Suddenly the door was flung open and Mannaeus entered, holding at arm's
length, grasping it by the hair, the head of Iaokanann. His appearance
was greeted with a burst of applause, which filled him with pride and
revived his courage.

He placed the head upon a charger and offered it to Salome, who had
descended the steps to receive it. She remounted to the balcony, with a
light step; and in another moment the charger was carried about from
one table to another by the elderly female slave whom the tetrarch had
observed in the morning on the balcony of a neighbouring house, and
later in the chamber of Herodias.

When she approached him with her ghastly burden, he turned away his head
to avoid looking at it. Vitellius threw upon it an indifferent glance.

Mannaeus descended from the pavilion, took the charger from the woman,
and exhibited the head to the Roman captains, then to all the guests on
that side of the hall.

They looked at it curiously.

The sharp blade of the sword had cut into the jaw with a swift downward
stroke. The corners of the mouth were drawn, as if by a convulsion.
Clots of blood besprinkled the beard. The closed eyelids had a
shell-like transparency, and the candelabra on every side lighted up the
gruesome object with terrible distinctness.

Mannaeus arrived at the table where the priests were seated. One of them
turned the charger about curiously, to look at the head from all sides.