floor was composed of white marble. A long, thin rod,
which might be gold, judging from its sheen and colour, depended from
the great boss, or keystone, of the dome, supporting a group of seven
beautifully ornate, lighted lamps, at a height of about twenty feet
above the floor; and immediately beneath these there was a table covered
with a cloth, woven in a most intricate and elegant pattern, apparently
of very fine gold thread. Upon this table there lay a large roll of
parchment manuscript, wound upon two golden rods, decorated with what
looked like pine cones wrought in gold at the ends; and behind the table
stood seven venerable men with long white moustaches, and beards
reaching to their waists, clad in a hooded garment of finest wool, dyed
black, reaching to their feet. Their hoods were drawn so far over their
heads and faces that little of their features could be seen, save their
eyes, which glowed out of the sombre shadow cast by their hoods.

The young Englishmen, still in the custody of the guard, were marched up
to within about ten feet of the table, where they were halted; whereupon
the central and apparently oldest figure of the seven said, in a deep,
grave voice--which both at once recognised as that which had spoken from
behind the grille:

"Draw near, strangers, and take the oath which shall free you from the
ban of the law, and make you citizens of Izreel for the remainder of
your lives. Lay your right hands upon this roll and, with your left
hands raised toward heaven, repeat after me:--

"I swear, by the Sun, Moon, and Stars, by Light and Darkness, by the
Powers of the Air, and by the Flame of the seven lamps which burn
forever, that I will never seek to leave Izreel without first obtaining
the royal assent, and that henceforth I will devote myself to its
service in such manner as I shall be directed!"

The oath sounded formidable enough, but after all it really meant little
to those who were called upon to take it, and they took it
unhesitatingly, with the full intention of keeping it both in letter and
in spirit--since an oath was an oath, whatever form its wording might
assume--and, this done, Benoni and his guard were dismissed, and the two
newly enrolled citizens of Izreel were left alone with the seven whom
they subsequently came to know as the Elders.

The stern attitude of these toward the two aliens was now considerably
relaxed; they invited Phil and Dick to accompany them into another