ward。
  Miles　away；　gigantic　luminous　cliffs　sprang　sheer　from
  the　limits　of　a　lake　whose　waters　were　of　milky　opalescence。
  It　was　from　these　cliffs　that　the　spangled　radiance　came；
  shimmering　out　from　all　their　lustrous　surfaces。　　To　left　and
  to　right；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　they　stretchedand
  they　vanished　in　the　auroral　nebulosity　on　high！
  〃Look　at　that！〃　exclaimed　Larry。　　I　followed　his　pointing
  finger。　　On　the　face　of　the　shining　wall；　stretched　between　two
  colossal　columns；　hung　an　incredible　veil；　prismatic；　gleam…
  ing　with　all　the　colours　of　the　spectrum。　　It　was　like　a　web
  of　rainbows　woven　by　the　fingers　of　the　daughters　of　the
  Jinn。　　In　front　of　it　and　a　little　at　each　side　was　a　semi…circular
  pier；　or；　better；　a　plaza　of　what　appeared　to　be　glistening；
  pale…yellow　ivory。　　At　each　end　of　its　half…circle　clustered　a
  few　low…walled；　rose…stone　structures；　each　of　them　sur…
  mounted　by　a　number　of　high；　slender　pinnacles。
  We　looked　at　each　other；　I　think；　a　bit　helplesslyand
  back　again　through　the　opening。　　We　were　standing；　as　I　have
  said；　at　its　base。　　The　wall　in　which　it　was　set　was　at　least　ten
  feet　thick；　and　so；　of　course；　all　that　we　could　see　of　that
  which　was　without　were　the　distances　that　revealed　them…
  selves　above　the　outer　ledge　of　the　oval。
  〃Let's　take　a　look　at　what's　under　us；〃　said　Larry。
  He　crept　out　upon　the　ledge　and　peered　down；　the　rest　of
  us　following。　　A　hundred　yards　beneath　us　stretched　gardens
  that　must　have　been　like　those　of　many…columned　Iram；
  which　the　ancient　Addite　King　had　built　for　his　pleasure　ages
  before　the　deluge；　and　which　Allah；　so　the　Arab　legend　tells；
  took　and　hid　from　man；　within　the　Sahara；　beyond　all　hope　of
  findingjealous　because　they　were　more　beautiful　than　his
  in　paradise。　　Within　them　flowers　and　groves　of　laced；　fern…
  like　trees；　pillared　pavilions　nestled。
  The　trunks　of　the　trees　were　of　emerald；　of　vermilion；　and
  of　azure…blue；　and　the　blossoms；　whose　fragrance　was　borne
  to　us；　shone　like　jewels。　　The　graceful　pillars　were　tinted
  delicately。　　I　noted　that　the　pavilions　were　doublein　a　way；
  two…storiedand　that　they　were　oddly　splotched　with　circles；
  with　squares；　and　with　oblongs　ofopacity；　noted　too　that
  over　many　this　opacity　stretched　like　a　roof；　yet　it　did　not
  seem　material；　rather　was　itimpenetrable　shadow！
  Down　through　this　city　of　gardens　ran　a　broad　shining
  green　thoroughfare；　glistening　like　glass　and　spanned　at　reg…
  ular　intervals　with　graceful；　arched　bridges。　　The　road　flashed
  to　a　wide　square；　where　rose；　from　a　base　of　that　same　silvery
  stone　that　formed　the　lip　of　the　Moon　Pool；　a　titanic　struc…
  ture　of　seven　terraces；　and　along　it　flitted　objects　that　bore
  a　curious　resemblance　to　the　shell　of　the　Nautilus。　　Within
  them　werehuman　figures！　　And　upon　tree…bordered　prome…
  nades　on　each　side　walked　others！
  Far　to　the　right　we　caught　the　glint　of　another　emerald…
