There was space for a seventh statue, but where it should have stood was a great arched door of adamant. The door was tight shut, and there was neither lock nor key to it. Upon the door were written these words in letters of flame: “Behold! beyond this door is that alone which shall satisfy all thy desires.” “Tell me, Zadok,” said the young man, after he had filled his soul with all the other wonders that surrounded him--“tell me what is there that lies beyond that door?” “That I am forbidden to tell thee, O master!” said the King of the Demons of the Earth. [Illustration] “Then open the door for me,” said the young man; “for I cannot open it for myself, as there is neither lock nor key to it.” “That also I am forbidden to do,” said Zadok. “I wish that I knew what was there,” said the young man. The Demon laughed. “Some time,” said he, “thou mayest find for thyself. Come, let us leave here and go to the palace which thy father built years ago, and which he left behind him when he quitted this place for the place in which thou knewest him.” He led the way and the young man followed; they passed through the vaulted rooms and out through the door of adamant, and Zadok locked it behind them and gave the key to the young man. “All this is thine now,” he said; “I give it to thee as I gave it to thy father. I have shown thee how to enter, and thou mayst go in whenever it pleases thee to do so.” They ascended the steps, and so reached the garden above. Then Zadok struck his heel upon the ground, and the earth closed as it had opened. He led the young man from the spot until they had come to a wide avenue that led to the palace beyond. “Here I leave thee,” said the Demon, “but if ever thou hast need of me, call and I will come.” Thereupon he vanished like a flash, leaving the young man standing like one in a dream. He saw before him a garden of such splendor and magnificence as he had never dreamed of even in his wildest fancy. There were seven fountains as clear as crystal that shot high into the air and fell back into basins of alabaster. There was a broad avenue as white as snow, and thousands of lights lit up everything as light as day. Upon either side of the avenue stood a row of black slaves, clad in garments of white silk, and with jewelled turbans upon their heads. Each held a flaming torch of sandal-wood. Behind the slaves stood a double row of armed men, and behind them a great crowd of other slaves and attendants, dressed each as magnificently as a prince, blazing and flaming with innumerable jewels and ornaments of gold.