had been smaller, the colors of the twin suns had not appeared in
their naked reality.... These colors seemed to him most marvellous,
as if, in seeing them through earth eyes, he was not seeing them
correctly.... But it was at Tormance that he stared the longest and
the most earnestly. On that mysterious and terrible earth, countless
millions of miles distant, it had been promised him that he would set
foot, even though he might leave his bones there. The strange
creatures that he was to behold and touch were already living, at
this very moment.

A low, sighing whisper sounded in his ear, from not more than a yard
away. "Don't you understand, Maskull, that you are only an
instrument, to be used and then broken? Nightspore is asleep now,
but when he wakes you must die. You will go, but he will return."

Maskull hastily struck another match, with trembling fingers. No one
was in sight, and all was quiet as the tomb.

The voice did not sound again. After waiting a few minutes, he
redescended to the foot of the tower. On gaining the open air, his
sensation of weight was instantly removed, but he continued panting
and palpitating, like a man who has lifted a far too heavy load.

Nightspore's dark form came forward. "Was Krag there?"

"If he was. I didn't see him. But I heard someone speak."

"Was it Krag?"

"It was not Krag--but a voice warned me against you."