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"Doyoustillthreatenmewiththatoutstretchedhand，Preacher？"mockedOro。
"Ican’tmoveit，"saidBastin；"itseemsturnedtostone。"
"Bethankfulthatyoualsoarenotturnedtostone。But，becauseyourcouragepleasesme，Iwillspareyou，yes，andwilladvanceyouinmyNewKingdom。Whatshallyoube？ControllerofReligions，Ithink，sinceallthequalitiesthatahighpriestshouldhaveareyours——faith，fanaticismandfolly。"
"Itisverystrange，"saidBastin，"butallofasuddenmyarmandhandarequitewellagain。Isupposeitmusthavebeen’pinsandneedles’orsomethingofthatsortwhichmademethrowawaythepistolandpullthetriggerwhenIdidn’tmeantodoso。"
Thenhewenttofetchthatarticlewhichhadfallenbeyondthedais，andquiteforgothisintentionofexecutingOrointheinterestoftestingitsmechanism，whichprovedtobedestroyed。
Tohisproposedappointmenthemadenoillusion。Ifhecomprehendedwhatwasmeant，whichIdoubt，hetookitasajoke。
"Hearkenallofyou，"saidOro，liftinghisheadsuddenly，forwhileBastinrecoveredtherevolverhehadbeenbrooding。"ThegreatthingwhichIshalldotomorrowmustbewitnessedbyyoubecausetherebyonlycanyoucometounderstandmypowers。AlsoyonderwhereIbringitaboutinthebowelsoftheearth，youwillbesaferthanelsewhere，sincewhenandperhapsbeforeithappens，thewholeworldwillheaveandshakeandtremble，andI
knownotwhatmaychance，eveninthesecaves。Forthisreasonalso，donotforgettobringthelittlehoundwithyou，sincehimleastofallofyouwouldIseecometoharm，perhapsbecauseonce，hundredsofgenerationsagoasyoureckontime，Ihadadogveryliketohim。Yourmotherlovedhimmuch，Yva，andwhenshedied，thisdogdiedalso。Heliesembalmedwithheronhercoffinyonderinthetemple，andyesterdayIwenttolookatbothofthem。Thebeastsarewonderfullyalike，whichshowstheeverlastingnessofblood。"
Hepausedawhile，lostinthought，thencontinued："AfterthedeedisdoneI’llspeakwithyouandyoushallchoose，Strangers，whetheryouwilldieyourownmasters，orliveontoserveme。
Nowthereisoneproblemthatislefttometosolve——whetherI
cansaveacertainland——donotaskwhichitis，Humphrey，thoughIseethequestioninyoureyes——ormustletitgowiththerest。
IonlyansweryouthatIwilldomybestbecauseyouloveit。Sofarewellforawhile，and，Preacher，beadvisedbymeanddonotaimtoohighagain。"
"Itdoesn’tmatterwhereIaim，"answeredBastinsturdily，"orwhetherIhitormiss，sincethereissomethingmuchbiggerthanmewaitingtodealwithyou。Thecountriesthatyouthinkyouaregoingtodestroywillsleepquiteaswelltomorrowastheydotonight，Oro。"
"Muchbetter，Ithink，Preacher，sincebythentheywillhaveleftsorrowandpainandwickednessandwarfarbehindthem。"
"Wherearewetogo？"Iasked。
"TheLadyYvawillshowyou，"heanswered，wavinghishand，andoncemorebentoverhisendlesscalculations。
Yvabeckonedtousandweturnedandfollowedherdownthehall。Sheledustoastreetnearthegatewayofthetempleandthenceintooneofthehouses。TherewasaporticotoitleadingtoacourtoutofwhichopenedroomssomewhatinthePompeianfashion。Wedidnotentertherooms，forattheendofthecourtwereametaltableandthreecouchesalsoofmetal，onwhichwerespreadrich—lookingrugs。WhencethesecameIdonotknowandneverasked，butIrememberthattheywereverybeautifulandsoftasvelvet。
"Hereyoumaysleep，"shesaid，"ifsleepyoucan，andeatofthefoodthatyouhavebroughtwithyou。TomorrowearlyIwillcallyouwhenitistimeforustostartuponourjourneyintothebowelsoftheearth。"
