What was the matter with the armored men? Why had
they halted? What was it at which they were glaring over
our heads? And why had the rifle fire of Ruth and Drake
ceased so abruptly?

Simultaneously we turned.

Within the black background of the fissure stood a shape,
an apparition, a woman--beautiful, awesome, incredible!

She was tall, standing there swathed from chin to feet in
clinging veils of pale amber, she seemed taller even than
tall Drake. Yet it was not her height that sent through me
the thrill of awe, of half incredulous terror which, relaxing
my grip, let my smoking rifle drop to earth; nor was it
that about her proud head a cloud of shining tresses swirled
and pennoned like a misty banner of woven copper flames
--no, nor that through her veils her body gleamed faint
radiance.

It was her eyes--her great, wide eyes whose clear depths
were like pools of living star fires. They shone from her
white face--not phosphorescent, not merely lucent and
light reflecting, but as though they themselves were SOURCES
of the cold white flames of far stars--and as calm as those
stars themselves.

And in that face, although as yet I could distinguish
nothing but the eyes, I sensed something unearthly.