It was a round chamber, perhaps two hundred feet in diameter, lighted,
like the Roman Pantheon, by a huge circular opening in the vaulted roof,
through which I caught a glimpse of the pearl-tinted cloud dome, which
seemed infinitely remote. No opposition was made when I pushed ahead in
order to be at Jack's side, and as a throng quickly hedged us round, our
conductors released their hold, although our arms remained bound. When at
last we stood fast we were in front of a rich dais, containing a
thronelike seat occupied by a personage attired in black, the first
glimpse of whose face gave me such a shock as I had not experienced since
the priest of the earth-worshipers seized me for his prey. I have never
seen anything remotely resembling that face. It was without beard, and of
a ghastly paleness. It was seen only in profile, except when, with a
lightning-like movement, it turned, for the fraction of a second, toward
us, and was instantly averted again. It made my nerves creep to look at
it. The nose was immense, resembling a huge curved beak, and the eyes, as
black and glittering as jet, were roofed with shaggy brows, and seemed
capable of seeing crosswise.
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