Slowly the paralysis left Bryan. He flexed his limbs stiffly. His muscles ached, as though from cramp.
He went over to the sprawled figures of the man and the girl, then. The man had the same terrible unresponsive limpness as the man Bryan had seen at the hospital. He was beyond any aid Bryan could give.
Bryan turned his attention to the girl in an effort to quicken her return to consciousness. Shortly her eyes opened—then flared with recollection. She glanced swiftly about her, fright twisting at her face.
In the next instant she saw her fallen escort and seemed to realize for the first time that Bryan was a stranger. She went quickly to the other man and lifted his head.
"Tom!" she cried. "Tom! What is the matter?" Horror grew in her voice. "Why don't you answer me?"
Empty eyes that looked sightlessly into the night. Slack gaping lips that did not move.
The girl turned to Bryan with an expression of bewildered grief. "How ... how did this terrible thing happen?"
Bryan hesitated. What he had experienced now seemed too wildly improbable to discuss. The very improbability of it could only add to the girl's suffering. And for a reason he did not fully understand he wanted to keep to himself the knowledge of that strangely lovely apparition whose name, it appeared, was Leeta.
He shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know."
The girl's control seemed to break. She covered her face with her hands, convulsive sobs shaking her.