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Naturally the villagers set down their water skins and jars and copper

vessels and flocked about this exceptional holyhad happened but the advent of the

lion, whence no one exactly knew, though the holyit was due to his nearness to the god Vishnu

They followed hierly to the temple What they beheld transfixed

them A woman with skin like the petals of the lotus and hair like

corn sat in the sacred sarcophagus and braided her hair, gazing the

while toward the bright sun

The intake of many breaths produced a sound Kathlyn turned instantly

toward this sound, for athe return of the lion

Iround,

striking their foreheads against the damp clay The alien spirit still

ruled the substance; Kathlyn eyed them in mild astonishment, not at all

alar to his feet "Ai! She is our

ancient priestess, rising from her tomb of centuries! Ai, ai! O thou

unholy children, to doubt my word! Behold! Henceforth she shall share

the teive us prosperity, andsecured a priestess, he was now determined that he should not

lose her The future was roseate indeed, and when he took his next