"Idon’twanttogoanydeeperthanweare，"saidBastindoubtfully。
"Ithinkthatnoneofuswanttogo，Bastin，"sheansweredwithasigh。"Yetgowemust。Iprayofyou，angertheLordOronomoreonthisoranyothermatter。Inyourfollyyoutriedtokillhim，andasitchancedheboreitwellbecausehelovescourage。
Butanothertimehemaystrikeback，andthen，Bastin——"
"Iamnotafraidofhim，"heanswered，"butIdonotliketunnels。Still，perhapsitwouldbebettertoaccompanyyouthantobeleftinthisplacealone。NowIwillunpackthefood。"
Yvaturnedtogo。
"Imustleaveyou，"shesaid，"sincemyfatherneedsmyhelp。
ThematterhastodowiththeForcethathewouldletloosetomorrow，anditsmeasurements；alsowiththepreparationoftherobesthatwemustwearlestitshouldharmusinitsleap。"
Somethinginhereyestoldmethatshewishedmetofollowher，andIdidso。Outsidetheporticowherewestoodinthedesolate，lightedstreet，shehalted。
"Ifyouarenotafraid，"shesaid，"meetmeatmidnightbythestatueofFateinthegreattemple，forIwouldspeakwithyou，Humphrey，where，ifanywhere，wemaybealone。"
"Iwillcome，Yva。"
"Youknowtheroad，andthegatesareopen，Humphrey。"
Thenshegavemeherhandtokissandglidedaway。Ireturnedtotheothersandweate，somewhatsparingly，forwewishedtosaveourfoodincaseofneed，andhavingdrunkoftheLife—
water，werenothungry。Alsowetalkedalittle，butbycommonconsentavoidedthesubjectofthemorrowandwhatitmightbringforth。
Weknewthatterriblethingswereafoot，butlackinganyknowledgeofwhatthesemightbe，thoughtituselesstodiscussthem。Indeedweweretoodepressed，somuchsothatevenBastinandBickleyceasedfromarguing。ThelatterwassoovercomebytheexhibitionofOro’spowerswhenhecausedthepistoltoleapintotheairanddischargeitself，thathecouldnotevenpluckupcouragetolaughatthefailureofBastin’seffortstodojusticeontheoldSuper—man，orrathertopreventhimfromattemptingacolossalcrime。
Atlengthwelaydownonthecouchestorest，Bastinremarkingthathewishedhecouldturnoffthelight，alsothathedidnotintheleastregrethavingtriedtokillOro。Sleepseemedtocometotheothersquickly，butIcouldonlydoze，towakeupfromtimetotime。OfthisIwasnotsorry，sincewheneverI
droppedoffdreamsseemedtopursueme。Forthemostparttheywereofmydeadwife。Sheappearedtobetryingtoconsolemeforsomeloss，butthestrangethingwasthatsometimesshespokewithherownvoiceandsometimeswithYva’s，andsometimeslookedatmewithherowneyesandsometimeswiththoseofYva。I
remembernothingelseaboutthesedreams，whichwereveryconfused。
Afteroneofthem，themostvividofall，Iawokeandlookedatmywatch。Itwashalf—pasteleven，almosttimeformetobestarting。Theothertwoseemedtobefastasleep。PresentlyI
roseandcreptdownthecourtwithoutwakingthem。Outsidetheportico，whichbythewaywasacuriousexampleofthesurvivalofcustominarchitecture，sincenonewasneededinthatweatherlessplace，Iturnedtotherightandfollowedthewidestreettothetempleenclosure。ThroughthepillaredcourtsI
went，myfootsteps，althoughIwalkedassoftlyasIcould，echoingloudlyinthatintensesilence，throughthegreatdoorsintotheuttersolitudeofthevastandperfectfane。
Wordscannottellthelonelinessofthatplace。Itflowedovermelikeaseaandseemedtoswallowupmybeing，sothateventhewildestandmostdangerousbeastwouldhavebeenwelcomeasacompanion。Iwasasterrifiedasachildthatwakestofinditselfdesertedinthedark。Alsoanuncannysenseofterrorstocomeoppressedme，tillIcouldhavecriedaloudifonlytohearthesoundofamortalvoice。Yonderwasthegrimstat
