It was the woman in her that had taken alarm. Her hands were pressed together as she held them over the stove. The man understood. She moved away to the window, over which the curtains had not been drawn, and Bull watched her.
"Every respect will be paid you," he said. "You've nothing to fear. When Gouter returns he'll get food, and we'll make the best preparations we can. I've to consider others with more at stake than even I."
"Look!"
The girl had turned. Her eyes were wide with terror. She was pointing at the window, and Bull hurried to her side.
A great fire was raging on the north shore of the Cove. It was the recreation room, that room which Bat had so bitterly come to hate. It was ablaze from end to end, and lit up its neighbourhood so that the scene was of daylight clearness. A horde of human figures were gathered about it, in a struggling, seething mass, and the man realised that a battle was raging, a human battle, whilst the demon of fire was left to work its will.
He stood there, held speechless by the thing he beheld.
"What is it? What does it mean?"
Panic drove the questions to the girl's lips. And she turned in an agony of appeal to the man beside her.
"It means the work of the Skandinavia has been well and truly done."