At that instant something happened. Harry Wendel caught him by the shoulder. He pointed to the suspended stone.
It was moving!
It was revolving, almost imperceptibly, like some vast wheel turning on its axis. So slowly did it rotate, the motion would have escaped attention were it not for the gems and their brilliance.
Suddenly it came to a stop, short and quick, as though it had dropped into a notch. And from above they heard the deep, solemn clang of the temple bell.
“What is that?” asked Harry, startled. “Who moved the stone?”
“Can it be,” flashed Chick, “that Hobart Fenton has found the keys?”
“That remains to be seen!” from the doctor. “Come—we must find out what has happened!”
Within a minute they knew. As they came out of the private door on the now emptied floor of the great temple, they saw the senior queen, the Nervina, coming down the great stairway from the Spot of Life.
“What is it?” called Harry, apprehensively.
“The Aradna!” she replied. Her voice was curiously strained. “Something happened, and—she has fallen through the Spot!”