The Shadow Girl by Ray Cummings

Lea and San -- after Alan and Lentz left them -- kept watch in the tower. They talked together in their own language.

"How long do you think, brother, that they will be gone?"

"Until dawn perhaps. We can only hope for the best. Alan is resourceful -- he got you away from Turber, Lea."

They could not guess what Alan and Lentz would do to rescue Nanette and me. They discussed Lentz. A fellow of their own Time-world. Their father had always put great trust in him. But Lentz had known Turber there. Was he a traitor now? A fellow in the pay of Turber? There had been several little things which Alan had brought to light -- things to make them suspicious of Lentz. And they knew Alan did not trust him.

The hours passed. The forest was a black wall of silence about the tower. Lea often stood in the doorway, staring out. Small, graceful figure in flowing blue robe and golden hair. We had seen her on the television like that -- our first sight of her.

San would not be still. As always when the tower was at rest in a strange Time-world, he constantly paced the room; peering alternately from each of its windows; always within a few feet of the tower controls so that at any hostile sign outside, in a second or two the tower would speed away.

Time dragged by. Lea grew increasingly worried. Alan should be back by now.

"If he would have taken me," she said. "You remember, San, when we were here once before? There was an old chief -- Silver Water, you remember? I could have got him then to help me try for Turber in one of Turber's passings. But you would not let me."

"You are over-bold, Lea. " San shrugged. "I am helpless -- always here with the tower."

"I could, tonight, have enlisted a band of these Indians," she said. "They worshiped me for a goddess -- the 'God of Magic,' old Silver Water called the tower."

The Indians had been prostrate before the tower, that other night, and from its steps Lea had talked to them, while San watched at the controls.

"That was one thing," he said. "Safe enough. But to have you leave -- tonight -- off in these woods to try and find your friendly, gullible Indians -- too dangerous, Lea. Alan knew it. He was right."

She presently mounted the tower, while San remained alert below. From the top she could see the Turber camp fire. And the Indian fire to the southeast.

Silence. And then, far away to the south where the pale-face city held the southern tip of the island, Lea thought she heard a shot. Then another. But they were very faint.

Dark spread of silent woods! What was going on out there? The shots were Alan firing at Lentz when we discovered his treachery. But Lea could not know that.

The Hudson River shone in the starlight. Lea saw a huge Indian canoe moving south toward the glow of light which marked the location of the Turber aero. It was one of the canoes bringing in the Turber treasure. But that, too, she did not know.

She went down again and joined San. They waited through what seemed another interminable period.

"We must leave at dawn," said San.

But Lea shook her head. "We will not leave until we know Turber has left -- and Alan has failed."

And there was the chance that Alan and Lentz would be in the woods, and return at last, unsuccessful.