Paul Avery laughed sharply. "There's something here," he said. "Something alive."
Falken snarled, "Of course, you fool! Those creatures...."
"No. Something else. Something laughing at us."
"Shut up, Avery," said Sheila. "We can't go to pieces now."
"And we can't just stand here glaring." Falken looked out through the rainbow dazzle. "We may as well explore. Perhaps there's another way out."
Avery chuckled, without mirth. "And perhaps there isn't. Perhaps there was never a way in. What happened to it, Falken?"
"Control yourself," said Falken silkily, "or I'll rip off your oxygen valve. All right. Let's go."
They went a long way across the plain in the airless, unechoing silence, slipping on glassy rock, dazzled by the wheeling colors.
Then Falken saw the castle.
It loomed quite suddenly—a bulk of squat wings with queer, twisted turrets and straggling windows. Falken scowled. He was sure he hadn't seen it before. Perhaps the light....