It ceased. Then the cubes drew one upon the other until
they formed a pedestal nine inches high; up this pillar
rolled the larger globe, balanced itself upon the top; the
five spheres followed it, clustered like a ring just below
it. The other cubes raced up, clicked two by two on the
outer arc of each of the five balls; at the ends of these
twin blocks a pyramid took its place, tipping each with a
point.

The Lilliputian fantasy was now a pedestal of cubes
surmounted by a ring of globes from which sprang a star
of five arms.

The spheres began to revolve. Faster and faster they
spun around the base of the crowning globe; the arms became
a disc upon which tiny brilliant sparks appeared,
clustered, vanished only to reappear in greater number.

The troll swept toward me. It GLIDED. The finger of panic
touched me. I sprang aside, and swift as light it followed,
seemed to poise itself to leap.

"Drop it!" It was Ruth's cry.

But, before I could let fall the pyramid I had forgotten
was in my hand, the little figure touched me and a paralyzing
shock ran through me. My fingers clenched, locked. I
stood, muscle and nerve bound, unable to move.