flickering fire-brands, suspended overhead
and in front of us, to furnish light. There were no tables or chairs, no
flowers or decorations, no sign of anything to eat. Other guests were
moving about through the semi-darkness to their places, seemingly
without inconvenience. I was whispering to the doctor that I would need
eyes of much greater candle power to enjoy the function, when we arrived
at our places. A double row of comfortable cushions ran along the edge
of our floor, where it seemed to sink to a lower terrace, whence we
could hear the indistinct hum of women's voices. Zaphnath took his seat
on a raised cushion in the middle of the row, and motioned me to the
cushion on his right and the doctor to his left. Eighteen other guests
now reclined upon their cushions to left and right, so that we were all
arranged in a direct line, facing the lower terrace whence came the
feminine buzz. Directly opposite each of us was an empty cushion, but no
table.

I was wondering at it all when the fire-brand farthest from me suddenly
exploded a great flaming ball of fire, and we all sprang to our feet.
From the terrace below came a grand burst of reed music, a swelling
chorus of women's voices, and then each fire-brand in quick succession
exploded a burst of flame, which floated down toward the dancing women,
but expired above their heads. I soon saw that these white fire-balls,
which continued in quick succession throughout the banquet, and afforded
us a glorious if a somewhat appalling light, were caused by the
successive discharges of small volumes of heavy gas from twenty-one
reed-tanks in the comb of the roof, one above each of the fire-brands.
When the discharged gas had floated down to the fire-brand beneath it,
there was a quick, bright explosion, and the flame sank menacingly
toward the women below.

The burst of music, the chorus of huzzahs, and the flashing forth of
light, proved to be a welcome to the Pharaoh, who was standing proudly
on his great throne opposite us, across the terrace and somewhat higher,
whence he could look down upon the dancers and singers. He wore a crown
of thin iron, surmounted by a golden asp. His elaborately curled wig did
not conceal his ears, from which large golden pendants hung almost to
his shoulders. His own beard was waxed and curled, and trimmed to the
shape of a beaver's tail. His dress is best described by calling it a
feather velvet, edged with flaring wing and tail plumes of iri