  paved　road。
  And　between　the　two　the　gardens　grew　sweetly　down　to
  the　hither　side　of　that　opalescent　water　across　which　were
  the　radiant　cliffs　and　the　curtain　of　mystery。
  Thus　it　was　that　we　first　saw　the　city　of　the　Dweller；
  blessed　and　accursed　as　no　place　on　earth；　or　under　or　above
  earth　has　ever　beenor；　that　force　willing　which　some　call
  God；　ever　again　shall　be！
  〃Chert！〃　whispered　Marakinoff。　　〃Incredible！〃
  〃Trolldom！〃　gasped　Olaf　Huldricksson。　　〃It　is　Trolldom！〃
  〃Listen；　Olaf！〃　said　Larry。　　〃Cut　out　that　Trolldom　stuff！
  There's　no　Trolldom；　or　fairies；　outside　Ireland。　　Get　that！
  And　this　isn't　Ireland。　　And；　buck　up；　Professor！〃　This　to
  Marakinoff。　　〃What　you　see　down　there　are　peopleJUST　PLAIN
  PEOPLE。　　And　wherever　there's　people　is　where　I　live。　　Get　me？
  〃There's　no　way　in　but　inand　no　way　out　but　out；〃　said
  O'Keefe。　　〃And　there's　the　stairway。　　Eggs　are　eggs　no　matter
  how　they're　cookedand　people　are　just　people；　fellow
  travellers；　no　matter　what　dish　they　are　in；〃　he　concluded。
  〃Come　on！〃
  With　the　three　of　us　close　behind　him；　he　marched　toward
  the　entrance。
  CHAPTER　XIII
  Yolara；　Priestess　of　the　Shining　One
  〃YOU'D　better　have　this　handy；　Doc。〃　O'Keefe　paused　at　the
  head　of　the　stairway　and　handed　me　one　of　the　automatics
  he　had　taken　from　Marakinoff。
  〃Shall　I　not　have　one　also？〃　rather　anxiously　asked　the
  latter。
  〃When　you　need　it　you'll　get　it；〃　answered　O'Keefe。　　〃I'll
  tell　you　frankly；　though；　Professor；　that　you'll　have　to　show
  me　before　I　trust　you　with　a　gun。　　You　shoot　too　straight
  from　cover。〃
  The　flash　of　anger　in　the　Russian's　eyes　turned　to　a　cold
  consideration。
  〃You　say　always　just　what　is　in　your　mind；　Lieutenant
  O'Keefe；〃　he　mused。　　〃Dathat　I　shall　remember！〃　Later　I
  was　to　recall　this　odd　observationand　Marakinoff　was　to
  remember　indeed。
  In　single　file；　O'Keefe　at　the　head　and　Olaf　bringing　up
  the　rear；　we　passed　through　the　portal。　　Before　us　dropped　a
  circular　shaft；　into　which　the　light　from　the　chamber　of　the
  oval　streamed　liquidly；　set　in　its　sides　the　steps　spiralled；　and
  down　them　we　went；　cautiously。　　The　stairway　ended　in　a
  circular　well；　silentwith　no　trace　of　exit！　　The　rounded
  stones　joined　each　other　evenlyhermetically。　　Carved　on
  one　of　the　slabs　was　one　of　the　five　flowered　vines。　　I　pressed
  my　fingers　upon　the　calyxes；　even　as　Larry　had　within　the
  Moon　Chamber。
  A　crackhorizontal；　four　feet　wideappeared　on　the
  wall；　widened；　and　as　the　sinking　slab　that　made　it　dropped
  to　the　level　of　our　eyes；　we　looked　through　a　hundred…feet…
  long　rift　in　the　living　rock！　　The　stone　fell　steadilyand　we
  saw　that　it　was　a　Cyclopean　wedge　set　within　the　slit　of　the
  passageway。　　It　reached　the　level　of　our　feet　and　stopped。　　At
  the　far　end　of　this　tunnel；　whose　floor　was　the　polished　rock
  that　had；　a　moment　before；　fitted　hermetically　into　its　roof；
  was　a　low；　narrow　triangular　opening　through　which　light
  streamed。
