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"But the old faods unearthed the putrid body of Khayman's father, to show that the flesh eaters had always done as pleasing to heaven? No, it was the King and Queen ere evil, the King and Queen whoand Queen who had filled the land with mummies and superstition

"The kingdoe of civil war

"At last the King hiar talked to the demon, even as the tiny bites afflicted Khayman and made drops of blood on the cloth that covered Khayman

" 'Now think what those witches told us,' the King said These are but spirits, not demons And they can be reasoned with If only I could make them hear me as the witches could; and make them answer '

"But this little conversation only seee the demon It broke what little furniture it had not already smashed It tore the door off its pivots; it uprooted the trees froet Khayh the palace gardens destroying all that it could

"And the King went after it, begging it to recognize him and to converse with him, and to impart to him its secrets He stood in the very midst of the ind created by this demon, fearless and en rapt

"Finally the Queen appeared In a loud piercing voice she addressed the demon too 'You punish us for the affliction of the red-haired sisters!' she screamed 'But why do you not serve us instead of thereatly afflicted her, as it had done to Khayman before She tried to cover her ar took hold of her and together they ran back to Khayman's house

" 'Now, go,' said the King to Khay f

or I will learn fro the priests to hih the hat we had said, that the spirit hated mankind because ere both spirit and flesh But he would ensnare it and refor of Ke

"Into Khayether, and the de the place to pieces, yet there they re, lay on the floor of the palace exhausted, fearing for his sovereigns but not knohat to do

"The entire court was in an uproar; ht one another; women wept, and some even left the palace for fear of as to come

"For thole nights and days, the King remained with the demon; and so did the Queen And then the old fa and Queen were in error; it was tihtfall, they went into the house on their deadly errand with daggers raised They would kill the King and Queen; and if the people raised any outcry, then they would say that the demon had done it; and who could say that the de and Queen were dead, the King and Queen who had persecuted the red-haired witches?

"It was the Queen who saw the in alarers into her breast and she sank down dying The King ran to her aid, and they struck him down too, just as mercilessly; and then they ran out of the house, for the demon had not stopped his persecutions

"Now Khayarden, deserted by the guards who had thrown in with the flesh eaters He expected to die with other servants of the royal fa from the Queen Sounds such as he had never heard before And when the flesh eaters heard these sounds, they deserted the place utterly

"It was Khay and Queen, who snatched up a torch and went to the aid of his master and mistress