Part 12 (1/2)
The priests of her College, he informed us, numbered three hundred, never more nor less, and there were also three hundred priestesses Certain of those who desired it were allowed to eneration of priests and priestesses Thus they were a people apart from all others, with distinct racial characteristics This, indeed, was evident, for our escort were all exceedingly like to each other, very handsome and refined in appearance, with dark eyes, clean-cut features and olive-hued skins; such a people as h blood, with a dash of that of the Egyptians and Greeks thrown in
We asked hihty looped pillar that towered from the topmost cup of the Mountain was the work of men He answered, No; the hand of Nature had fashi+oned it, and that the light shi+ning through it came from the fires which burned in the crater of the volcano The first priestess, having recognized in this gigantic coluyptian worshi+p, established her altars beneath its shadow
For the rest, the Mountain with its hty slopes and borderlands was peopled by a e folk, who accepted the rule of the Hesea, bringing her tribute of all things necessary, such as food and rain however the priests raised themselves on sheltered farms, and the metals they worked with their own hands This rule, however, was of a ht no conquests and the Mother contented herself with punishi+ng crime in some such fashi+on as we had seen For the petty wars between the Tribes and the people of the Plain they were not responsible, and those chiefs who carried them on were deposed, unless they had themselves been attacked All the Tribes, however, were sworn to the defence of the Hesea and the College, and, however st themselves, if need arose, were ready to die for her to the last ain between the priests of the Mountain and the people of Kaloon was recognized; therefore they endeavoured to be prepared for that great and final struggle
Such was the gist of his history, which, as we learned afterwards, proved to be true in every particular
Towards sundoe ca over many thousand acres, situated beneath the snow-line of the peak and filled with rich soil washed down, I suppose, frouration and the over-hangingits altitude it produced corn and other tee had its farreat cup, which could not be seen froateway, that ainst a host
There were other peculiarities, but it is not necessary to describe them further than to say that I think the soil benefited by the natural heat of the volcano, and that when this erupted, as happened occasionally, the lava streams always passed to the north and south of the cup of land Indeed, it was these lava strea the garden-like lands, we came to a small town beautifully built of lava rock Here dwelt the priests, except those ere on duty, noallowed to set foot within the place
Following the main street of this toe arrived at the face of the precipice beyond, and found ourselves in front of a vast archway, closed withmy horse with thereat gates swung back upon their hinges We passed theroped our way down a short corridor which ended in tall, iron-covered doors These also rolled open at our approach, and next instant we staggered back aht within
Iine, you who read, the nave of the vastest cathedral hich you are acquainted Then double or treble its size, and you will have some conception of that te it had been a cave, who can say? but now its sheer walls, itsto the arched roof far above us, had all been worked on and fashi+oned by the labour ofdead; doubtless the old fire-worshi+ppers of thousands of years ago
You onder how so great a place was lighted, but I think that never would you guess Thus-by twisted coluhteen of the fro the lines of what in a cathedral would be the aisles Right to the roof they sprang, of even height and girth, so fierce was the force of the natural gas that drove theh chiive off sreat, cold place, any heat which could be noticed, only an intense white light like that of ry snakes
The huge temple was utterly deserted, and, save for this sybilant, pervading sound, utterly silent; an aweso place
”Do these candles of yours ever go out?” asked Leo of Oros, placing his hand before his dazzled eyes
”How can they,” replied the priest, in his s that they rise from the eternal fire which the builders of this hall worshi+pped? Thus they have burned froh, if ish it, we can shut off their light[] Be pleased to follow s”
[] This, as I ascertained afterwards, was done by thrusting a broad stone of great thickness over the apertures through which the gas or fire rushed and thus cutting off the air
These stones orked to and fro by means of pulleys connected with iron rods-L H H
So in awed silence we followed, and, oh! how ss looked alone in that vast te radiance We reached the end of it at length, only to find that to right and left ran transepts on a like gigantic scale and lit in the sa fashi+on Here Oros bade us halt, and aited a little while, till presently, fro, and we perceived thite-robed processions advancing towards us from their depths
On they caht was a company of priests, and that to the left a company of priestesses, a hundred or so of theed theed thenal fro hyallery closed at the end with double wooden doors As our procession reached these they opened, and before us lay the crowning wonder of this marvellous fane, a vast, ellipse-shaped apse Noe understood The plan of the temple was the plan of the looped pillar which stood upon the brow of the Peak, and as we rightly guessed, its dimensions were the same
At intervals around this ellipse the fiery columns flared, but otherwise the place was empty
No, not quite, for at the head of the apse, almost between two of the flame columns, stood a plain, square altar of the size of a small roo curtains of woven silver thread On this altar was placed a large statue of silver, that, backed as it was by the black rock, seemed to concentrate and reflect fro pillars
It was a lovely thing, but to describe it is hard indeed The figure, which inged, represented a draped woracious fors Sheltered by these, yet shown between thee of a male child, clasped to its bearer's breast with her left arht was raised toward the sky A study of Motherhood, evidently, but how shall I write of all that was conveyed by those graven faces?
