The barbarian warrior who had never flinched before man or beast or devil placed his hands over his face and crouched in the corner of his dungeon as a thousand wild memories and desires crashed at his brain--_from within!_ The walls of the Pits seemed to shake, the very earth to tumble from its balance; great winds from the outer voids pulled and tore at his body. Or was it _his_ body, this form composed of flesh and blood that called itself Duar? For an instant he and the figure in white were high among the stars in the infinity of space, and earth and men and kingdoms were no more. He was about to see, to comprehend, some great knowledge. Suddenly the universe began to spin. A black cloud from nowhere enveloped his brain and it became a blank thing. He was back in the Pits of Ygoth with a whirling light and the Thing that was too beautiful to be a woman. "Failure, O Ancient One!" the voice was saying. "Again I have come too soon! How many more eons must your servant wait? How many more earths must crumble and suns grow cold before he remembers Shar, this poor earth-bound spirit that was once your greatest worshipper? Then, and then only, with his aid and the knowledge which is locked in his spirit, I may resurrect the truths so that your greatness and our elder race will prevail once more! How long?" * * * * * King Duar, now released from the power waves that had enmeshed his mind, became his bold self again. He set his eyes fiercely on the shining form, and although his limbs still shook from the internal holocaust he spoke bravely. "Curse these hell-haunted dungeons where a man cannot even die in peace! And curse your chattering, woman--if woman you are! If I had but freedom and a sword----" "Pity, O Duar! I never gave pity to anyone else, and the feeling of it is strange. You, who could have all the kingdoms of the world--yes, and of other worlds--and all you want is a sword!" "With a sword I cut my own kingdom!" boasted Duar, undaunted. "With a sword I could cut your throat!" "Poor Duar, housing a spirit too great for himself! Do you ever dream you are not as other men? That once, long ago, you were one of the Masters? I trailed you across time, O little man----" "Little man!" exploded the fuming barbarian, his rage bursting all mental bonds and carrying away his power of coherent speech in a red torrent of madness. "Losing the world and caring naught," said she of the light. "Losing a kingdom and caring naught. Losing liberty--all for the sake of the Rose of Gaon!" The prisoner ceased to rattle his chains in his frenzy. With great gulps of the foul air he stifled the madness in his blood. "How did you know that?" he whispered harshly. "How did you know what only I, the only living man on earth, had knowledge of?"