A huge black entered the arena with the young women. Carefully
he inspected them, felt of their limbs and poked them in the ribs.
Presently he selected one of their number whom he led before the
throne of Issus. He addressed some words to the goddess which I
could not hear. Issus nodded her head. The black raised his hands
above his head in token of salute, grasped the girl by the wrist,
and dragged her from the arena through a small doorway below the
throne.
"Issus will dine well to-night," said a prisoner beside me.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"That was her dinner that old Thabis is taking to the kitchens.
Didst not note how carefully he selected the plumpest and tenderest
of the lot?"
I growled out my curses on the monster sitting opposite us on the
gorgeous throne.
"Fume not," admonished my companion; "you will see far worse than
that if you live even a month among the First Born."
I turned again in time to see the gate of a nearby cage thrown open
and three monstrous white apes spring into the arena. The girls
shrank in a frightened group in the centre of the enclosure.
One was on her knees with imploring hands outstretched toward
Issus; but the hideous deity only leaned further forward in keener
anticipation of the entertainment to come. At length the apes spied
the huddled knot of terror-stricken maidens and with demoniacal
shrieks of bestial frenzy, charged upon them.
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