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there were gardens gay with blossoms in which fountains sparkled； green groves； thousands upon thousands of bright multicolored pennants； banners； fluttered。
A fair； a lovely city was Cherkis's stronghold of Ruszark。
Its beauty filled the eyes； out from it streamed the fragrance of its gardensthe voice of its agony was that of the souls in Dis。
The row of destroying shapes lengthened； each huge warrior of metal drawing far apart from its mates。 They flexed their manifold arms； shadow boxedgrotesquely； dreadfully。
Down struck the flails； the sledges。 Beneath the blows the buildings burst like eggshells； their fragments burying the throngs fighting for escape in the thoroughfares that threaded them。 Over their ruins we moved。
Down and ever down crashed the awful sledges。 And ever under them the city crumbled。
There was a spider Shape that crawled up the wide stairway hammering into the stone those who tried to flee before it。
Stride by stride the Destroying Things ate up the city。
I felt neither wrath nor pity。 Through me beat a jubilant roaring pulseas though I were a shouting corpuscle of the rushing hurricane； as though I were one of the hosts of smiting spirits of the bellowing typhoon。
Through this stole another thoughtvague； unfamiliar； yet seemingly of truth's own essence。 Why； I wondered； had I never recognized this before？ Why had I never known that these green forms called trees were but ugly； unsymmetrical excrescences？ That these high projections of towers； these buildings were deformities？
That these four…pronged； moving little shapes that screamed and ran werehideous？
They must be wiped out！ All this misshapen； jumbled； inharmonious ugliness must be wiped out！ It must be ground down to smooth unbroken planes； harmonious curvings； shapelinessharmonies of arc and line and angle！
Something deep within me fought to speakfought to tell me that this thought was not human thought； not my thoughtthat it was the reflected thought of the Metal Things！
It told meand fiercely it struggled to make me realize what it was that it told。 Its insistence was borne upon little despairing； rhythmic beatingsthrobbings that were like the muffled sobbings of the drums of grief。 Louder； closer came the throbbing； clearer with it my perception of the inhumanness of my thought。
The drum beat tapped at my humanity； became a dolorous knocking at my heart。
It was the sobbing of Cherkis！
The gross face was shrunken； the cheeks sagging in folds of woe； cruelty and wickedness were wiped from it； the evil in the eyes had been washed out by tears。 Eyes streaming； bull throat and barrel chest racked by his sobbing； he watched the passing of his people and his city。
And relentlessly； coldly； Norhala watched himas though loath to lose the faintest shadow of his agony。
Now I saw we were close to the top of the mount。 Packed between us and the immense white structures that crowned it were thousands of the people。 They fell on their knees before us； prayed to us。 They tore at each other； striving to hide themselves from us in the mass that was themselves。 They beat against the barred doors of the sanctuaries； they climbed the pillars； they swarmed over the golden roofs。
There was a moment of chaosa chaos of which we were the heart。 Then temple and palace cracked； burst； were shattered； fell。 I caught glimpses of gleaming sculptures； glitterings of gold and of silver； flashing of gems； shimmering of gorgeous draperiesunder them a weltering of men and women。
We closed down upon themover them！
The dreadful sobbing ceased。 I saw the head of Cherkis swing heavily upon a shoulder； the eyes closed。
The Destroying Things touched。 Their flailing arms coiled back； withdrew into their bodies。 They joined； forming for an instant a tremendous hollow pillar far down in whose center we stood。 They parted； shifted in shape？ rolled down the mount over the ruins like a widening wave crushing into the stone all over which they passed。
Afar away I saw the gleaming serpent still at play still writhing among； still obliterating the few score scattered fugitives that some way； somehow； had slipped by the Destroying Things。
We halted。 For one long moment Norhala looked upon the drooping body of him upon whom she had let fall this mighty vengeance。
Then the metal arm that held Cherkis whirled。 Thrown from it； the cloaked form flew like a great blue bat。 It fell upon the flattened mound that had once been the proud crown of his city。 A blue blot upon desolation the broken body of Cherkis lay。
