across the temple to where a chapel opened out of it, which was
full of the statues of dead kings, for here was the entrance to their
burial vault. We reached it and hid behind the base of one of these
statues. By standing to our full height, without being seen we still
could see between the feet of the statue that stood upon a pedestal.

Then Oro came.

Chapter XXIV. The Chariot of the Pit

Oro came and of necessity alone. Yet there was that in his air as he
advanced into the temple, which suggested a monarch surrounded by the
pomp and panoply of a great court. He marched, his head held high, as
though heralds and pursuivants went in front of him, as though nobles
surrounded him and guards or regiments followed after him. Let it be
admitted that he was a great figure in his gorgeous robes, with his long
white beard, his hawk-like features, his tall shape and his glittering
eyes, which even at that distance I could see. Indeed once or twice I
thought that he glanced out of the corners of them towards the chapel
where we were hid. But this I think was fancy. For as Yva said, his
thoughts were set elsewhere.

He reached the statue of Fate and stood for a while contemplating it and
the suppliant figures on either side, as though he were waiting for his
invisible court to arrange itself. Then he doffed his jewelled cap to
the effigy, and knelt before it. Yes, Oro the Ancient, the Super-man,
the God, as the early peoples of the earth fancied such a being, namely,
one full of wrath, revenge, jealousy, caprice and power, knelt in
supplication to this image of stone which he believed to be the home
of a spirit, thereby showing himself to be after all not so far removed
from the savages whose idol Bastin had destroyed. More, in a clear and
resonant voice which reached us even across that great space, he put
up his prayer. It ran something as follows, for although I did not
understand the language in which he spoke Yva translated it to me in a
whisper:

"God of the Sons of Wisdom, God of the whole earth, only God to whom
must bow every other Power and Dominion, to thee I, Oro the Great King,
make prayer and offer sacrifice. Twenty times ten thousand years and
more have gone by since I, Oro, visited this, thy temple and knelt
before this, thy living effigy, yet thou, ruler of the world, dost
remember the prayer I made and the sacrifice I offered. The prayer was
for triumph over my enemies and the sacrifice a promise of