“A world’s ransom,” Dard did not know he had spoken aloud. The wild beauty swinging from Kordov’s hand drew him as no man-fashioned thing had done before.
“Any more in there?” asked Kimber. “That’s a large box to hold only one item.”
“We shall see. Girls,” Kordov held out the rope of strange jewels to the two women, “hang on to that.”
Another layer of the packing was pulled out to display a pair of bracelets. This time red stones which Santee identified.
“Them’s rubies! I prospected in the Lunar mountains and found some just like ’em. Good color. What else you. got there, Tas?”
A third layer of packing led to the last and greatest wonder of all-a belt, five inches wide, with a clasp so set in gems as to be just an oval glitter-the belt itself fashioned of rows of tiny crystalline chains.
Trude Harmon tried to clasp it about her waist to discover it would not meet by inches. Nor was Carlee able to wear it either.
“Must have bin mighty slim, the girl what wore that!” Harmon commented.
“Maybe she wasn’t a girl at all,” Carlee said.
And there was something daunting in that thought.