to Phorenice's nod. Do you
hear that? Do you know too that I can have you tossed to those striped
gate-keepers of mine for meddling in here without an invitation?" He
looked at me sharp enough, but saw plainly that I was a stranger. "But
perhaps you carry a name, my man, which warrants your impertinence?"

"Deucalion is my poor name," I said, "but I cannot expect you will know
it. I am but newly landed here, sir, and when I left Atlantis some score
of years back, a very different man to you held guard over these gates."
He had his forehead on my feet by this time. "I had it from the Empress
this night that she will to-morrow make a new sorting of this kingdom's
dignities. Perhaps there is some recommendation you would wish me to lay
before her in return for your courtesies?"

"My lord," said the man, "if you wish it, I can have a turn with those
cave-tigers myself now, and you can look on from behind the walls and
see them tear me."

"Why tell me what is no news?"

"I wish to remind my lord of his power; I wish to beg of his clemency."

"You showed your power to these poor prisoners; but from what remains
here to be seen, few of them have tasted much of your clemency."

"The orders were," said the captain of the gate, as though he thought a
word might be said here for his defence, "the orders were, my lord, that
the tigers should be kept fierce and accustomed to killing."

"Then, if you have obeyed orders, let me be the last to chide you.
But it is my pleasure that this woman be respited, and I wish now to
question her."

The man got to his feet again with obvious relief, though still bowing
low.

"Then if my lord will honour me by sitting in my room that overlooks the
outer gate, the favour will never be forgotten."

"Show the way," I said, and took the woman by the fingers, leading her
gently. At the two ends of the circus the tigers prowled about on short
chains, growling and muttering.

We passed through the door into the thickness of the outer wall, and the
captain of the gate led us into his private chamber, a snug enough box
overlooking the plain beyond the city. He lit a torch from his lamp
and thrust it into a bracket on the wall, and bowing deeply and walking
backwards, left us alone, closing the door in place behind him. He was
an industrious fellow, this captain, to judge from the spoil with
which his chamber was packed. There could have come very few traders in
through that gate below without h