She was barely conscious of Mark and Cynthia and Carston seconds later,
bursting into the room. And of Mark's face mirroring his anxiety as he
hurried to her.
In the same instant she knew that her people's accumulative vibration
had reached an apex of power, and like an avenging fury was turning
_their way--centering on one person in that laboratory room_!
Desperately Aladdian tried to stop it, but she was too near exhaustion
and too late.
Like a concentrated, cosmic javelin of death, that stream of madness
reached Carston alone. He shrieked but once, and leaped wildly, hands
clutching at his temples; then he crumpled to the floor. He had been
blasted to death as suddenly as if a gigantic atom-blast had drilled
him between the eyes.
Not until then, could Aladdian rise wearily to her feet, assisted by
Mark. Sorrowfully she looked at the figure of Carston. Already on
Venus, she knew, thousands lay dead, and perhaps hundreds more had died
in this final vengeful effort.
"They could not forget," she said sadly, "that it was Carston who
hounded me throughout the System to result in my imprisonment at
Paradim; and that it was he who cut the tendons of my wings."
She still clung to Mark's arm, half-supported by him. But despite her
utter weariness and all she had gone through, Aladdian still had eyes
for Cynthia, who stood there, a forlorn, shattered figure, staring down
at the body of Carston.
"Do not mind too much, my dear." Aladdian's voice and heart went out in
pity to the Earth girl. "In a short time you will forget all that has
happened here. Come with us to Venus, I know you will find happiness
there."
"With us?" It was Mark who spoke, his voice a bare whisper of hope.
"Yes, Mark." Aladdian smiled at him, the impish smile he had known in
Paradim. Then from the recesses of her tunic she drew forth a gleaming,
iridescent pearl.
"The purple Josmian!" Mark gasped. "The one I found in the Swamp. I'd
forgotten about it!"
"I kept it for you, Mark, knowing I would need it for this moment. From
lower species to middle order," her smile was impish again, "is not bad
for an Earthman. Take the Josmian now, it's yours; with it I elevate
you to the highest order and--"
But she said no more, for within Mark's arms she was deciding he wasn't
much taller than the average Venusian; no, not a great deal taller, at
all.