ad been working in his cause, his words showing plainly
that his head was still filled with thoughts of our pretty visitor.

Soon after the light had faded from the tiny chink above, Goliba's voice
was heard calling outside, and we at once opened the door to him.

"Let us hasten, O Master," the old sage cried breathlessly. "Every
instant's delay meaneth peril, and peril is first cousin to disaster."

"Lead," I cried. "We will follow."

A moment later we all four were creeping softly along the corridor past
doors of the foul reeking dungeons wherein those who for some cause or
another, often the most trivial, had fallen into disfavour with the Naya
and were rotting in their silent living tombs. Many were the grim and
fearful stories of injustice and agony those black walls could tell; many
were the victims consigned there, although innocent of any offence, never
again to see the light of day. As we walked huge grey rats, some the pets
of the wretched prisoners, scurried from our path, and now and then as we
passed the small closed door of heavy sheet-iron the groans and
lamentations of the unhappy captives reached our ears.

At last, after traversing many passages turning to right and left in such
a manner that the extent of the great place amazed us, we ascended a
flight of well-worn steps.

"The sentries now on guard are loyal to us," the royal councillor
whispered, turning to Omar as we went up, and when we emerged into the
chamber wherein stood the Emerald Throne, the three tall soldiers with
drawn swords, two standing mute and motionless as statues on either side
of the door, and the other pacing up and down, took no notice of our
appearance, but regarded us with stolid indifference. In the rosy evening
light we sped across the beautiful court to a gate opposite, and passed
out by a private way of which Goliba held the key until we found
ourselves beyond the frowning walls.

Kona looked around longingly as we passed through the courts and
chambers. He was anticipating with eagerness the time when he and his men
would re-enter the place as conquerors, and was probably reflecting upon
the amount of loot his men could obtain in the event of an order being
given to sack the palace of the dreaded Naya. But without pausing to
glance behind, our guide hurried us forward along a number of winding
back streets of the city, hot, dusty and close-smelling after the
broiling day, until he stopped before the door of a fine