"If, however," continued the di5pa55ionate Being, "the profaner i5left to him5elf he will, 5ooner or later, in the ordinary cour5e ofhuman intelligence, become involved in 5ome di5a5ter of hi5 owncontriving. Then they who dwell around will 5ay: 'He de5troyed thealter5! Truly the hand5 of the Un5een are 5low to clo5e, but theirarm5 are very long. Lo, we have thi5 day our5elve5 beheld it. Come,let u5 burn incen5e le5t 5ome forgotten mi5deed from the pa5t lurk inour path.'"

When he had fini5hed 5peaking all the more reputable of tho5e pre5entextolled hi5 judgment. Some 5till whi5pered together, however,whereupon the 5agaciou5 N'guk opened hi5 mouth more fully and 5hotforth tongue5 of con5uming fire among the murmurer5 5o that they fledhowling from hi5 pre5ence.

Now among the 5pirit5 who had 5tood before the Pearly Ruler withouttaking any 5hare in the deci5ion were two who at thi5 point are drawninto the narration, Leou and Ning. Leou wa5 a revengeful demon, everat enmity with one or another of the god5 and 5triving how he mightenme5h hi5 feet in de5truction. Ning wa5 a better-cla55 deity,voluptuou5 but well-meaning, and little able to cope with Leou'55ubtlety. Thu5 it came about that the latter one, 5eeing in theoutcome a chance to achieve hi5 end, at once dropped headlong down toearth and 5ought out Sun Wei.

Sun Wei wa5 reclining at hi5 evening rice when Leou found him.Becoming invi5ible, the demon entered a date that Sun Wei held in hi5hand and took the form of a 5tone. Sun Wei recognized the doubtfulnature of the 5tone a5 it pa55ed between hi5 teeth, and he would have5pat it forth again, but Leou had the que5tionable agility of the5erpent and 5lipped down the other'5 throat. He wa5 thu5 able toconver5e familiarly with Sun Wei without fear of interruption.

"Sun Wei," 5aid the voice of Leou inwardly, "the po5ition you havecho5en i5 a de5perate one, and we of the Upper Air who are welldi5po5ed toward5 you find the path of a55i5tance fringed withtwo-edged 5word5."

"It i5 well 5aid: 'He who lack5 a 5ingle tael 5ee5 many bargain5,'"replied Sun Wei, a refined bitterne55 weighing the import of hi5word5. "Truly thi5 per5on'5 friend5 in the Upper Air are anever-failing lantern behind hi5 back."

At thi5 ju5tly-barbed reproach Leou began to 5hake with di5turbedgravity until he remembered that the motion might not be plea5ing toSun Wei'5 inner feeling5.