n my place in the great winds of heaven."

I heard the little wind of night, with its mournful voice of ages,
sighing round the walls and over the roof.

"Listen!" came from the doctor at my side, and the thunder of the voice
continued--

"I have hidden myself with you, O ye stars that never diminish. I
remember my name--in--the--House--of--Fire!"

The voice ceased and the sound died away. Something about the face and
figure of Colonel Wragge relaxed, I thought. The terrible look passed
from his face. The Being that obsessed him was gone.

"The great Ritual," said Dr. Silence aside to me, very low, "the Book of
the Dead. Now it's leaving him. Soon the blood will fashion it a body."

Colonel Wragge, who had stood absolutely motionless all this time,
suddenly swayed, so that I thought he was going to fall,--and, but for
the quick support of the doctor's arm, he probably would have fallen,
for he staggered as in the beginning of collapse.

"I am drunk with the wine of Osiris," he cried,--and it was half with
his own voice this time--"but Horus, the Eternal Watcher, is about my
path--for--safety." The voice dwindled and failed, dying away into
something almost like a cry of distress.

"Now, watch closely," said Dr. Silence, speaking loud, "for after the
cry will come the Fire!"

I began to tremble involuntarily; an awful change had come without
warning into the air; my legs grew weak as paper beneath my weight and I
had to support myself by leaning on the table. Colonel Wragge, I saw,
was also leaning forward with a kind of droop. The shapes of fire had
vanished all, but his face was lit by the red lamps and the pale,
shifting moonlight rose behind him like mist.

We were both gazing at the bowl, now almost empty; the Colonel stooped
so low I feared every minute he would lose his balance and drop into it;
and the shadow, that had so long been in process of forming, now at
length began to assume material outline in the air before us.

Then John Silence moved forward quickly. He took his place between us
and the shadow. Erect, formidable, absolute master of the situation, I
saw him stand there, his face calm and almost smiling, and fire in his
eyes. His protective influence was astounding and incalculable. Even the
abhorrent dread I felt at the sight of the creature growing into life
and substance before us, lessened in some way so that I was able to keep
my eyes fixed on the air above the bowl without too vivid a