"----the Master worked the lever that opened the chest--the screams you heard as you lay upon the altar were the death shrieks of Leary and Murken. Then, leaving the Chinaman behind to finish you, the Master and the rest descended into the tunnel--incredible as it seems--and threading their way unharmed among the serpents, entered Yun Shatu's house and escaped therefrom as I have said." "That seems impossible. Why should not the snakes turn on them?" Gordon finally ignited his cigarette and puffed a few seconds before replying. "The reptiles might still have been giving their full and hideous attention to the dying men, or else--I have on previous occasions been confronted with indisputable proof of the Master's dominance over beasts and reptiles of even the lowest or most dangerous orders. How he and his slaves passed unhurt among those scaly fiends must remain, at present, one of the many unsolved mysteries pertaining to that strange man." I stirred restlessly in my chair. This brought up a point for the purpose of clearing up which I had come to Gordon's neat but bizarre apartments. "You have not yet told me," I said abruptly, "who this man is and what is his mission." "As to who he is, I can only say that he is known as you name him--the Master. I have never seen him unmasked, nor do I know his real name nor his nationality." "I can enlighten you to an extent there," I broke in. "I have seen him unmasked and have heard the name his slaves call him." Gordon's eyes blazed and he leaned forward. "His name," I continued, "is Kathulos and he claims to be an Egyptian." "Kathulos!" Gordon repeated. "You say he claims to be an Egyptian--have you any reason for doubting his claim of that nationality?" "He may be of Egypt," I answered slowly, "but he is different, somehow, from any human I ever saw or hope to see. Great age might account for some of his peculiarities, but there are certain lineal differences that my anthropological studies tell me have been present since birth--features which would be abnormal to any other man but which are perfectly normal in Kathulos. That sounds paradoxical, I admit, but to appreciate fully the horrid inhumanness of the man, you would have to see him yourself." * * * * * Gordon sat all attention while I swiftly sketched the appearance of the Egyptian as I remembered him--and that appearance was indelibly etched on my brain forever. As I finished he nodded. "As I have said, I never saw Kathulos except when disguised as a beggar, a leper or some such thing--when he was fairly swathed in rags. Still, I too have been impressed with a strange _difference_ about him--something that is not present in other men." Gordon tapped his knee with his fingers--a habit of his when deeply engrossed by a problem of some sort. "You have asked as to the mission of this man," he began slowly. "I will tell you all I know.