nything to
show whether it was man or woman.

From the twisted shoulders a short and sleeveless red tunic fell.
Incredibly old the creature was--and by its corded muscles, its sinewy
tendons, as incredibly powerful. It raised within me a half sick
revulsion, loathing. But the eyes were not ancient, no. Irisless,
lashless, black and brilliant, they blazed out of the face's carven web
of wrinkles, intent upon Norhala and filled with a flame of worship.

It threw itself at her feet, prostrate, the inordinately long arms
outstretched.

"Mistress!" it whined in a high and curiously unpleasant falsetto.
"Great lady! Goddess!"

She stretched out a sandaled foot, touched one of the black taloned
hands, and at the contact I saw a shiver of ecstasy run through the lank
body. "Yuruk--" she began, and paused, regarding us.

"The goddess speaks! Yuruk hears! The goddess speaks!" It was a chant of
adoration.

"Yuruk. Rise. Look upon the strangers."

The creature--and now I knew what it was--writhed, twisted, and
hideously apelike crouched upon its haunches, hands knuckling the floor.

By the amazement in the unwinking eyes it was plain that not till now
had the eunuch taken cognizance of us. The amazement fled, was replaced
with a black fire of malignancy, of hatred--jealousy.

"Augh!" he snarled; leaped to his feet; thrust an arm toward Ruth. She
gave a little cry, cowered against Drake.

"None of that!" He struck down the clutching arm.

"Yuruk!" There was a hint of anger in the bell-toned voice. "Yuruk,
these belong to me. No harm must come to them. Yuruk--beware!"

"The goddess commands. Yuruk obeys." If fear quavered in the words,
beneath was more than a trace of a sullenness, too, sinister enough.

"That's a nice little playmate for her new playthings," muttered Drake.
"If that bird gets the least bit gay--I shoot him pronto." He gave Ruth
a reassuring hug. "Cheer up, Ruth. Don't mind that thing. He's something
we can handle."

Norhala waved a white hand; Yuruk sidled over to one of the curtained
ovals and through it, reappearing almost instantly with a huge platter
upon which were fruits, and a curdly white liquid in bowls of thick
porcelain.

"Eat," she said, as the gnarled black arms placed the platter at our
feet.

"Hungry?" asked Drake. Ruth shook her head violently.

"I'm going out for the saddlebags," said Drake. "We'll use our own
stuff--while it lasts. I'm taking no chances on what the Yuruk lad