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Nightmare！Imagination！No，thesepalebeforethatscenewhichitwasgiventoourhumaneyestowitness。
Andallthewhile，bending，bowingtowardsus——awayfromus——
makingobeisancetothepathinfrontasthoughingreeting，tothepathbehindasthoughinfarewell；instinctwithahorriblelife，withahideousandgiganticgrace，thattitanicTerrorwhirledonwardstothemarkoffate。
Atthemomentnothingcouldpersuademethatitwasnotaliveanddidnotknowitsawfulmission。Visionsflashedacrossmymind。Ithoughtofthepeoplesoftheworldsleepingintheirbeds，orgoingabouttheirbusiness，orengagedevenintheworkofwar。Ithoughtoftheshipsupontheseassteamingsteadilytowardstheirfar—offports。ThenIthoughtofwhatpresentlymighthappentothem，ofthetremorsfollowedbyconvulsions，ofthesuddencrashingdownofcities，suchaswehadseeninthepictureYvashowedusintheTemple，oftheinflowofthewatersofthedeeppiledupinmightywaves，ofthewoeanddesolationasoftheendoftheworld，andofthequiet，followingdeath。SoIthoughtandinmyheartprayedtothegreatArch—ArchitectoftheUniversetostretchoutHisArmtoavertthisfearsomeruinofHishandiwork。
Oroglared，histhinfingerstightenedtheirgripupontherod，hishairandlongbeardseemedtobristlewithfuriousanddelightedexcitement。Thepurple—fringedrimoftheMonsterhadlongovershadowedthewhitedpatchofrock；itsgrindingfootwasscarcetenyardsaway。OromademoresignstoYvawho，beneaththeshelterofhershield，againbentdownanddidsomethingthatIcouldnotsee。Then，asthoughherpartwereplayed，sherose，drewthegreyhoodofhercloakallaboutherfacesothathereyesaloneremainedvisible，tookonesteptowardsmeandinthebrokenEnglishwehadtaughther，calledintomyear。
"Humphrey，Godyoubless！Humphrey，wemeetsoon。Forgetnotme！"
ShesteppedbackagainbeforeIcouldattempttoanswer，andnextinstantwithahideous，concentratedeffort，Orobendinghimselfdouble，thrustupontherod，asIcouldseefromhisopenmouth，shoutingwhilehethrust。
Atthesamemoment，withaswiftspring，Yvaleaptimmediatelyinfrontofthelensorwindow，sothatthemetallicshieldwithwhichshecoveredherselfpressedagainstitssubstance。
SimultaneouslyOroflunguphisarmsasthoughinhorror。
Toolate！Theshutterfellandfrombehindittheresprangoutarushoflivingflame。ItstruckonYva’sshieldandexpandedtorightandleft。Theinsulatedshieldandgarmentsthatsheworeseemedtoresistit。Forafractionoftimeshestoodtherelikeaglowingangel，wrappedinfire。
Thenshewassweptoutwardsandupwardsandatalittledistancedissolvedlikeaghostandvanishedfromoursight。
Yvawasashes！Yvawasgone！Thesacrificewasconsummated！
Andnotinvain！Notinvain！Onherpoorbreastshehadreceivedthefullblastofthathellishlightningflash。Yetwhilstdestroying，itturnedawayfromher，seekingthefreepathsoftheair。Soitcameaboutthatitsobstructedstrengthstruckthefootofthetravellinggyroscope，diffusedanddidnotsufficetothrustitthatonenecessaryinchonwhichdependedthefateofhalftheworld，ormissingitaltogether，passedawayoneitherside。Evensothehuge，gleamingmountainrockedandtrembled。Once，twice，thrice，itboweditselftowardsusasthoughinmajestichomagetogreatnesspassedaway。Forasecond，too，itscoursewaschecked，andatthechecktheearthquakedandtrembled。Yes，thentheworldshook，andtheblueglobesoffirewentout，whileIwasthrowntotheground。
Whentheyreturnedagain，theflamingmonsterwasoncemoresailingmajesticallyuponitswayanddowntheaccustomedleft—handpath！
Indeedthesacrificewasnotinvain。Theworldshook——butYvahadsavedtheworld！
ChapterXXVI
TommyIlaystillawhile，onmybackasIhadfallen，andbeneaththeshield—likedefencewhichYvahadgiventome。
