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break from the grasp of Prince Metak as the fellow fled with her through the
dimly lighted corridors of the palace. Through many chambers the prince fled,
bearing his prize. It was evident to the girl that, though her captor was the king's
son, he was not above capture and punishment for his deeds, as otherwise he
would not have shown such evident anxiety to escape with her, as well as from
the results of his act.
From the fact that he was constantly turning affrighted eyes behind them, and
glancing suspiciously into every nook and corner that they passed, she guessed
that the prince's punishment might be both speedy and terrible were he caught.
She knew from their route that they must have doubled back several times
although she had quite lost all sense of direction; but she did not know that the
prince was as equally confused as she, and that really he was running in an
aimless, erratic manner, hoping that he might stumble eventually upon a place of
refuge.
Nor is it to be wondered at that this offspring of maniacs should have difficulty in
orienting himself in the winding mazes of a palace designed by maniacs for a
maniac king. Now a corridor turned gradually and almost imperceptibly in a new
direction, again one doubled back upon and crossed itself; here the floor rose
gradually to the level of another story, or again there might be a spiral stairway
down which the mad prince rushed dizzily with his burden. Upon what floor they
were or in what part of the palace even Metak had no idea until, halting abruptly
at a closed door, he pushed it open to step into a brilliantly lighted chamber filled
with warriors, at one end of which sat the king upon a great throne; beside this,
to the girl's surprise, she saw another throne where was seated a huge lioness,
recalling to her the words of Xanila which, at the time, had made no impression
on her: "But he had many other queens, nor were they all human."
At sight of Metak and the girl, the king rose from his throne and started across
the chamber, all semblance of royalty vanishing in the maniac's uncontrollable
passion. And as he came he shrieked orders and commands at the top of his
voice. No sooner had Metak so unwarily opened the door to this hornets' nest
than he immediately withdrew and, turning, fled again in a new direction. But
now a hundred men were close upon his heels, laughing, shrieking, and possibly
cursing. He dodged hither and thither, distancing them for several minutes until,
at the bottom of a long runway that inclined steeply downward from a higher
level, he burst into a subterranean apartment lighted by many flares.
In the center of the room was a pool of considerable size, the level of the water
being but a few inches below the floor. Those behind the fleeing prince and his
captive entered the chamber in time to see Metak leap into the water with the girl
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