Bent toward it, Yolara seemed to gather within herself pulsing waves of power; she was terrifying; gloriously, maddeningly evil; and as gloriously, maddeningly heavenly! Aphrodite and the Virgin! Tanith of the Carthaginians and St.Bride of the Isles! A queen of hell and a princess of heaven--in one! Only for a moment did that which we had called the Dweller and which these named the Shining One, pause.

It swept up the ramp to the dais, rested there, slowly turning, plumes and spirals lacing and unlacing, throbbing, pulsing.

Now its nucleus grew plainer, stronger--human in a fashion, and all inhuman; neither man nor woman; neither god nor devil; subtly partaking of all.

Nor could I doubt that whatever it was, within that shining nucleus was something sentient; something that had will and energy, and in some awful, supernormal fashion--intelligence! Another trumpeting--a sound of stones opening--a long, low wail of utter anguish--something moved shadowy in the river of light, and slowly at first, then ever more rapidly, shapes swam through it.

There were half a score of them--girls and youths, women and men.