THE EQUINOX
then her glistening skin writhed about her bones as she
wriggled over the filthy boards towards the Adept. Having
reached him, she embraced his feet and then lewdly climbed
and writhed up him.
“Get to your stye,’ he said in a low, commanding voice.
At which I felt intensely sorry for her.
“The Adept, noticing my sympathy, turned to me and said :
‘She is lust, fresh-fleshed and lovely, but rotten. She would
clog the power of a man.”
“T thereupon thanked the Adept. But he, taking no notice
of my thanks, pointed out to me a distant star through a hole
in the roof, and then said, ‘ Journey there.’
“This I did, streaming up towards it like a comet, dressed
in long white robes, with a flashing scimitar in my hand.
“ After much peril, on account of suns and things very hot
and glowing, through which I sped, I arrived there safely, on
the shore of a lake, upon which was floating a boat in which
stood a man.
“On seeing me, he cried out: ‘Who art thou
?’
“And having explained to him, he brought his boat close
enough to the shore to enable me to spring into it. This I
did, whereupon he seized the oars and rowed speedily into the
darkness beyond. ;
“«Shall I soon see thy master?’ I said tohim. At which
he glared round at me, so that his eyes looked like beads of
glowing amber in the night; then he answered:
“«T who stand in the boat am great; I have a star upon my
forehead.’
“T did not reply, not understanding what he meant, and
soon we reached the shore and entered a cave, in the mouth
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