Page:Weird Tales Volume 14 Issue 2 (1929-08).djvu/62

ently crowned with a gandy headdress on which jewels quivered from gold wires. Then he was led through dark corridora lighted with smoky torches in wall sconces to a vast room where moon-silver poured through round wall apertures and wall torches lent lurid flares of flame. He wanted to shrink along one wall in his ridiculous robes and bonnet of jewels, but there was no choice. Through gray apes crouched on the floor in their metal jackets he was led to a distant dais that seemed a shimmering blaze of light. Coming closer he saw that the shining wall was made of dancing-girls in metal cloth dresses who stood motionless as statues, flanking a group of shaven priests in resplendent robes. To stools below the priests he was led, and Tai Hoong appeared from somewhere to sit beside him. Below was a couch draped with a white gauze pall under which lay something human. Tai Hoong spoke softly, whispered from unmoving lips.

"Judgment is taken from you; this white man has killed a woman destined to be a dancer of N'Yeng Sen, belonging to the gods. The Doom of N'Yeng Sen will fall."

The music he had heard came nearer, swelled, pealed through the hall, and the wall of dancers suddenly swooped into motion. For an endless time McTeague watched the posturing slow dance of the East until be grew drowsy-eyed and the light-footed woman creatures in their gleaming robes seemed butterflies wheeling drunkenly. Then a single gorgeous whirling flame of dancing flew down, spinning like a diamond top until it seemed that human strength could not keep such mad motion. McTeague closed his eyes.

When the music ceased with a crash of cymbals he looked again.

The priests descended. There was a stir forward, and before that covered couch came apes of the jungle, dragging three white men. The white pall was lifted and McTeague sickened at the sight on the white couch. Arms of smoky gold folded about a small red orchid of that genus along the river which poured forth its lethal breath. Her pretty face framed in dark curls as bushy as a feather crest lay the girl of the village bleaching-hut. And from her waist down was revealed the hellish cnxelty of Brigham, the expert skill of flaying her golden skin.

It was Tai Hoong who acted as interpreter for the priests. McTeague realized that Brigham was either drunk or drugged, for he turned braggart again, threatening Tai Hoong with the authorities of the ports, casting the blame for the work on Klein, making the excuse that they had not killed her, and the jungle trip was to blame.

The pursuit of Eastern vengeance earnestly laid on the lap of gods is long and patient, but the judgment of N'Yeng Sen was swift. For the benefit of Brigham, Tai Hoong translated.

"Some time ago great surgeons made the successful experiment of transplanting brains of humans into the skulls of apes. Po Sung, who was once a power in this temple, used a river crocodile. We have seen them, heard them, and know they are unhappy in their present incarnation. It is the judgment of N'Yeng Sen that these men have expiated their sentences for deeds not as evil as the outrage of this girl destined for the god-dance of N'Yeng Sen. It is the sentence of N'Yeng Sen that Brigham of Bristol and Klein the taxidermist change physical form with Red Murphy and Tricky Turner. I have spoken!"

And at that judgment of doom, McTeague leaped to his feet to protest, threw up his arms to silence the roar of ape throats that greeted the end of the audience and involuntarily added the finality of the upraised hand, displaying the symbol of N'Yeng Sen.

The hall leaped to life like gray, stormy seas, and as magically clear.