Part 43 (1/2)

”A friend is a friend, but a brother is a rival,” says the East, out of world-old experience, and in some ways Russia is more eastern than the East itself

”Muhammad Anim shall answer to you for your brother's head!” she said with a little nod, as if she wereconcessions to a child ”At present we need hiht time After that he will be in the way! You shall name his death-Earth's Drink-slow torture-fire! Will that content you?”

”No,” he said, with a dry laugh

”What more can you ask?”

”Less! My brother died at the head of his men He couldn't ask more Let Bull-with-a-beard alone”

She set both elbows on her knees and laid her chin on both hands to stare at hiotten schoolboy lore about cheents, that dissolve ic of her eyes There were no eyes like hers that he had ever seen, although Rewa Gunga's had been soht of the Rangar no sooner crossed his a met you in the dark, beyond those outer curtains, did he not?”

He nodded

”Did he tell you that if you pass the curtains you shall be told all I know?”

He nodded again, and she laughed

”It would take time to tell you all I know! First, I think I will show you things Afterward you shall ask me questions, and I will answer them!”

She stood up, and of course he stood up, too So, she on the footstool of the throne, her eyes and his were on a level She laid hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes until he could see his oin portraits in hers that were glowing sunset pools Heart of the Hills? The Heart of all the East see me?” she asked hi her As she knew the truth, she was telling it to hi her skillful best to mesmerize hiainst that

”Co down she took his arm

She led him past the thrones to other leather curtains in a wall, and through thees from cavern into cavern, until even the Rock of Gibraltar seemed like a doll's house in comparison

In one cave there were piles of javelins that had been stacked there by the Sleeper and his men In another were sheaves of arrows; and in one were spears in racks against a wall There were es made fast into the rock where a hundred horses could have stood in line

She showed hies, where the bronze had been worked, with charcoal still piled up against the wall at one end There were copper and tin ingots in there of a shape he had never seen

”I knohere they came from,” she told him ”I have s the Hillot! I know old workings that would make a modern nation rich! We shall have money e need it, never fear! We shall conquer India while the English backs are turned and the best troops are oversea We will bring a hundred thousand slaves back here to work our old and tin, ill lish off when they are free to turn this way again The English will do anything for money! They will be in debt when this war is over, and their price will be less then than now!”

She laughed merrily at him because his face showed that he did not appreciate that stricture Then she called hi passage, holding his hand all the way, to show him slots cut in the floor for the use of archers

”You entered Khinjan Caves by a tunnel under this floor, Well-beloved There is no other entrance!”

By this tih there was no air of finality about it It was as if she paved the way for use of Athelstan and that was a sacred na how she conveyed that i words

”The Sleeper cut these slots for his archers Then he had another thought and set these cauldrons in place, to boil oil to pour down Could any arh by the route by which you entered?”