THE MAGICIAN’S HALL
ZARGA did not wait for the banqueters to recover from their surprise, but
came forward at once with the air of a hostess conscious of having pleased
her guests. Her bearing seemed so artless that Jack, rendered genial by
the good fare, told himself that there must be something amiss in his
recollection of their last meeting.
“I tried to make a dinner for you that would remind you of home,” she
said. “We Saturnians don’t use food of this kind. Are you satisfied?”
Jack had risen, and could think on the spur of the moment of no better
answer than the polite banality, “Only your presence at the table could
have improved it!” while Jim seized the opportunity to stuff a couple of
red apples and some sugar-coated cakes into his pockets.
“We ought to have waited to learn who our benefactress was,” Jack went on,
being somewhat embarrassed; “but I thought only how hungry I was, and how
providential—”
“Providence lets us help it sometimes!” she interrupted, laughing. “One
must feel lonely in a strange country; but in their hearts all people are
alike.”
Here Jim ventured an observation.
“I guess, miss, my boss t’ought you an’ Miss Mir’am was some alike dat
time de blizzard hit us, back dere!”
Jack turned red; but the girl merely looked amused.
“I supposed it was one of your terrestrial customs,” she observed. “Oh, it
doesn’t matter a bit; your kisses were delightful!”
This was putting the shoe on the other foot. Jack could not get the red
out of his face, but he was glad to absolve this friendly little creature
from the charge of unseemly boldness. After all, was it not he who had
made the mistake?
“How did you know where we were?” he asked, to get the conversation on
less ticklish ground.
“Oh, we know, when we want to,” she replied. “I remember Argon’s telling
me you have only five senses where you live. We have some others besides,
which we can use or not, as we like; just as we can either walk to a
place, or be there right off. I prefer to be there right off, as a rule,”
she added.
“So would I, if I knew how!” rejoined Jack with emphasis.
“There are two ways—the proper way and the magic way,” she said. “The
magic way is not proper; it’s fun, though, sometimes!”
“I should think any way proper that got me to Miriam,” Jack affirmed. “I
was searching for her when I found the dinner!”
“But you were glad of the dinner!”
“You said it, miss!” put in Jim. “But now we’ve got it stowed, we’re hot
on de trail agin!”
Zarga glanced from one to the other, and seemed to hesitate.
“You haven’t heard, then?” she asked at length, in a tone of serious
concern.
“Nothing. Have you any news?”
Zarga, with an impulsive gesture, put out her hand and laid it on his. “Do
you love her very much?” she asked.
“What has happened?” exclaimed he, pale enough now.
“And she promised to love you always?” Zarga went on, looking him deep in
the eyes.
“What is all this?” he demanded, a menace beginning to growl through his
tones.
“Don’t be angry with me!” she entreated tremulously. “I wouldn’t hurt you
for the world! I’m sorry—I will say nothing more!”
“I ask your pardon,” he said, controlling himself. “Please tell me all you
know. I had heard that Torpeon was pursuing her; she is to be my wife; you
can imagine my anxiety! The only glimpse I’ve had of her was when you—”
“I understand! I thought perhaps Argon or Lamara would have told you. But
why did they not tell you? Why should they leave it to me?”
“I haven’t seen them since they left the palace to go to the island.
Then—you know how it was; there was a sudden storm of fire and darkness,
and when I could see again, everything had disappeared, and—you were in my
arms!”
“Yes, yes! Oh, I was frightened! The fire got into my brain. Yes, I ran
away, forgetting you wouldn’t know where to go. But Miriam was rescued by
Aunion and taken to Lamara’s island.”
“She is safe, then?” cried Jack joyfully.
“Now I shall have to hurt you,” she replied sadly. “She is there no
longer. Torpeon sent her a message; she met him, and they went off
together to Tor.”
“Who told you this silly lie?” he demanded wrathfully.
“I was there myself. I did all I could. I couldn’t prevent her.”
Jack was silent; she glanced timidly at him, then hid her face in her
hands and began to sob. But Jim, who had been staring fixedly at Zarga,
now touched Jack on the elbow.
“Don’t yer worry, boss,” he whispered. “De kid is stuffin’ yer. She’s
nutty on yer herself—dat’s what!”
Jack, in the tumult of his emotions, neither heard nor paid attention; the
counsels of wisdom are often rejected because their source is humble.
Zarga moved slowly toward the door.
“Don’t go!” said Jack huskily. “Torpeon is a clever conjurer; he deceived
you as well as Miriam, I suppose. To Tor, you say?”
“Do you trust me?” she faltered.
“I’m sorry if I was rude. In thinking of my enemy I forgot my friend. I
never needed friends more than now.”
“It would be my happiness to make you happy,” she said, coming closer to
him. “But it’s best to know the truth. I can show them to you, if you
wish!”
