Stuart let out his breath in a long sigh. He had no illusions about
the vanishment of the Aesir; he knew he had not conquered those
mighty beings. It would take more than human powers to do that. But
at least he had a respite. All but the most stolid spacemen develop
hypertension, and there seems to be a curious mathematical rule about
that; it increases according to the distance from the Sun. Which may
be explained by the fact that environmental differences also increase
as the outer planets are reached--and alien environments breed alien
creatures. A great many men have gone insane on Pluto....
This was not Pluto; it was nearer Sunward than Jupiter, but the utter
alienage that brooded over Asgard was almost palpable. Even the
solidity under Stuart's feet, the very stones of the planetoid, were
artificially created, by a science a million years beyond that of his
own time. And the Aesir--
Unexpectedly his deep chest shook with laughter. The inexplicable
self-confidence that had first come to him in the Asgard forests had
not waned; it seemed to have grown even stronger since his meeting with
the Aesir giants. Now he stared around the colossal hall, his eyes
straining toward the spot of light far above where those incredible
columns converged. His own insignificance by comparison did not trouble
him.
Whether or not he could have the slightest hope of winning this
game--at least he was giving his enemies a run for their money!
A sound from the pit roused him. Stuart walked warily toward the edge.
The dozen motionless figures were still there, fifty feet below, and
among them was one he had not noticed before--an Earthgirl, he thought,
with curling dark hair framing a white face as she tilted up her chin
and stared at him.
At this distance he could make out few details; she wore a
close-fitting green suit which left slender arms and legs bare.
"Earthman--" she said, in a clear, carrying voice. "Earthman! Quick!
The Aesir will be back--go now! Leave their temple before they--"
"Don't waste your breath," Stuart said. "This is Asgard." Whoever the
girl was, she should know the impossibility of leaving the taboo world.
"If I can find a rope--"