Then there came a sound, a rapid, clicking sound, repeated over andover, growing louder, coming nearer.

"They are coming," said Mordel, from beside the entranceway, "themechanical spiders. They are all around us."

Frost moved back to the widened opening.

Hundreds of them, about half the size of Mordel, had surrounded thegallery and were advancing; and more were coming from every direction.

"Get back," Frost ordered. "I am Controller of the North, and I bidyou withdraw."

They continued to advance.

"This is the South," said the Beta-Machine, "and I am in command."

"Then command them to half," said Frost.

"I take orders only from Solcom."

Frost emerged from the gallery and rose into the air. He opened thecompartment and extended a runway.

"Come to me, Mordel. We shall depart."

Webs began to fall: Clinging, metallic webs, cast from the top of thebuilding.

They came down upon Frost, and the spiders came to anchor them. Frostblasted them with jets of air, like hammers, and tore at the nets; heextruded sharpened appendages with which he slashed.

Mordel had retreated back to the entranceway. He emitted a long,shrill sound - undulant, piercing.

Then a darkness came upon Bright Defile, and all the spiders halted intheir spinning.

Frost freed himself and Mordel rushed to join him.

"Quickly now, let us depart, mighty Frost," he said.

"What has happened?"

Mordel entered the compartment.

"I called upon Divcom, who laid down a field of forces upon this place,cutting off the power broadcast to these machines. Since our power isself-contained, we are not affected. But let us hurry to depart, foreven now the Beta-Machine must be struggling against this."

Frost rose high into the air, soaring above Man's last city with itswebs and spiders of steel. When he left the zone of darkness, he sped