Part 5 (2/2)
”And what, Physician, are the death-hounds?”
”Certain dogs to which, according to our ancient custoainst the law or the will of the Khan, are cast to be torn to pieces”
”The will of the Khan! Has this Khania of yours a husband then?”
”Aye,” he answered, ”her cousin, as the ruler of half the land Now they and the land are one But you have talked enough; I am here to say that your food is ready,” and he turned to leave the room
”One more question, friend Simbri How came I to this chamber, and where is my companion?”
”You were borne hither in your sleep, and see, the change has bettered you Do you re at all,” I answered earnestly ”But what of my friend?”
”He also is better The Khania Atene nurses hiyptian name It means the Disk of the Sun, and a woo was famous for her beauty”
”Well, and is not my niece Atene beautiful?”
”How can I tell, O uncle of the Khania,” I answered wearily, ”who have scarcely seen her?”
Then he departed, and presently his yellow-faced, silent servants brought ain, and through it, unattended, came the Khania Atene, who shut and bolted it behind her This action did not reassurein h at heart I was afraid She seemed to read my doubts for she said-”Lie down, and have no fear At present you will come by no harm from me Now, tell me what is the ive ht that it was so born, Khania Yet you are right; he is but my adopted son, and a man whom I love”
”Say, what seek you here?” she asked
”We seek, Khania, whatsoever Fate shall bring us on yonder Mountain, that which is croith flame”
Her face paled at the words, but she answered in a steady voice-”Then there you will find nothing but doom, if indeed you do not find it before you reach its slopes, which are guarded by savage e of Hes, and to violate its Sanctuary is death to anyfire”
”And who rules this college, Khania-a priestess?”
”Yes, a priestess, whose face I have never seen, for she is so old that she veils herself from curious eyes”
”Ah! she veils herself, does she?” I answered, as the blood went thrilling through my veins, I who remembered another who also was so old that she veiled herself from curious eyes ”Well, veiled or unveiled, ould visit her, trusting to find that we are welcome”
”That you shall not do,” she said, ”for it is unlawful, and I will not have your blood upon er,” I asked of her, ”you, Khania, or this priestess of the Mountain?”
”I aer, Holly, for so you are named, are you not? Look you, at my need I can suht but her priests and the fierce, untrained tribes”
”The sword is not the only power in the world,” I answered ”Tell me, now, does this priestess ever visit the country of Kaloon?”
”Never, never, for by the ancient pact, o between the College and the people of the Plain, it was decreed and sworn to that should she set her foot across the river, this means war to the end between us, and rule for the victor over both Likewise, save when unguarded they bear their dead to burial, or for soh purpose, no Khan or Khania of Kaloon ascends the Mountain”
”Which then is the true e of Hes?” I asked again
”In matters spiritual, the priestess of Hes, who is our Oracle and the voice of Heaven In matters temporal, the Khan of Kaloon”
”The Khan Ah! you are married, lady, are you not?”
”Aye,” she answered, her face flushi+ng ”And I will tell you what you soon must learn, if you have not learned it already, I am the wife of a madman, and he is-hateful to me”
”I have earned the last already, Khania”
She looked ateyes
”What! Did my uncle, the Shaman, he who is called Guardian, tell you? Nay, you saw, as I knew you saw, and it would have been best to slay you for, oh! what must you think of me?”
I made no answer, for in truth I did not knohat to think, also I feared lest further rash adeance
”You must believe,” she went on, ”that I, who have ever hated men, that I-I swear that it is true-whose lips are purer than those mountain snows, I, the Khania of Kaloon, who” And, covering her face with her hand, she moaned in the bitterness of her distress
”Nay,” I said, ”there ive them”
”Wanderer, there are such reasons; and since you know so much, you shall learn them also Like that husband of mine, I have becoged him from the river, ested ”Well, such things have happened before to people ere not mad”
”Oh!” she went on, ”it was ht I knew not what I did A Power drove me on; a Destiny compelled me, and to the end I am his, and his alone Yes, I am his, and I swear that he shall be h under the conditions, she turned and fled the roole, for such it was, I sank back exhausted How came it that this sudden passion had ain, and-this was more to the point, who and ould Leo believe her to be? If only I could be with him before he said words or did deeds i which time I saw no more of the Khania, who, or so I was informed by Simbri, the Shauests I begged hih with much firrew suspicious, fearing lest soh how to discover the truth I knew not In my anxiety I tried to convey a note to hiained pocket-book, but the yellow-faced servant refused to touch it, and Sis which he could not read At length, on the third night I made up my mind that whatever the risk, with leave or without it, I would try to find him
By this tiain So about ht, I crept fro a knife, which was the only weapon I possessed, opened the door of my room and started
Nohen I was carried froether, I took note of the way First, reckoning fro, for I had counted the footfalls of my bearers Then cae, and lastly near certain steps running to soht which led to our old chae I walked stealthily, and although it was pitch dark, found the turn to the left, and followed it till I caallery from which rose the stairs I crept round it only to retreat hastily enough, as well I ht, for at the door of Leo's roo on the outside, as I could see by the light of the lamp that she held in her hand, stood the Khania herself
My first thought was to fly back tosure that I should be seen Therefore I determined, if she discoveredto find Leo, and to learn how he fared So I crouched against the wall, and waited with a beating heart I heard her sweep down the passage, and-yes-begin to mount the stair
Nohat should I do? To try to reach Leo was useless, for she had locked the door with the key she held Go back to bed? No, I would follow her, and if we s, or perhaps-a dagger thrust
So round the corner and up the steps I went, noiselessly as a snake They were th I ca, and opening froht streah cracks where its panels had rotted, and from the room beyond came the sound of voices, those of the Shaht, my niece?” I heard him say, and also heard her answer--”A little A very little”