Strange to say, they all three felt that this familiarity belonged to a far back period of their existence, no less than to a more modern one--to a period, in fact, to which they could affix no date. And, although a perfect unity of expression suggested that the utterance of the Thing was the utterance of one being only, a certain variation in its tones, a rising and falling from syllable to syllable, led them to infer that the voice was not the voice of one but of many. "You are anxious to acquire knowledge of the Secrets associated with the Great Atlantean Magic?" the voice lisped. "We are!" Hamar stammered, "and we are willing to give our souls in exchange for them." "Souls!" the voice lisped, whilst trunk and branches swayed lightly, and the air was full of silent merriment. "Souls! you speak in terms you do not understand. To acquire the secrets of Black Magic, all you have to do is to agree that during a brief period--a period of a few months, you will live together in harmony; that you will make use of the powers you acquire to the detriment of all save yourselves; that you will never allow your minds to revert to anything spiritual; and--that you will abstain from--marrying." "And if we succeed in carrying out the conditions?" Hamar asked. [Illustration: THE INITIATION] "Then," the voice replied, "you will retain free, untrammelled possession of your knowledge." "For how long?" Curtis queried. "For the natural term of your lives--that is to say, for as long as you would have lived had you never been initiated into the secrets of magic." "And if we fail?" "You will pass into the permanent possession of the Unknown." "Does that mean we shall die the moment we fail?" Kelson inquired timidly. "Die!" the voice lisped. "Again you speak in terms you do not understand. You may be sent for." "You say--in perfect harmony." Hamar put in. "Does that mean without a quarrel, however slight?" "It means without a quarrel that would lead to separation. The moment you disunite the compact is broken." "What advantages will the secrets bring us?" Hamar inquired. "Can we gain unlimited wealth?" "Yes!" the voice replied. "Unlimited wealth and influence." "And health?" "So long as you fulfil the conditions of the compact you will enjoy perfect health. Will you, or will you not, pledge yourselves?" "I am ready if you fellows are," Hamar whispered. "I am!" Curtis cried. "Anything is better than the life we are living at present." "And I, too," Kelson said. "I agree with Ed." "Very well then," the voice once more lisped. "Each of you take a fruit and eat it, and the compact is irrevocably struck. You cannot back out of it without incurring the consequences already named. Don't be afraid, step up here and help yourselves--one apiece--mind, no more." And again it seemed to Hamar, Curtis and Kelson as if the tree and everything around it was convulsed with silent laughter.