He drew a deep breath, stood upright, nodded reassuringly.
Abruptly Drake turned, walked out through the open portal, his strain and a very deep anxiety written plainly in deep lines that ran from nostrils to firm young mouth.
"Just went out to look for the pony," he muttered when he returned.
"It's safe.

I was afraid it had been stepped on.

It's getting dusk.
There's a big light down the canyon--over in the valley." Ventnor drew back past the globe; rejoined us.
The blue bower trembled under a gust of sound.

Ruth stirred; her brows knitted; her hands clenched.

The sphere that stood before her spun on its axis, swept up to the globe at her head, glided from it to the globe at her feet--as though whispering.