"But I--want to talk. I have--only a few minutes. Just these--last few minutes--I want to talk to my--Princess Maida. You'll--excuse us--the Princess Maida and me--won't you? Just for these last--few minutes?"

We withdrew beyond his fading sight.

"My--Princess Maida----"

His voice still reached us. She leaned closer over him. Her tears were falling now, but as she spoke she strove for calmness.

"Wolfgar----"

His eyes were glazing, but they dung to her. "Princess----"

"No," she said. "Just Maida--your friend. The woman you have given your life for." Her voice almost broke. "Oh, Wolfgar! Never shall I forget that. To give your life----"

"It is--a great honor." The gesture he made to check her words of thanks exhausted him. His eyes closed; for a moment he seemed not to breathe.

As Maida leaned down in alarm, her beautiful white hair tumbled forward over her shoulders. A lock of it brushed Wolfgar. He could not lift his hands, but they groped for the tresses, found them and clung. Her white waves of hair, with his fingers, shriveled, burned black, entwined in them.

Again his eyelids came up. "You won't leave me--Princess Maida. Not for these--last few minutes?"

"No," she half whispered.

"You--cannot--if you would." His whimsical smile returned. "You see? I am--holding you."

For a moment he was silent. His eyes stayed open, staring dully at her.

His face and lips were drained now of their blood.

"You're--still there?"

"Yes, Wolfgar."

"Yes--of course I know you are. But I--cannot see you very well--now.

You look--so far away."

She put her face down quite close to him. Her eyes were br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears.

"Oh--yes," he said. "That's better--much better. Now I can--see you--very plainly. I was thinking--I wanted to--tell you something.

It--wouldn't be right to tell you--except that I'll soon--be gone where it won't make any difference."

He gathered all his last remaining strength. "I--love you--Princess Maida."

She forced a gentle smile through her tears. "Yes, Wolfgar."

"I mean," he persisted, "not as my Princess--just as--a woman.

The--woman I've always loved. That's been my secret. You see? It would--always have been--my secret--the little Mars man Wolfgar--in love with his Princess Maida. You--don't think it too impertinent of me--do you? I mean--confessing it now--just at--the end?"

"No," she whispered. "No, Wolfgar."

"Thank you--very much." His breath exhaled with a faint sigh. "Thank you--very much. I wanted to tell you that--before I--go. And--if you wouldn't mind--I want to--call you--just Maida."

"Just Maida, Wolfgar. Yes, of course, I want you to call me that." Her voice was broken. She brushed away her tears that he might not notice them.

"Yes," he agreed. His staring eyes were trying to see her. "My Maida.

You're--very beautiful--my Maida. I--wonder--you see, I'm taking advantage of you--I wonder if you'd say you--love me? I'd be so happy--just to hear you say it."

As I sat there behind them, I prayed then that she might say it.

"I love you, Wolfgar."

"Oh," he whispered. "You _did_ say it! My Maida says that she loves me!"

Happiness transfigured his livid face. But his smile was whimsical still. "You're--very kind to me. Please--say it again."

"I love you, Wolfgar."

"Yes--that's how I always dreamed it would sound.

I--love--you--Wolfgar."

His voice trailed away; a film was settling over his staring eyes. Then again his lips moved. "Maida says--'I love you, Wolfgar' ... I'm--so happy...."

Quite suddenly she realized that he was gone. Her pent-up emotion came with a sob.

"Wolfgar! My friend--my wonderful, loyal friend--don't die, Wolfgar!

Don't die!"

CHAPTER XIX

_Waters of Eternal Peace_

Little Wolfgar was gone. It seemed at first very strange, unreal. It lay a shadow of grief upon our spirits, for many hours a deeper shadow than all those grave events impending upon which hung the fate of three worlds.

Tarrano ordered for Wolfgar a public burial of ceremony and honor in the waters of eternal peace--ordered it for that same evening. Once again Tarrano demonstrated the strangeness of his nature. His arrival to take possession of Venus had been made the occasion of a great festival. "The Water Festival," they called it, which was held only at times of universal public rejoicing. It was planned now to do honor to Tarrano--planned for this same evening. But he postponed it a night; tonight was for Wolfgar.

We were still captives in Tarrano's hands, as we had been on Earth in Venia. Yet here in the Great City of Venus a curious situation arose.

Tarrano himself explained it to us that afternoon. An embarra.s.sing situation for him, he termed it.

"Very embarra.s.sing," he said, with eyes that smiled at us quizzically.

"Just for your ears alone, you understand, I am willing to admit that I must handle these Great City people very carefully. You, Princess Maida--you are greatly beloved of your people."

"Yes," she said.

He nodded. "For that reason they would not like to know you are virtually a captive. And you, Georg Brende--really, they are beginning to look on you as a savior--to save them from disease and death. It is rather unflattering to me----"

He broke off, then with sudden decision added:

"Soon you two will realize that to join me will be your best course. And best for all the worlds, for it will bring to them all peace and health and happiness.... No, I ask no decision from you now. Nor from you, Lady Elza." His gaze softened as he regarded her--softened almost to a quant.i.ty of wistfulness. "_You_ know, Lady Elza, for what I am striving.

I may--indeed I shall--conquer the worlds. But you hold in the palm of your little white hand, my real reward.... Enough!"