nd the
punishment was death by the magnic fluid.

The goddess already belonged to her faith. She was love's
_religieuse_. It was a cruel thing to seek her love when I knew it
would perhaps bring her to an untimely end and stamp her name with
everlasting disgrace. On the other hand, if the goddess, knowing much
better than I the result of loving one not only outside of the sacred
caste, but an "outer barbarian" as well, was brave enough to incur
even the risk of death on behalf of her love, would I be so cowardly
as not to follow her supreme soul even to martyrdom itself? And it
might be that we might even raise a following large enough to defeat
our enemies, and end in a greater triumph than either of us ever yet
experienced.

Such were the thoughts that filled me when the aerial ship suddenly
shot out of the chasm in which we had so long travelled and emerged
upon the wide circular basin of the mountains about one hundred miles
in diameter. In the centre of the high valley lay an immense lake, in
whose centre stood a large island, everywhere visible from the shores,
whereon stood the sacred palace of Egyplosis, the many-templed college
of souls. We saw its pale green, gleaming walls rising from a tropical
forest of dark green trees. Its gold and crystal domes reflected the
sunlight dazzlingly, making the palace plainly visible all over that
wide valley.

Egyplosis was a little city composed of an immense quadrangle, the
supernal palace together with the subterranean infernal palace. The
supernal palace was of enormous dimensions, being a square mile in
extent, and was composed of over a hundred temples and palaces rising
high in the air, the chief seat of soul worship in Atvatabar, and the
home of twice ten thousand priests and priestesses.

The infernal palace consisted of one hundred subterranean temples and
labyrinths, all sculptured, like the supernal palace, out of the
living rock, and situated directly underneath it.

Our course lay in a direct line across the noble valley. It was the
most diversified part of the country we had yet crossed, being broken
up into hills and valleys, glens and precipices, fields and forests,
lakes, islands and gardens, all composing a region of bewildering
beauty.

The emotions awakened by my near approach to this strange place were
keen and exciting. Now for the first time in history its mystery was
about to be disclosed to alien eyes from the outer world.

Soon after ente