To begin with the child It was that of a sturdy boy, full of health and the joy of life Yet he had been sleeping, and in his sleep some terror had over-shadowed him with the dark shades of death and evil There was fear in the lines of his sweet mouth and on the lips and cheeks, that seemed to quiver He had thrown his little arainst her breast, looked up to her for safety, his right hand and outstretched finger pointing doards and behind hier caotten, for the upturned eyes expressed confidence renewed, peace of soul attained
And the mother She did not seem to mock or chide his fears, for her lovely face was anxious and alert Yet upon it breathed a very at tenderness and power invincible; care for the helpless, strength to shelter it froreat, cal some tale of hope, sure and immortal; the raised hand revealed whence that hope arose All love seeure, so human, yet so celestial; all heaven sees And see, the arching instep, the upward-springing foot, suggested that thither those wings were bound, bearing their God-given burden far froeless rest above
The statue was only that of an affrighted child in its mother's arms; its interpretation made clear even to the dullest by the sienius-Huazed at its enchanting beauty, the priests and priestesses, filing away to right and left, arranged themselves alternately, first aof the colureat was its circumference that the whole hundred of theht, researments, while their chant of worshi+p reached us only like echoes thrown from a far precipice In short, the effect of this holy shrine and its occupants was superb yet overwhel akin to fear
Oros waited till the last priest had reached his appointed place Then he turned and said, in his gentle, reverent tones-”Draw nigh, now, O Wanderers well-beloved, and give greeting to the Mother,” and he pointed towards the statue
”Where is she?” asked Leo, in a whisper, for here we scarcely dared to speak aloud ”I see no one”
”The Hesea dwells yonder,” he answered, and, taking each of us by the hand, he led us forward across the great emptiness of the apse to the altar at its head
As we drew near the distant chant of the priests gathered in volulad, triuh this, perhaps was fancy-that the light frohter
At length ere there, and, Oros, loosing our hands, prostrated hiain, and, falling behind us, stood in silence with bent head and folded fingers We stood silent also, our hearts filled with led hope and fear like a cup ine
Were our labours ended? Had we found her e sought, or e, perchance, but enmeshed in the web of some marvellous mummery and about to make acquaintance with the secret of another new and mystical worshi+p? For years and years we had searched, enduring every hardness of flesh and spirit that man can suffer, and noere to learn whether we had endured in vain Yes, and Leo would learn if the promise was to be fulfilled to him, or whether she whoht for only beyond the gate of Death Little wonder that he trereat suspense
Long, long was the ties, aeons, see silver curtains that hid the front of the black altar beneath the e which was its guardian, clothed with that frozen smile of eternal love and pity All the past went before us as we struggled in those dark waters of our doubt Itean in the Caves of Kor, for our thoughts, so long attuned, were open to each other and flashed from soul to soul
Oh! noe knew, they were open also to another soul We could see nothing save the Altar and the Effigy, we could only hear the slow chant of the priests and priestesses and the snake-like hiss of the rushi+ng fires Yet we knew that our hearts were as an open book to One atched beneath the Mother's shadoings
CHAPTER XIV
THE COURT OF DEATH
Now the curtains were open Before us appeared a chamber hollowed from the thickness of the altar, and in its centre a throne, and on the throne a figure clad in waves of billohite flowing from the head over the arms of the throne down to its marble steps We could see no more in the comparative darkness of that place, save that beneath the folds of the drapery the Oracle held in its hand a loop-shaped, jewelled sceptre
Moved by so ourselves, and there re as of little bells, and, looking up, saw that the sistrum-shaped sceptre was stretched towards us by the draped arht that it trembled a little It spoke in Greek, but in a reet you, Wanderers, who have journeyed so far to visit this h doubtless of some other faith, are not ashamed to do reverence to that unworthy one who is for this tiuardian of its mysteries Rise now and have no fear of er and servants to conduct you to this Sanctuary?”
Sloe rose, and stood silent, not knohat to say
”I greet you, Wanderers,” the voice repeated ”Tell me thou”-and the sceptre pointed towards Leo-”how art thou named?”
”I am named Leo Vincey,” he answered
”Leo Vincey! I like the naoodly And thou, the companion of-Leo Vincey?”
”I am named Horace Holly”
”So Then tell me, Leo Vincey and Horace Holly, what came ye so far to seek?”
We looked at each other, and I said-”The tale is long and strange O-but by what title must we address thee?”
”By the na what name she bore elsewhere