ted--not the diminutive, misshapen king, but
Desiree Le Mire!

She sat motionless, gazing directly at us. Her long gold hair streamed
over her shoulders in magnificent waves; a stiffly flowing garment of
some unknown texture covered her limbs and the lower part of her body;
her shoulders and breasts and arms were bare, and shone with a dazzling
whiteness.

Beside her was a smaller seat, also of gold, and on this crouched the
form of an Inca--the king. About them, at a respectful distance, were
ranged attendants and guards--a hundred or more, for the alcove was of
an impressive size. The light from the four urns shone in upon it with
such brightness that I could clearly distinguish the whites of
Desiree's eyes.

All this I saw in a single flash, and I turned to Harry:

"Not a word, on your life! This is Desiree's game; trust her to play
it."

"But what the deuce is she doing there?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"She seems to have found another king. You know her fondness for
royalty."

"Paul, for Heaven's sake--"

"All right, Hal. But we're safe enough, I think. Most probably our
introduction to court. This is what they call 'the dizzy heights of
prominence.' Now keep your eyes open--something is going to happen."

There was a movement in the alcove. Four of the attendants came
forward, carrying a curious framework apparently composed of reeds and
leather, light and flexible, from the top bar of which hung suspended
several rope-like ribbons, of various lengths and colors and tied in
curious knots. They placed it on the ground before the double throne,
at the feet of Desiree.

All doubt was then removed from my mind concerning the identity of our
captors and their king. For these bundles of knotted cords of
different sizes and colors I recognized at once.

They were the famous Inca quipos--the material for their remarkable
mnemonic system of communication and historical record. At last we
were to receive a message from the Child of the Sun.

But of what nature? Every cord and knot and color had its meaning--but
what? I searched every avenue of memory to assist me; for I had
latterly confined my studies exclusively to Eastern archeology, and
what I had known of the two great autochthonous civilizations of the
American Continent was packed in some dim and little used corner of my
brain. But success came, with an extreme effort.

I recollected first the different disposition of the quipos for