Notwithstandingthefire—resisting，metalisedstuffofwhichitwasmade，Inotedthatitwastwistedandalmostburntthrough。
Doubtlessthestored—upelectricityorearthmagnetism，orwhateveritmayhavebeenthathadleaptoutofthathole，beingdiffusedbytheresistancewithwhichitwasmet，hadgrazedmewithitsouteredge，andhaditnotbeenfortheshieldandcloak，Ialsoshouldhavebeenburnedup。Iwished，oh！howI
wishedthatithadbeenso。Then，bynowallmusthavefinishedandIshouldhaveknownthetruthastowhatawaitsusbeyondthechange：sleep，ordreams，orperchancethefullestlife。AlsoI
shouldnothavelearnedalone。
Lyingtherethus，idly，asthoughinahalf—sleep，IfeltTommylickingmyface，andthrowingmyarmaboutthepoorlittlefrightenedbeast，Iwatchedthegreatworld—balanceasitretreatedonitseternaljourney。Atonetimeitsvastprojectingrimhadovershadowedusandalmostseemedtotouchthecliffofrockagainstwhichweleant。Irememberthattheeffectofthatshiningarchathousandfeetorsoaboveourheadswaswonderful。
Itremindedmeofacanopyofblackestthundercloudssupporteduponaframeworkofwheelingrainbows，whilebeneathitallthechildrenofthedevilshoutedtogetherinjoy。InotedthiseffectonlyafewsecondsbeforeYvaspoketomeandleaptintothepathoftheflash。
Now，however，itwasfaraway，amereflamingwheelthatbecamegraduallysmaller，anditsSatanicvoicesweregrowingfaint。AsIhavesaid，Iwatcheditsdisappearanceidly，reflectingthatI
shouldneverlookuponitslikeagain；alsothatitwassomethingwellworthgoingforthtosee。ThenIbecameawarethatthehumming，howlingdinhaddecreasedsufficientlytoenablemetohearhumanvoiceswithouteffort。BastinwasaddressingBickley——
likemyselftheywerebothupontheground。
"Hertranslation，asyoumayhavenoticed，Bickley，ifyouwerenottoofrightened，wasreallyveryremarkable。Nodoubtitwillhaveremindedyou，asitdidme，ofthatofElijah。ShehadexactlytheappearanceofapersongoinguptoHeaveninavehicleoffire。Thedestinationwascertainlythesame，andeventhecloaksheworeaddedafamiliartouchandincreasedthesimilarity。"
"Atanyrateitdidnotfalluponyou，"answeredBickleywithsomethinglikeasob，inavoiceofmingledaweandexasperation。
"Forgoodness’sake！Bastin，stopyourBiblicalparallelsandletusadore，yes，letusadorethedivinestcreaturethattheearthhasborne！"
NeverhaveIlovedBickleymorethanwhenIheardhimutterthosewords。
"’Divinest’isalargeterm，Bickley，andonetowhichI
hesitatetosubscribe，rememberingasIdocertainoftheprophetsandtheEarlyFatherswithalltheirfaults，notofcoursetomentiontheApostles。But——"herehepaused，forsuddenlyallthreeofusbecameawareofOro。
Healsohasbeenthrowntothegroundbythestrengthoftheprisonedforceswhichhegatheredandloosedupontheirunholyerrand，but，asIrejoicedtoobserve，hadsufferedfromthemmuchmorethanourselves。Doubtlessthiswasowingtothefactthathehadsprungforwardinalastwildefforttosavehisdaughter，ortopreventherfrominterferingwithhisexperiment，Iknownotwhich。Asaresulthisrightcheekwasmuchscorched，hisrightarmwaswitheredandhelpless，andhismagnificentbeardwashalfburntoffhim。Further，veryevidentlyhewassufferingfromsevereshock，forherockeduponhisfeetandshooklikeanaspenleaf。Allthis，however，didnotinterferewiththelivelinessofhisgriefandrage。
Therehestood，atoweringshape，likealightning—smittenstatue，andcursedus，especiallyBastin。
"Mydaughterhasgone！"hecried，"burnedupbythefierypowerthatismyservant。Nothingremainsofherbutdust，and，Priest，thisisyourdoing。Youpoisonedherheartwithyourchildishdoctrinesofmercyandsacrifice，andtherest，sothatshethrewherselfintothepathoftheflashtosavesomemiserableracesthatshehadneverevenknown。"
Hepausedexhausted，whereonBastinansweredhimwithspirit：
"Yes，Oro，shebeingaholy
