In matters temporal, the Khan of KaloonThe Khan
ggle long centuries ago between the College and the people of thePlain it was decreed and swom to that should she set her foot across theriver, this means war to the end between us, and rule for the victor overboth. Likewise, save when unguarded they bear their dead to burial,orfor some such high purpose, no Khan or Khania of Kaloon ascends theMountainWhich then is the true master -the khan of Kaloon or the head of theCollege of Hes?"I asked again.In matters spiritual, the priestess of Hes, who is our Oracle and thevoice of Heaven.
In matters temporal, the Khan of KaloonThe Khan. Ah! you are married, lady, are you not?soon must learn, If you have not learned it already, I am the wife eAye, she answered, her face flushing. And I will tell you what yomadman and he is-hateful to meI have eamed the last already KhaniaShe looked at me with her piercing eyesWhat! Did my uncle, the shaman, he who is called Guardian, tellou? Nay you saw, as I knew you saw and it would have been best toslay you for, oh! what must you think of me?I made no answer, for in truth i did not know what to think, alsofeared lest further rash admissions should be followed by swiftvengeance"You must believe, she went on, " that I, who have ever hated menthat I-I swear that it is true-whose lips are purer than those mountaisnows, I, the Khania of Kaloon, whom they name Heart-of-Ice, am but ashameless thing. "And, covering her face with her hand, she moaned inthe bittemess of her distressNay, " I sald, there may be reasons, explanations, if it pleases you togive them.Wanderer, there are such reasons and since you know so much, youshall learn them also. Like that husband of mine, I have become madWhen first I saw the face of your companion, as I dragged him from theriver, madness entered me. and I-Loved him, "I suggested. " Well, such things have happened before topeople who were not mad.
Oh!she went on, it was more than love; I was possessed, and thatnight I knew not what I did. A Power drove me on; a Destiny compelledme, and to the end i am his and his alone. Yes i am his and i swear thathe shall be mine, and with this wild declaration dangerous enough un-der the conditions, she tuned and fled the roomShe was gone, and after the struggle for such it was, I sank back exhausted. How came it that this sudden passion had mastered her? whoand what was this Khania, i wondered again and-this was more to thepoint, who and what would Leo believe her to be? If only I could be withhim before he said words or did deeds impossible to recall.Three days went by, during which time I saw no more of the Khania,who, or so I was informed by Simbri, the Shaman, had returned to hercity to make ready for us, her guests. I begged him to allow me to rejoinLeo, but he answered politely, though with much firmness, that myfoster-son did better without me. Now, I grew suspicious, fearing lestsome harm had come to Leo, though how to discover the truth I knewnot In my anxiety I tried to convey a note to him, written upon a leaf ofa water-gained pocket-book, but the yellow-faced servant refused totouch it, and Simbri said drily that he would have naught to do withwritings which he could not read. At length, on the third night I madeup my mind that whatever the risk, with leave or without it, I would tryto find himBy this time i could walk well, and indeed was almost strong again. Soabout midnight, when the moon was up, for I had no other light, I creptfrom my bed, threw on my garments, and taking a knife, which was theonly weapon I possessed, opened the door of my room and startedNow, when i was carried from the rock-chamber where Leo and i hadthere was a passage thirty paces long, for I had counted the ingtogether, I took note of the way. First, reckoning from my sleepingfalls of my bearers. Then came a turn to the left, and ten more paces ofpassage, and lastly near certain steps running to some place unknown,another sharp turn to the right which led to our old chamberDown the long passage I walked stealthily, and although it was pitchdark, found the turn to the left, and followed it till i came to the secondsharp turn to the right, that of the gallery from which rose the stairscrept round it only to retreat hastily enough, as well I might, for at thedoor of Leos room which she was in the act of locking on the outside, asI could see by the light of the lamp that she held in her hand, stood theKhania herself
My first thought was to fly back to my own chamber, but I abandonedit, feeling sure that I should be seen. Therefore I determined, if she dis-covered me, to face the matter out and say that I was trying to find Leo,and to learn how he fared. So I crouched against the wall, and waitedwith a beating heart. I heard her sweep down the passage,and-yes--begin to mount the stair.Now, what should I do? To try to reach Leo was useless, for she hadlocked the door with the key she held. Go back to bed? No, I would fol-low her, and if we met would make the same excuse. Thus I might getsome tidings, or perhaps-a dagger thrust.So round the corner and up the steps I went, noiselessly as a snakeThey were many and winding, like those of a church tower but at lengthI came to the head of them, where was a little landing, and opening fromit a door. It was a very ancient door; the light streamed through crackswhere its panels had rotted, and from the room beyond came the soundof voices, those of the shaman Simbri and the khaniaHave you learned aught, my niece?" I heard him say, and also heardher answer-A little. A very littleThen in my thirst for knowledge I grew bold, and stealing to the door,looked through one of the cracks in its wood. Opposite to me, in the fullflood of light thrown by a hanging lamp, her hand resting on a table atwhich Simbri was seated, stood the Khania. Truly she was a beauteoussight, for she wore robes of royal purple, and on her brow a little coronetof gold, beneath which her curling hair streamed down her shapely neckand bosom. Seeing her I guessed at once that she had arrayed herselfthus for some secret end, enhancing her loveliness by every art and gracethat is known to woman. simbri was looking at her earnestly, with fearand doubt written on even his cold, impassive featuresWhat passed between you, then? "he asked, peering at her."I questioned him closely as to the reason of his coming to this land,and wrung from him the answer that it was to seek some beauteous wo-man-he would say no more. I asked him if she were more beauteousthan I am, and he replied with courtesy-nothing else, I think-that itwould be hard to say, but that she had been different. Then I said thatthough it behooved me not to speak of such a matter, there was no ladyin Kaloon whom men held to be so fair as I; moreover that i was itsadded that my heart told me I was the woman whom he sought e, andruler, and that I and no other had saved him from the water. At
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