heaven is a law of mercy."

She stared at him again.

"All this is strange to me," she said. "I was taught otherwise. Gods are
devils and must be appeased, lest they bring misfortune on us; men must
be ruled by terror, or they would rebel and pull down the great House;
doctors must learn magic, or how could they avert spells? wizards must
be killed, or the people would perish in their net. May not we who live
in a hell, strive to beat back its flame with the wisdom our forefathers
have handed on to us? Tell me, Vernoon, for I would know."

"You make your own hell," answered Alan when with the help of Jeekie he
understood her talk.

She pondered over his words for a while, then said:

"I must think. The thing is big. I wander in blackness; I will speak
with you again. Say now, what else is wrong with me?"

Now Alan thought that he saw opportunity for a word in season and made a
great mistake.

"I think that you treat your husband, that man whom you call Mungana,
very badly. Why should you drive him to his death?"

At these words the Asika leapt up in a rage, and seeking something to
vent her temper on, violently boxed Jeekie's ears and kicked him with
her sandalled foot.