Moonchild

Chapter6 OF A DINNER, WITH THE TALK OF DIVERS GUESTS SIMON IFF and Cyril Grey had slipped out of the reception-room to clothe themselves according to their dignity in the Order. They returned in a few moments. The old man was in a robe of the same pattern as Sister Cybele's — all the robes of the Order were thus fashioned — but it was of black silk, and on the breast was embroidered a golden eye within a radiant triangle. Cyril Grey was in a similar robe, but the eye was enclosed in a six-pointed star, and swords with undulating blades issued from each re-entrant angle. Their return broke up the conversation, and Sister Cybele led the way, with Lisa on her arm, to the lobby. There the wonder of the house began. The wall facing the front door was masked by a group of statuary of heroic size. It was a bronze, and represented Mercury leading Hercules into Hades. In the background stood Charon in his boat, one hand upon his oar, the other stretched to receive his obolus. Sister Cybele waited until all the guests were in the boat. Then she made pretence to place the coin in Charon's hand. In reality she touched a spring. The wall parted; the boat moved slowly through; it took its place beside another wharf. They were in a vast hall; and Lisa realized that [78] the hill behind the house must have been profoundly hollowed out. This hall was lofty, narrow and long. In the midst, a circular table awaited the guests. Behind each chair stood one of the Probationers of the Order in a white robe, on whose breast was a scarlet Pentagram. Neck, sleeves, and hem were trimmed with gold. Beyond this table, at which a number of other members, in variously coloured robes, were already seated, though they rose to salute the newcomers briefly and in silence, was a triangular slab of black marble, the