CHAPTER XIV
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.