youmay go. "

"You wonder why we're here, I suppose?" demanded Liane. "I'll tellyou, quickly, for every instant is precious. "

This was a very different Liane. She was no longer clad in diaphanousblack; she was wearing a tunic similar to the one she had worn onboard the _Ertak_, save that this one was torn and soiled. Her lips, as she talked, twitched with an insane anger; her amazing eyes werelike those of a cornered beast of the wilderness. 

"My council of wise old men turned against me when I told them myplans to marry the man of my choice. They said he was an outsider, anenemy, a foreigner. They would have none of him. They demanded that Igive him to the Flame, and marry one of my own kind. They had not, ofcourse, understood what I had said to you there in the great chapel ofthe Flame. 

"I defied them. We escaped through a passage which is not known to anysave myself, and the existence of which my father taught me years ago. We are here, but they will guess where we have gone. My old men areexciting my people against me--and for that shall all, down to thelast one, know the embrace of the Flame!" She gritted her teeth on thewords, her nostrils distended with rage. 

"I--I am safe. I can command them; I can make them know my power, and Ishall. The Flame will have much to feed upon in the days which are tocome, I promise you. But my beloved would not be safe; at this moment Icannot protect him. So I have brought him back. I--I know he ... But Iwill not be weak. I am Liane!"

 * * * * *

She faced Hendricks, who had stood there like a graven image, watchingher. Her arms went about his neck; her lips sought his. 

"My beloved!" she whispered. "Liane was but a woman, after all. Darling! Good-by!" She kissed him again, and hurried to the door. 

"One more thing!" she cried. "I must master them myself. I must showthem I--I, Liane--am ruler here. You promise? You promise me you willnot interfere; that you will do nothing?"

"But--"

Liane interrupted me before I could put my objections into words. 

"Promise!" she commanded. "There are hundreds, thousands of them! Youcannot slay them all--and if you did, there would be more. I can bendthem to my will; they know my power. Promise, or there will be manydeaths upon your hands!"

"I promise, " I said. 

"And you--all of you?" she demanded, sweeping Correy and Kincaide withher eyes. 

"Commander Hanson speaks for us all, " nodded Kincaide. 

With a last glance at Hendricks, whose eyes had never left her for aninstant, she was gone. 

Hendricks uttered a long, quivering sigh. His face, as he turned tous, was ghastly white. 

"She's gone, " he muttered. "Forever. "

"That's exceedingly unfortunate, sir, for you, " I replied crisply. "Assoon as it's perfectly safe, we'll see to it that you depart also. "

The sting of my words apparently did not touch him. 

"You don't understand, " he said dully. "I know what you think, and Ido not blame you. She came back; you know that. 

"'You are coming with me, ' she said. 'I care for you. I want you. Youare coming with me, at once. ' I told her I was not; that I loved her, but that I could not, would not, go. 

"She opened a port and showed me one of her countrymen, standing notfar away, watching the ship. He held something in his hand. 

"'He has one of your hand bombs, ' she told me. 'I found it while Iwas hidden and took it with me when I left. If you do not come withme, he will throw it against the ship, destroy it, and those withinit. '

"There was nothing else for me to do. She permitted me to explain nomore than I did in the note I left. I pleaded with her; did all Icould. Finally I persuaded her to give you the word she did, therebefore the great flame. 

"She brought me back here at the risk of her own life, and, what iseven more precious to her, her power. In--in her own way, she lovesme.... "

 * * * * *

It was an amazing story; a second or two passed before any of us couldspeak. And then words came, fast and joyous; our friend, our trustedfellow-officer had come back to us! I felt as though a great blackcloud had slid from across the sun. 

And then, above our voices, rose a great mutter of sound. We glancedat one another, wonderingly. Hendricks was the first to make a move. 

"That's the mob!" he said, darting toward the door. We followed himswiftly to the exit of the ship, through the air-lock, out into theopen. 

Hendricks had spoken the truth. Liane was walking, very slowly anddeliberately, her head flung back proudly, toward the city. Comingtoward her, like a great ragged wave, was a mighty mass of humanity, led by capering old men--undoubtedly the lesser priests, who hadturned against her. 

"The portable projectors, sir!" begged Correy excitedly. "A pair ofthem, and that mob--"

"We're bound by our promise, " I reminded him. "She's not afraid; herpower is terrible. I believe she'll win without them. Look!"

Liane had paused. She lifted one hand in a gesture of command, andcalled out to the rabble. Correy translated the whole thing for melater. 

"Halt!" she cried sharply. "Who moves upon the Chief Priestess of theFlame earns the embrace of the Flame!"

The crowd halted, cowering; then the old man shouted to them andgestured them onward. With a rush, the front ranks came on. 

"So!" Liane called out to them. "You would disobey Liane? Yet even yetit is not too late; Liane gives you one chance more. You little knowthe Chief Priestess of the Flame if you think she will tolerate anencroachment of her power. Back! Back, I say, or you all shall feelthe might of Liane!"

Before her tirade the mob faltered, but again the crazed old men ledthem on. 

Liane turned, saw us, and made a regal gesture of farewell. From thebosom of her tunic she snatched a small black object, and swung ithigh above her head. 

"The bomb!" shouted Hendricks. "She has it; she--"

At the very feet of the onrushing crowd the black object struck. Therewas a hollow roar; a blast of thundering air swept us backward to theground. 

When we scrambled to our feet, Liane was gone. The relentless mob hadgone. Where they had been was a great crater of raw earth, strewn withghastly fragments. Far back toward the city a few straggling figuresran frantically away from that scene of death. 

"Gone!" I said. "Power was a mania, an obsession with her. Even herdeath was a supreme gesture--of power, of authority. "

"Liane, " Hendricks whispered. "Chief Priestess of the Flame ... Giverof Death.... "

 * * * * *

With Liane gone, and with her the old men who had tried to snatch herpower from her hand, and who might have caused us trouble, therebellion of the Lakonians was at an end. 

Leaderless, they were helpless, and I believe they were happy in thechange. Sometimes the old ways are better than the new, and Liane'srégime had been merciless and rather terrible. 

There are many kinds of women: great women, and women with smallsouls; women filled with the spirit of sacrifice; selfish women, goodwomen and bad. 

And Liane? I leave her for you to judge. She was a woman; classify herfor yourself. 

After all, I am an old man, and perhaps I have forgotten the ways ofwomen. I do not wish to judge, on one hand to be called bitter andhard, on the other hand to be condemned as soft with advancing age. 

I have given you the story of Liane, Chief Priestess of the Flame. 

How, you clever and infallible members of this present generation, doyou judge her?

 * * * * *