Deliberately, almost banally had I not realized his purpose, he changed the subject. He held her from him at arm's length. “Ruth!” he exclaimed, half mockingly, half reprovingly. “Don't you think your morning negligee is just a little scanty even for this Godforsaken corner of the earth?” Lips parted in sheer astonishment, she looked at him. Then her eyes dropped to her bare feet, her dimpled knees. She clasped her arms across her breasts; rosy red turned all her fair skin. “Oh!” she gasped. “Oh!” And hid from Drake and me behind the tall figure of her brother. I walked over to the pile of silken stuffs, took the cloak and tossed it to her. Ventnor pointed to the saddlebags. “You've another outfit there, Ruth,” he said. “We'll take a turn through the place. Call us when you're ready. We'll get something to eat and go see what's happening--out there.” She nodded. We passed through the curtains and out of the hall into the chamber that had been Norhala's. There we halted, Drake eyeing Martin with a certain embarrassment. The older man thrust out his hand to him. “I knew it, Drake,” he said. “Ruth told me all about it when Cherkis had us. And I'm very glad. It's time she was having a home of her own and not running around the lost places with me. I'll miss her--miss her damnably, of course. But I'm glad, boy--glad!” There was a little silence while each looked deep into each other's hearts. Then Ventnor dropped Dick's hand. “And that's all of THAT,” he said. “The problem before us is--how are we going to get back home?” “The--THING--is dead.” I spoke from an absolute conviction that surprised me, based as it was upon no really tangible, known evidence. “I think so,” he said. “No--I KNOW so. Yet even if we can pass over its body, how can we climb out of its lair? That slide down which we rode with Norhala is unclimbable. The walls are unscalable. And there is that chasm--she--spanned for us. How can we cross THAT? The tunnel to the ruins was sealed. There remains of possible roads the way through the forest to what was the City of Cherkis. Frankly I am loathe to take it. “I am not at all sure that all the armored men were slain--that some few may not have escaped and be lurking there. It would be short shrift for us if we fell into their hands now.” “And I'm not sure of THAT,” objected Drake. “I think their pep and push must be pretty thoroughly knocked out--if any do remain. I think if they saw us coming they'd beat it so fast that they'd smoke with the friction.” “There's something to that,” Ventnor smiled. “Still I'm not keen on taking the chance. At any rate, the first thing to do is to see what happened down there in the Pit. Maybe we'll have some other idea after that.” “I know what happened there,” announced Drake, surprisingly. “It was a short circuit!” We gaped at him, mystified.