The Shadow Girl by Ray Cummings

In the tower, Alan, with Lea, San, and Lentz, came speeding back to this night in 1664. San plunged the tower to its swiftest pace -- the trip seemed less than an hour.

At first they sat in the lower room. Alan could not make up his mind about Lentz. The fellow appeared loyal enough. Anxious to help; and certainly his presence was an advantage. But Alan determined to watch him closely, always.

Both Lea and San were startled at Lentz's appearance in the tower. That was obvious; and several times Alan seemed to read in their expressions that they, too, were suspicious of the man.

Lentz interpreted:

"San must stay always with the tower. He wants me to be sure you understand that."

"Yes, I do."

"And Lea says she will go with you -- "

The Turber aero was on the river bank not much more than a mile from where the tower would land. It was Alan's plan to try and creep up on it.

"What weapons have you? " Lentz asked.

Alan showed him the revolver. Lentz reached to take it.

"No," said Alan. "I'll keep it. What have you?"

Lentz had a knife -- a long, thin blade in a sheath. Alan wondered what else. For an instant he had an impulse to search the fellow. But he decided it would be a wrong move. He smiled.

"That might be handier than mine. Mine makes a noise. You'll go with me, Lentz?"

"Yes. That is what I think best. I have so often seen this forest with the instruments -- I can guide you."

"And -- me? " said Lea.

"You stay here," said Alan decisively.

She burst into a flood of words to Lentz.

"She says she speaks the dialect of these Indians of 1664. She has studied it in the dead-language books -- She can talk to the Indians. She stopped there once -- they thought she was a goddess."

Lea said: "Yes. Yes -- magic -- this tower."

"She means," said Lentz, "they saw the tower. It was magic to them -- she says, if we meet any band of savages she can get them to help us."