A black speck appeared high in the sky； grew fast the lammergeier。
〃I have left carrion for youafter all！〃 cried Norhala。
With an ebon swirling of wings the vulture dropped beside the blue heapthrust in it its beak。
CHAPTER XXVII
〃THE DRUMS OF DESTINY〃
Slowly we descended that mount of desolation； lingeringly； as though the brooding eyes of Norhala were not yet sated with destruction。 Of human life； of green life； of life of any kind there was none。
Man and tree； woman and flower； babe and bud； palace； temple and homeNorhala had stamped flat。 She had crushed them within the rockeven as she had promised。
The tremendous tragedy had absorbed my every faculty； I had had no time to think of my companions； I had forgotten them。 Now in the painful surges of awakening realization； of full human understanding of that inhuman annihilation； I turned to them for strength。 Faintly I wondered again at Ruth's scantiness of garb； her more than half nudity； dwelt curiously upon the red brand across Ventnor's forehead。
In his eyes and in Drake's I saw reflected the horror I knew was in my own。 But in the eyes of Ruth was none of thissternly； coldly triumphant； indifferent to its piteousness as Norhala herself； she scanned the waste that less than an hour since had been a place of living beauty。
I felt a shock of repulsion。 After all； those who had been destroyed so ruthlessly could not ALL have been wholly evil。 Yet mother and blossoming maid； youth and oldster； all the pageant of humanity within the great walls were now but lines within the stone。 According to their different lights； it came to me； there had been in Ruszark no greater number of the wicked than one could find in any great city of our own civilization。
From Norhala； of course； I looked for no perception of any of this。 But from Ruth
My reaction grew； the pity long withheld racing through me linked with a burning anger； a hatred for this woman who had been the directing soul of that catastrophe。
My gaze fell again upon the red brand。 I saw that it was a deep indentation as though a thong had been twisted around Ventnor's head biting the bone。 There was dried blood on the edges； a double ring of swollen white flesh rimming the cincture。 It was the mark oftorture！
〃Martin；〃 I cried。 〃That ring？ What did they do to you？〃
〃They waked me with that；〃 he answered quietly。 〃I suppose I ought to be gratefulalthough their intentions were not exactlytherapeutic〃
〃They tortured him；〃 Ruth's voice was tense； bitter； she spoke in Persianfor Norhala's benefit I thought then； not guessing a deeper reason。 〃They tortured him。 They gave him agony until hereturned。 And they promised him other agonies that would make him pray long for death。
〃And meme〃she raised little clenched hands〃me they stripped like a slave。 They led me through the city and the people mocked me。 They took me before that swine Norhala has punishedand stripped me before him like a slave。 Before my eyes they tortured my brother。 Norhalathey were evil； all evil！ Norhalayou did well to slay them！〃
She caught the woman's hands； pressed close to her。 Norhala gazed at her from great gray eyes in which the wrath was dying； into which the old tranquillity； the old serenity was flowing。 And when she spoke the golden voice held more than returning echoes of the far…away； faint chimings。
〃It is done；〃 she said。 〃And it was well donesister。 Now you and I shall dwell together in peacesister。 Or if there be those in the world from which you came that you would have slain； then you and I shall go forth with our companies and stamp them outeven as I did these。〃
My heart stopped beatingfor from the depths of Ruth's eyes shining shadows were rising； wraiths answering Norhala's calling； and； as they rose； steadily they drew life from the clear radiance summoningdrew closer to the semblance of that tranquil spirit which her vengeance had banished but that had now returned to its twin thrones of Norhala's eyes。
And at last it was twin sister of Norhala who looked upon her from the face of Ruth！
The white arms of the woman encircled her； the glorious head bent over her； flaming tresses mingled with tender brown curls。
〃Sister！〃 she whispered。 〃Little sister！ These men you shall have as long as it pleases youto do with as you will。 Or if it is your wish they shall go back to their world and I will guard them to its gates。
〃But you and I； little sister； will dwell togetherin the vastnessesin the peace。 Shall it not be so？〃
With no faltering； with no glance toward us three lover； brother； old friendRuth crept closer to her； rested her head upon the virginal； royal breasts。