"None of that! Remember you're human! Guard yourself, man--guard yourself!" "What ?" he muttered; then, abruptly: "How did you know ?" "I felt it myself," I answered: "For God's sake, Dick--hold fast to yourself! Remember Ruth!" He shook his head violently--as though to be rid of some clinging, cloying thing.
"I'll not forget again," he said.
He huddled down once more close to the edge of the shelf; peering over.
No one of the Metal People had moved; the silence, the stillness, was unbroken.
Now the flanking pyramids shot forth into twin stars, blazing with violet luminescences.

And one by one after them the ten lesser spheres expanded into flaming orbs; beautiful they were, but far less glorious than that Disk of whom they were the counselors ?--ministers ?--what?
Still there was no movement among all the arrased, girdered, pillared hosts.
There came a little wailing; far away it was and far.

Nearer it drew.
Was that a tremor that passed through the crowded crater?
A quick pulse of--eagerness?
"Hungry!" whispered Drake.

"They're HUNGRY!" Closer was the wailing; again that faint tremor quivered over the place.
And now I caught it--a quick and avid pulsing.
"Hungry," whispered Drake again.

"Like a lot of lions with the keeper coming along with meat." The wailing was below us.