“Show them to me—in Tor?”
“I must break our law to do it; but our laws don’t bind you, and I don’t
care for myself! I know the magic of the Torides; and if you are willing,
and have courage, I can make them appear before you as they are at this
moment. It’s for you to say!”
“You can show me Miriam and Torpeon here and now?”
She took him by the hand, led him to the door of the cottage, and pointed
to the great butte.
“In that rock there is a secret chamber, made by a great magician, in the
times before the Saturnians abandoned magic. It has been sealed since his
day, but I know the way to enter it. There is danger, but for me only, not
for you! If you fear nothing, and do nothing violent, I think no harm will
happen.”
“I don’t fear the truth; and there’s nothing else to fear,” said he.
They went forward toward the foot of the huge cliff, which towered
thousands of feet straight upward; its smooth and massive front seemed
beyond mortal power no less to penetrate than to scale. Within arm’s reach
of it Zarga paused.
“Only you and I may enter,” she said to Jack; “a third would be fatal to
us all.”
“Jim can wait in the cottage,” said Jack, turning to the little cripple.
“You’ve had your dinner, Jim, and we’ll return before you’re hungry
again.”
“Me stummick ain’t what’s troublin’ me, boss,” Jim replied; his misgivings
had by this time become acute. “I kin pass up de eats, ef de lady’d gimme
a ticket fer de gall’ry.”
But his master shook his head with a kindly look, and the urchin, greatly
dejected, was fain to obey. He turned and hobbled back toward the cottage.
Zarga laid her slender hand on the rock. No crevice had been apparent; but
as she pressed lightly against the surface, the crystal walls yawned
slowly apart, making an opening large enough to admit them. She motioned
Jack to enter; he stepped within unhesitatingly, and she followed. The
opening closed behind them, but Jack, who had already gone on, found
himself in a corridor, vaulted high, winding into the interior. Underfoot
was a smooth floor of sparkling, white sand. Light pervaded the place,
clear and mild, like that of the moon. Zarga was now beside him. He felt
her soft fingers close on his own.
“Do not let go my hand till we reach the chamber,” she whispered. “The
guardians left by the old magician are here, and would try to mislead you
or to bar the way. None but I has been here since he departed. But they
know me, and I have the clue.”
“Your hand is like fire,” murmured Jack; “what makes it so?”
“There is fire in my heart; when we are together, it burns,” was her
reply. “Now be silent; we are nearly there.”
While Jack was speculating as to the significance of her answer, the walls
swept apart, and he found himself in a circular hall about a hundred feet
in diameter, the domed roof of which was lost in the moonlight dimness.
Its perfect symmetry showed it to be human handiwork, though he could not
conceive by what means the adamantine hardness of the crystal had been
hollowed out, and the walls carved with devices so strange and so
exquisitely wrought. The light here had a faint bluish tinge, which
enhanced the solemn impressiveness of the monumental figures ranged at
regular intervals round the chamber, supporting the entablature of the
dome. Their faces were veiled and their heads bowed; in the molding of
their bodies the human flowed into the animal; but whether man were
descending into beast, or beast rising into man, could not be determined.
At times it seemed as if the flux were even now proceeding, with the issue
questionable. Between the figures were arched panels carved in intricate
designs, perhaps symbolical and mystic; here the hues of the crystal
varied prismatically through ruby, emerald, sapphire, chrysoprase and
topaz. The room was paved with yellow and purple slabs disposed in coiled
patterns that suggested the slow writhing of serpents; in the center stood
a pentagonal block of black stone, with a circular depression in its upper
surface, like a baptismal font. But it was filled not with water, but with
ashes.
There was a crescent-shaped bench in front of the font, with a high back,
and arms fashioned like the heads of serpents. The seat was deep, and
fitted with cushions; the material was massive silver. Over one end of the
bench was flung a scarf of fine tissue, gray, like smoke, and almost as
diaphanous. After Jack, complying with Zarga’s indication, had seated
himself, she caught up the scarf and with a movement of her hand caused it
to revolve about the slender grace of her figure, as if emanating from the
violet flames that clothed her body. Her hair spread itself out on the air
as she began the steps of a slow dance, voluptuous and wild as that of the
antique Bacchanals. Had Jack’s mind been less painfully preoccupied, he
must have admitted that no vision so alluringly beautiful had ever floated
before his eyes.
After thrice making the circuit of the font, Zarga stopped, and the scarf,
continuing its movement, wrapped itself lightly about her. She stooped,
and seemed to gather up from the pavement at the base of the font a double
handful of flakes or chips, which she placed in the hollow of the stone.
They at once kindled and smoldered, sending out an aromatic scent. A
column of thin blue vapor rose straight upward, till it impinged upon the
apex of the dome; and a deep but soft strain of music vibrated through the
hall.
The incantation had begun to work.