San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-13
CHAPTER XXI.

y canole III 'a''''e''A u
- brass, climbed a spiral stair
of hollow-trodden steps that turned
upon itself between walls of stone.
Shadow-like bats, whose vague
wings TREMENDOUSLY flickered as
flame does. followed her as she
climbed. Many girls would have
feared the dark behind and the
dark before, for the flame of the
candle was small and weak
thing. but how should witch and
the daughter of witch fear dark
ness?
Sidonia was not afraid. The
darkness had never hurt her. Like
a hunted cat she was accustomed
to obscure places. Her thought
dwelt solely upon the love-draught
which she was on her way to pre-
pare-anxiously, like the thought
of housewife who is forced to
carry out a difficult recipe UNI
aided. Her lips moved as she re-
peated tc herself various words she
ndu HleDDTlZtu.
The stekc of the stone stair were
many. The flame of the candle
shuddered, taken by seemingly
causeless movements of the air. A
, sensation of confidence-yes, of
power-spread from the centre of
Sidonia's being outwards until it
tingled at the tips of her fingers.
A door that had been twice opened
was opening for the third time in
her inner self. The love-draught
would constrain like the cords of
death, and the ritual of the waxen
image would set an unbreakable
seal upon these cords. She was
strong. A power that could loose
or bind tingled to her finger tips.
There was a feeling of presences
about her-form and movement
that almost broke through upon
her physical sight. Fiery coils,
constructing, serpent-headed, that
enwound her, beautifully, terribly
as she climbed. Leopard-shapS
that lifted unblinking eyes of beryl
to her. She had never seen a
leopard, or even heard of one, but
when the door that was within her
opened all manner of things came
through il, and she knew them, for
her buried mind was wise as the
mind of the earth-her mother,
and the mother of us all. Beckon-
ing arms. Women-shapes reveal
ing a burning skull in the place of
a heart-symbol of dire fascina-
Il 70.
The quick beating, rose-colored
wings of beautiful flying vipers.
Either she was these things, or
knew, by reason of an inner sight,
that they were there.
She was not afraid. These
crowding presences were a part of
her strength. Shaken by the stair
way draughts-or perhaps by the
striving wings and varied move
ments-the candle flame futtered
and bent backward.
The head of the stair and the
light of the candle weakly illumi-
n.ting, 70: a short distance,
stony gallery, Sidonia paused to
find her half-lost breath. She felt
no fatigue. She was caught up
into an unhuman serenity as when
lie had faced the would-be witch
barriers in the lane. nine hours
earlier or was it nine years?
Nothing moved in the hollow
gallery of naked stone save the
swirl of half-guessed gestures that
bore her company, but there was
sound-a sound between muffled
l.. al
looking toward this sound, saw
portion of the solid wall, in height
and shape like an upright coffin,
turn slowly inward upon itself, dis
closing an oblong of utter dark,
opaaue4seeming as a door of coal.
She was neither startled or
amazed. She stood, with the
candle in her hand, looking-know-
ing. and yet not knowing, who it
was that was about to appear. A
tall darkness detached itself from
the oblong darkness, and the Mas
ter, standing pace or two for
ward from the opened wall, con-
fronted the girl in complete
silence.
He was black-clad from head to
foot; masked as before. The hght
of the candle touched his strongly
moulded chin, his jaw, and the line
Of his lips. His height seemed to
be more than that OF man.
The silence endured. Sidonia
was moved to speak, but she did
not know whether she uttered the
word master" in her mind or with
her breath.
A hand came upon her shoulder,
and from the grip of il prickling,
fluidic force flowed downward
through her body-or so she
thought. Her limbs became rigid
and she trembled, though not from
fear or any distress. Was he
speaking TO her?
But surely not with words! She
felt his will pass, like a subtle cur
rent, into her mind, her heart.
"You are mine, Sidonia."
"Ah, yesw
But in the gallery no one had
cnokeu and only for a feu mo