In accordance

with his instructions I dropped to my hands and knees once more

and crawled from the Presence. It had been my first audience with

deity, but I am free to confess that I was not greatly impressed--other

than with the ridiculous figure I cut scrambling about on my marrow

bones.

Once without the chamber the doors closed behind us and I was bid

to rise. Xodar joined me and together we slowly retraced our steps

toward the gardens.

"You spared my life when you easily might have taken it," he said

after we had proceeded some little way in silence, "and I would aid

you if I might. I can help to make your life here more bearable,

but your fate is inevitable. You may never hope to return to the

outer world."

"What will be my fate?" I asked.

"That will depend largely upon Issus. So long as she does not send

for you and reveal her face to you, you may live on for years in

as mild a form of bondage as I can arrange for you."

"Why should she send for me?" I asked.

"The men of the lower orders she often uses for various purposes of

amusement. Such a fighter as you, for example, would render fine

sport in the monthly rites of the temple. There are men pitted

against men, and against beasts for the edification of Issus and

the replenishment of her larder."

"She eats human flesh?" I asked. Not in horror, however, for since

my recently acquired knowledge of the Holy Therns I was prepared

for anything in this still less accessible heaven, where all was

evidently dictated by a single omnipotence; where ages of narrow

fanaticism and self-worship had eradicated all the broader humanitarian

instincts that the race might once have possessed.

They were a people drunk with power and success, looking upon the

other inhabitants of Mars as we look upon the beasts of the field

and the forest. Why then should they not eat of the flesh of the

lower orders whose lives and characters they no more understood

than do we the inmost thoughts and sensibilities of the cattle we

slaughter for our earthly tables.

"She eats only the flesh of the best bred of the Holy Therns and

the red Barsoomians. The flesh of the others goes to our boards.

The animals are eaten by the slaves. She also eats other dainties."

I did not understand then that there lay any special significance

in his reference to other dainties. I thought the limit of

ghoulishness already had been reached in the recitation of Issus'

menu. I still had much to learn as to the depths of cruelty and

bestiality to which omnipotence may drag its possessor.

We had about reached the last of the many chambers and corridors

which led to the gardens when an officer overtook us.

"Issus would look again upon this man," he said. "The girl has

told her that he is of wondrous beauty and of such prowess that

alone he slew seven of the First Born, and with his bare hands took

Xodar captive, binding him with his own harness."

Xodar looked uncomfortable. Evidently he did not relish the thought

that Issus had learned of his inglorious defeat.

Without a word he turned and we followed the officer once again to

the closed doors before the audience chamber of Issus, Goddess of

Life Eternal.

Here the ceremony of entrance was repeated. Again Issus bid me

rise. For several minutes all was silent as the tomb. The eyes

of deity were appraising me.

Presently the thin wavering voice broke the stillness, repeating

in a singsong drone the words which for countless ages had sealed

the doom of numberless victims.

"Let the man turn and look upon Issus, knowing that those of the

lower orders who gaze upon the holy vision of her radiant face

survive the blinding glory but a single year."

I turned as I had been bid, expecting such a treat as only the

revealment of divine glory to mortal eyes might produce. What

I saw was a solid phalanx of armed men between myself and a dais

supporting a great bench of carved sorapus wood. On this bench,

or throne, squatted a female black. She was evidently very old.

Not a hair remained upon her wrinkled skull. With the exception

of two yellow fangs she was entirely toothless. On either side of

her thin, hawk-like nose her eyes burned from the depths of horribly

sunken sockets. The skin of her face was seamed and creased with

a million deepcut furrows. Her body was as wrinkled as her face,

and as repulsive.

Emaciated arms and legs attached to a torso which seemed to be

mostly distorted abdomen completed the "holy vision of her radiant

beauty."

Surrounding her were a number of female slaves, among them Phaidor,

white and trembling.

"This is the man who slew seven of the First Born and, bare-handed,

bound Dator Xodar with his own harness?" asked Issus.

"Most glorious vision of divine loveliness, it is," replied the

officer who stood at my side.

"Produce Dator Xodar," she commanded.

Xodar was brought from the adjoining room.

Issus glared at him, a baleful light in her hideous eyes.

"And such as you are a Dator of the First Born?" she squealed. "For

the disgrace you have brought upon the Immortal Race you shall be

degraded to a rank below the lowest. No longer be you a Dator, but

for evermore a slave of slaves, to fetch and carry for the lower

orders that serve in the gardens of Issus. Remove his harness.

Cowards and slaves wear no trappings."

Xodar stood stiffly erect. Not a muscle twitched, nor a tremor

shook his giant frame as a soldier of the guard roughly stripped

his gorgeous trappings from him.

"Begone," screamed the infuriated little old woman.