Meanwhilehisguidehadpassedalongwaydownthelineandhaltinginfrontofanothergold-wrappedfigure，openeditsmask。
“Thisisthatman，“shesaid，“whotoldushecamefromalandcalledRoma。Look，thehelmetstillrestsuponhishead，thoughtimehaseatenintoit，andthatringuponyourhandwastakenfromhisfinger。
Ihaveahead-dressmadeuponthemodelofthathelmetwhichIwearsometimesinmemoryofthismanwho，mysoulremembers，wasbraveandpleasantandagallantlover。“
“Indeed，“answeredAlan，lookingatthesunkenfaceabovewhicharimofcurlsappearedbeneaththerustinghelmet。“Well，hedoesn’tlookverygallantnow，doeshe？“ThenhepeereddownbetweenthebodyanditsgoldcasingandsawthatinhisbodyhandthemanstillheldashortRomansword，liftedasthoughinsalute。Soshehadnotliedinthismattereither。
MeanwhiletheAsikahadglidedontotheendofthehallbehindtheheapsoftreasure。
“Thereisonemorewhiteman，“shesaid，“thoughweknowlittleofhim，forhewasfierceandbarbarousanddiedwithoutlearningourtongue，afterkillingagreatnumberofthepriestsofthatdaybecausetheywouldnotlethimgo；yes，diedcuttingthemdownwithabattle-axeandsingingsomewildsongofhisowncountry。Comehither，slave，andbendyourselfso，restingyourhandsupontheground。“
Jeekieobeyed，andactivelyasacatthepriestessleapedontohisback，andreachingupopenedthemaskofacorpseinthesecondrowandheldherlampbeforeitsface。
Itwasbetterpreservedthantheothers，sothatitsfeaturesremainedcomparativelyperfect，andaboutthemhungatangleofgoldenhair。
Moreover，abroadbattle-axeappearedrestingontheshoulder。
“Aviking，“thoughtAlan。“Iwonderhow/he/camehere。“
WhenhehadlookedtheAsikaleapedfromJeekie’sbacktothegroundandwavingherarmaroundher，begantotalksorapidlythatAlancouldunderstandnothingofherwords，andaskedJeekietotranslatethem。
“Shesay，“explainedJeekiebetweenhischatteringteeth，“thatallresttheseJohnniesverypoorcrew，nativesandthatlotexceptonewhoworshipfalseProphetandcutthroatofAsikaofthattime，becausesheinfidelandheteachherbetter；alsoeathisdinneroutofLittleBonsaandchuckherintowater。Verywildman，thatArab，butpriestscatchhimatlastandfillhimwithhotgoldbeforeLittleBonsabecausehenocareadamnforghosts。SohediesayingHip，hip，hurrah！forhouriandgreenfieldofProphetandtohellwithAsikaandBonsa，BigandLittle！Nowhesitupthereandatnighttimeworstghostofallthecrowd，alwayscometofinishoffMungana。Thatallshesay，andquiteenoughtoo。Comeonquick，shewantyouandnolikewait。“
BynowtheAsikahadpassedalmostroundthehall，andwasstandingoppositetoanemptynichebeyondandabovewhichtherewereperhapsascoreofbodiesgold-platedintheusualfashion。
“Thatisyourplace，Vernoon，“shesaidgently，contemplatinghimwithhersoftandheavyeyes，“foritwaspreparedforthewhitemanwithwhomLittleBonsafledaway，andsincethen，asyousee，therehavebeenmanyMunganas，someofwhombelongtome；indeed，thatone，“andshetouchedacorpseonwhichthegoldlookedveryfresh，“onlyleftmelastyear。ButwealwaysknewthatLittleBonsawouldbringyoubackagain，andsoyousee，wehavekeptyourplaceempty。“
“Indeed，“remarkedAlan，“thatisverykindofyou，“andfeelingthathewouldfaintifhestayedlongerinthishorribleandhauntedvault，hepushedpastherwithlittleceremonyandwalkedoutthroughthegatesintothepassagebeyond。
“HowyoulikeAsiki-land，Major？“askedJeekie，whohadfollowedhimandwasnowleaningagainstawallfanninghimselffeeblywithhisgreathand。“Funnyplace，isn’tit，Major？Itellyousobeforeyoucome，butyounobelieveme。“
“Veryfunny，“answeredAlan，“sofunnythatIwanttogetout。“
“Ah！Major，thatwhateelsayintrapwherehegoafterlob-worm，butheonlygetoutintofryingpanaftercookskinhimalive-o。Ah！herecomecook——ImeanAsika。Sheonlystopshutupthosestiff’uns，whoalllovelob-wormoneday。Veryprettywoman，Asika，butthankGodshenotsetcapatme，wholiketobeburiedinopenlikeChristianman。“
“Ifyoudon’tstopit，Jeekie，“repliedAlaninaconcentratedrage，“I’llseethatyouareburiedjustwhereyouare。“
“Nooffence，Major，nooffence，myheartfullandbubbleup。IwonderwhatMissBarbarasayifsheseeyoumooingandcooingwithdark-eyedgirlingoldsnakeskin？“