  〃Nowhere　to　go　but　out！〃　grinned　Larry。　　〃And　I'll　bet
  Golden　Eyes　is　waiting　for　us　with　a　taxi！〃　He　stepped　for…
  ward。　　We　followed；　slipping；　sliding　along　the　glassy　surface；
  and　I；　for　one；　had　a　lively　apprehension　of　what　our　fate
  would　be　should　that　enormous　mass　rise　before　we　had
  emerged！　　We　reached　the　end；　crept　out　of　the　narrow　tri…
  angle　that　was　its　exit。
  We　stood　upon　a　wide　ledge　carpeted　with　a　thick　yellow
  moss。　　I　looked　behindand　clutched　O'Keefe's　arm。　　The
  door　through　which　we　had　come　had　vanished！　　There　was
  only　a　precipice　of　pale　rock；　on　whose　surfaces　great　patches
  of　the　amber　moss　hung；　around　whose　base　our　ledge　ran；
  and　whose　summits；　if　summits　it　had；　were　hidden；　like　the
  luminous　cliffs；　in　the　radiance　above　us。
  〃Nowhere　to　go　but　aheadand　Golden　Eyes　hasn't　kept
  her　date！〃　laughed　O'Keefebut　somewhat　grimly。
  We　walked　a　few　yards　along　the　ledge　and；　rounding　a
  corner；　faced　the　end　of　one　of　the　slender　bridges。　　From　this
  vantage　point　the　oddly　shaped　vehicles　were　plain；　and　we
  could　see　they　were；　indeed；　like　the　shell　of　the　Nautilus　and
  elfinly　beautiful。　　Their　drivers　sat　high　upon　the　forward
  whorl。　　Their　bodies　were　piled　high　with　cushions；　upon
  which　lay　women　half…swathed　in　gay　silken　webs。　　From
  the　pavilioned　gardens　smaller　channels　of　glistening　green
  ran　into　the　broad　way；　much　as　automobile　runways　do　on
  earth；　and　in　and　out　of　them　flashed　the　fairy　shells。
  There　came　a　shout　from　one。　　Its　occupants　had　glimpsed
  us。　They　pointed；　others　stopped　and　stared；　one　shell　turned
  and　sped　up　a　runwayand　quickly　over　the　other　side　of
  the　bridge　came　a　score　of　men。　　They　were　dwarfednone
  of　them　more　than　five　feet　high；　prodigiously　broad　of
  shoulder；　clearly　enormously　powerful。
  〃Trolde！〃　muttered　Olaf；　stepping　beside　O'Keefe；　pistol
  swinging　free　in　his　hand。
  But　at　the　middle　of　the　bridge　the　leader　stopped；　waved
  back　his　men；　and　came　toward　us　alone；　palms　outstretched
  in　the　immemorial；　universal　gesture　of　truce。　　He　paused；
  scanning　us　with　manifest　wonder；　we　returned　the　scrutiny
  with　interest。　　The　dwarf's　face　was　as　white　as　Olaf'sfar
  whiter　than　those　of　the　other　three　of　us；　the　features　clean…
  cut　and　noble；　almost　classical；　the　wide　set　eyes　of　a　curious
  greenish　grey　and　the　black　hair　curling　over　his　head　like
  that　on　some　old　Greek　statue。
  Dwarfed　though　he　was；　there　was　no　suggestion　of　de…
  formity　about　him。　　The　gigantic　shoulders　were　covered　with
  a　loose　green　tunic　that　looked　like　fine　linen。　　It　was　caught
  in　at　the　waist　by　a　broad　girdle　studded　with　what　seemed
  to　be　amazonites。　　In　it　was　thrust　a　long　curved　poniard
  resembling　the　Malaysian　kris。　　His　legs　were　swathed　in　the
  same　green　cloth　as　the　upper　garment。　　His　feet　were
  sandalled。
  My　gaze　returned　to　his　face；　and　in　it　I　found　something
  subtly　disturbing；　an　expression　of　half…malicious　g