"Souls!" the voice lisped, whilst trunk and branches swayed lightly,
and the air was full of silent merriment. "Souls! you speak in terms
you do not understand. To acquire the secrets of Black Magic, all you
have to do is to agree that during a brief period--a period of a few
months, you will live together in harmony; that you will make use of
the powers you acquire to the detriment of all save yourselves; that
you will never allow your minds to revert to anything spiritual;
and--that you will abstain from--marrying."

"And if we succeed in carrying out the conditions?" Hamar asked.

[Illustration: THE INITIATION]

"Then," the voice replied, "you will retain free, untrammelled
possession of your knowledge."

"For how long?" Curtis queried.

"For the natural term of your lives--that is to say, for as long as
you would have lived had you never been initiated into the secrets of
magic."

"And if we fail?"

"You will pass into the permanent possession of the Unknown."

"Does that mean we shall die the moment we fail?" Kelson inquired
timidly.