Then, whirling, bell-notes storming, the Shining One withdrew slowly from the dais down the ramp, still embracing, still interwoven with those who had thrown themselves into its spirals. They drifted with it as though half-carried in dreadful dance; white faces sealed--forever--into that semblance of those who held within linked God and devil--I covered my eyes! I heard a gasp from O'Keefe; opened my eyes and sought his; saw the wildness vanish from them as he strained forward. Olaf had leaned far out, and as he did so the dwarfs beside him caught him, and whether by design or through his own swift, involuntary movement, thrust him half into the Dweller's path. The Dweller paused in its gyrations--seemed to watch him. The Norseman's face was crimson, his eyes blazing. He threw himself back and, with one defiant shout, gripped one of the dwarfs about the middle and sent him hurtling through the air, straight at the radiant Thing! A whirling mass of legs and arms, the dwarf flew--then in midflight stopped as though some gigantic invisible hand had caught him, and--was dashed down upon the platform not a yard from the Shining One! Like a broken spider he moved--feebly--once, twice. From the Dweller shot a shimmering tentacle--touched him--recoiled. Its crystal tinklings changed into an angry chiming. From all about--jewelled stalls and jet peak--came a sigh of incredulous horror. Lugur leaped forward. On the instant Larry was over the low barrier between the pillars, rushing to the Norseman's side. And even as they ran there was another wild shout from Olaf, and he hurled himself out, straight at the throat of the Dweller! But before he could touch the Shining One, now motionless--and never was the thing more horrible than then, with the purely human suggestion of surprise plain in its poise--Larry had struck him aside. I tried to follow--and was held by Rador. He was trembling--but not with fear. In his face was incredulous hope, inexplicable eagerness. "Wait!" he said. "Wait!" The Shining One stretched out a slow spiral, and as it did so I saw the bravest thing man has ever witnessed. Instantly O'Keefe thrust himself between it and Olaf, pistol out. The tentacle touched him, and the dull blue of his robe flashed out into blinding, intense azure light. From the automatic in his gloved hand came three quick bursts of flame straight into the Thing. The Dweller drew back; the bell-sounds swelled. Lugur paused, his hand darted up, and in it was one of the silver _Keth_ cones. But before he could flash it upon the Norseman, Larry had unlooped his robe, thrown its fold over Olaf, and, holding him with one hand away from the Shining One, thrust with the other his pistol into the dwarf's stomach. His lips moved, but I could not hear what he said. But Lugur understood, for his hand dropped.