The Slayer of Souls

of the Mountain?" she asked jeeringly. "And where, also, was you Yezidee magic when it rained little snakes--What frightened you away--who had boldly come to seize a temple girl--you who had screwed up your courage sufficiently to defy Erlik in his very shrine and snatch from his temple a young thing whose naked body wrapped in gold was worth the chance of death to you?"

The young man's top-hat dropped to the floor. He bent over to pick it up. His face was quite expressionless, quite colourless, now.

"I went on no such errand," he said with an effort. "I went with a thousand prayers on scarlet paper made in--"

"A lie, Yezidee! You came to seizeme !"

He turned still paler. "By Abu, Omar, Otman, and Ali, it is not true!"

"You lie!--by the Lion of God, Hassani!"

She stepped closer. "And I'll tell you another thing you fear--you Yezidee of Alamout--you robber of Yian--you sorcerer of Sabbah Khan, and chief of his sect of Assassins! You fear this native land of mi