JustthentheAsikaarrivedandbywayofexcuseforhisflight，Alanremarkedtoherthatthetreasure-hallwashot。
“Ididnotnoticeit，“sheanswered，“buthewhoiscalledmyhusband，Mungana，saysthesame。TheMunganaisguardianofthedead，“sheexplained，“andwhenheisrequiredsotodo，hesleepsinthePlaceoftheTreasureandgatherswisdomfromthespiritsofthoseMunganaswhowerebeforehim。“
“Indeed。Anddoeshelikethatbed-chamber？“
“TheMunganalikeswhatIlike，notwhathelikes，“sherepliedhaughtily。“WhereIsendhimtosleep，therehesleeps。Butcome，Vernoon，andIwillshowyoutheHolyWaterwhereBigBonsadwells；
alsothehouseinwhichIhavemyhome，whereyoushallvisitmewhenyouplease。“
“Whobuiltthisplace？“askedAlanassheledhimthroughmoredarkandtortuouspassages。“Itisverygreat。“
“Myspiritdoesnotrememberwhenitwasbuilt，Vernoon，sooldisit，butIthinkthattheAsikiwereonceabigandfamouspeoplewhotradedtothewateruponthewest，andeventothewaterontheeast，andthatwashowthosewhitemenbecametheirslavesandtheMunganasoftheirqueens。NowtheyaresmallandliveonlybythemightandfameofBigandLittleBonsa，nothalffillingtherichlandwhichistheirs。But，“sheaddedreflectivelyandlookingathim，“IthinkalsothatthisisbecauseinthepastfoolshavebeenthrustuponmyspiritasMunganas。Whatitneedsisthewisdomofthewhiteman，suchwisdomasyours，Vernoon。Ifthatwereaddedtomymagic，thentheAsikiwouldgrowgreatagain，seeingthattheyhaveinsuchplentythegoldwhichyouhaveshownmethewhitemanloves。Yes，theywouldgrowgreatandfromcoasttocoastthepeopleshouldbowatthenameofBonsaandsendhimtheirsonsforsacrifice。Perhapsyouwilllivetoseethatday，Vernoon。Slave，“sheadded，addressingJeekie，“setthemaskuponyourlord’shead，forwecomewherewomenare。“
Alanobjected，butshestampedherfootandsaiditmustbeso，havingoncewornLittleBonsa，asherpeopletoldherhehaddone，hisnakedfacemightnotbeseen。SoAlansubmittedtothehideoushead-dressandtheyenteredtheAsika’shousebysomebackentrance。
Itwasaplacewithmanyroomsinit，buttheywereallremarkableforextremesimplicity。Withasingleexceptionnogildingorgoldwastobeseen，althoughthefoodvesselsweremadeofthismaterialhereaseverywhere。Thechambers，includingthoseinwhichtheAsikalivedandslept，werepanelled，orratherboardedwithcedarwoodthatwasalmostblackwithage，andtheirscantyfurniturewasmostlymadeofebony。Theywereveryinsufficientlylighted，likehisownroom，bymeansofbarredopeningssethighinthewall。Indeedgloomandmysterywerethekeynotesofthisplace，amongsttheshadowsofwhichhandsome，half-nakedservantsorpriestessesflittedtoandfroattheirtasks，orpeeredatthemoutofdarkcorners。Theatmosphereseemedheavywithsecretsin；Alanfeltthatinthoseroomsunnameablecrimesandcrueltieshadbeencommittedforhundredsorperhapsthousandsofyears，andthattheplacewasyethauntedbytheghostsofthem。Atanyrateitstruckachilltohishealthyblood，moreeventhanhadthatHalloftheDeadandofheaped-upgoldentreasure。
“Doesmyhousepleaseyou？“theAsikaaskedofhim。
“Notaltogether，“heanswered，“Ithinkitisdark。“
“Fromthebeginningmyspirithaseverlovedthedark，Vernoon。I
thinkthatitwasshapedinsomeblackmidnight。“
Theypassedthroughthechiefentranceofthehousewhichhadpillarsofwoodworkgrotesquelycarved，downsomestepsintoawalledandroofed-inyardwheretheshadowswereevenmoredensethaninthehousetheyhadleft。Onlyatonespotwastherelightflowingdownthroughaholeintheroof，asitdidapparentlyinthathallwhereAlanhadfoundtheAsikasittinginstate。ThelightfellontoapedestalorcolumnmadeofgoldwhichwasplacedbehindanobjectlikealargeSaxonfont，alsomadeofgold。TheshapeofthiscolumnremindedAlanofsomething，namelyofaverysimilarcolumn，althoughfashionedofadifferentmaterialwhichstoodinthegranite-builtofficeofMessrs。Aylward&HaswellintheCityofLondon。Nordidthisseemwonderfultohim，sinceontopofit，squattingonitsdwarflegs，stoodahorridbutfamiliarthing，namelyLittleBonsaherselfcomehomeatlast。Thereshesatsmilingcruelly，asshehadsmiledfromthebeginning，forgetfuldoubtlessofherwanderingsinstrangelands，whileroundherstoodabandofpriestsarmedwithspears。
