d tended me and sheltered me,
keeping my presence secret from those who would have dealt with me in
summary fashion, and, indeed, who were actually on the look-out for my
arrival.

"Yes, so Naida informed me. To my great surprise she spoke almost
perfect English, and that sort of understanding sprang up between us
immediately which, in the case of a man and a beautiful woman thrown
together as we were, can only terminate in one way.

"She was some sort of priestess of the temple which I had seen from the
top of the cliff. What else she was I very shortly learned.

"In accordance with one of the many strange customs of the City of Fire,
her personal servants, or rather slaves, were blind mutes! Gentlemen,
I warned you that my story was tough. Doubtless you are beginning to
appreciate the fact that I spoke no more than the truth.

"Naida, for such was her name, told me that the Brahmin, Vadi, who had
acted as my guide, was one of the followers of the Prophet of Fire, to
whom had been given the duty of intercepting me. His failure to report
within a certain time had resulted in two of the priests of this
strange cult being sent out to obtain information. That these were the
yellow-robed mendicants who had passed me in the mountains, I did not
doubt.

"Their reports, so Naida informed me, had led to a belief that Vadi
had perished with me; but as an extra measure of precaution, that very
night--indeed, shortly after I had passed that way--a guard had been set
upon the secret entrance. Therefore, even if my strength had permitted,
I should have been unable to return by the way I had come.

"But indeed I was as weak as a child, and only to the presence of much
foliage upon the acclivity down which I had rolled, and to the fact that
I had fallen upon soft soil in a bed of flowers, can I ascribe my having
failed to break my neck.

"In this way, gentlemen, I entered upon a brief period of my life at
once more sweet and more bitter than any I had known. Next to that
strange, invisible prophet whose name was Fire-Tongue, Naida held
unquestioned sway in this secret city. Her house was separated from the
others, and she travelled to and from the temple in a covered litter. To
look upon her, as upon Fire-Tongue himself, was death. Women, I learned,
were eligible for admission to this order, and these were initiated by
Naida.

"As the days of my strange but delightful captivity wore on, I learned
more and more of the weird p