supreme importance. One incautious moment and she would die speedily, for the leaders of the Faith feared one thing only, El-ve-dyn, and if they suspected—

By a stroke of good fortune the room in which she was kept in luxurious captivity adjoined the larger one in which Marion and his companion held most of their conversations. Eldyn overheard everything, from endless plotting to lovemaking.

Wyr boasted endlessly, egged on by Marion's open adulation and flattery, of the deepening plight of the Rebels. The slave pits below the Fortress were filling rapidly. In fact so many Rebels were being captured that no more Puva slaves were being processed. Eldyn clenched her fist in helpless anger, and a nagging worry began to haunt her.

One thing puzzled Marion. Several of the Luvans hadof reassurance, but she dared display no sign of understanding as she gazed at the tensely-expectant people who were gathering.

'Marion,' she asked, her voice childishly high and naive. 'What is this place? Why did you bring me here?'

Marion leaned close. 'To kill Victoria!' he hissed in her ear. 'See her over there?'

Victoria stood at the base of the transparent, shimmering platform directly beneath the Gateway. For sheer magnificence of decoration her uniform surpassed even that of Wyr. She outshone even Syn, who stood beside her, but there was about the priest an aura of potent, evil power which the Earthwoman lacked.

Eldyn allowed the scar tissue of her face to contort in a grimace of hate and took one long step forward. But Marion's hand detained her and he