Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-09-03
CHAPTER XIX
THE SACRILEGE-


MAYA bent OYER the form of her father
and took the talisman from his neck.
Il feel like one who robs the dead"
she said.
Remember that it is to save the
living, and be comfcrted," answered
Natal as we left the chamber.
Take lamp, each of you" he said
when we had reached the further end
of the great hall, where he unlocked
the copper gates with a key from the the
bunch that hung at his girdle. We
passed through, and turning he almost
closed the gate, but not quite.
why do you leave the gates ajar?"
1 asked.
because there are none to follow
u.s." he answered, land who knows
what may happen? Should we be
forced to fly the sanctuary open doors
are easier to pass than shut ones"
What could force US to fly the sane
tuary?" l asked.
Natal shrugged his shoulders and
went on. We passed down many stairs,
along passages, and through secret
doors, each of which Natal left open
| behind us, till at length we came to the
sanctuary of the nameless god and stood
on the further side of the wall huddIed
together and clasping each others
hands, for the place was awesome, and
with fear.
The roof of the sanctuary, which
| was of no great size, was vault-shaped,
| in imitation of the arching sky, and in
it appeared a golden sun, a silver cres-
| cent moon, and the stars of heaven. Its
walls were lined throughout with pol
| ished blocks of the beautiful stone
known as Mexican onyx. fretted over
| to the height of a man with border of
| hieroplvphics and effgies of the lesser
| rods in attitudes of alteration, cast in
gold and set flush with the face of the
| wall.
| The furniture was very simple, con-
| sistinp ONLY of stools cut from rich
woods, heavily gilded in quaint designs,
| and small table, whereon lay sheets
| of paper made of bark, together with
brushes of reed fiber and pots OF pig
| lnent. such as were used in the picture
writing of this people. At that end by
which we had entered the chamber was
an altar of black marble, written round
with letters shaped in gold, and upon
this altar lay something covered with
| sillxen cloth.
| For minute or more we stood silent,
| contemplating these wonders, then with
a gesture of Impotence MattaI spoke in
whisper, saying:
LET that be done which we have
come to do, for now the sacrilege is
committed, and it is too late to hest.
tate"
Speaking thus, he stepped to the
altar and lifted the sil1en cloth that lay
over the object which was upon it, re-
vealing the image of human heart
gold. In the center of this heart ap
peared a small and shallow hole that
had been followed in its substance.
This is the tradition" said Natal
still speaking in n whisper, that wher
the two halves of certain talisman are
placed in this hollow, the symbol vii
open and reveal that which has beer
set within it since it was fashioned
thousands of years ago, and there i:
this in favor of the truth of this tale
that golden hinges appear upon the
sides of the symbol.
'Iu this matter, however, there il
something more to fear than the ven
geance of the gods, for, an ancient ira
dition tells US that if the symbol bt
stirred from the place where it has lair
for so many years, the foodgate WI
roll back and the waters of the lak'
will pour in upon the city, destroying
it and its inhabitants"
"Yct the 1oodgate cannot roll bacl
when it is not shut, nor can the waters
flow in during the dry season wheI
they are not on level with the walls.
. answered Maya.
They cannot, lady; and yet othel
things may happen. And now to oui
task. Stranger, give to the Lady May;
|, your half of the ancient talisman, tina
She may set 1t together with the hal
she bears in the place prepared in tn
symbol"
Now. with a sigh seeing that it wa
too late to draw back undid the emer
aid from my neck and gave it to Maya
who laid it side By side with its count