scattered in dazzling joints and spars, now uniting in momentary disks of
radiance. In the centre of the cave glowed a furnace, and round it he
distinguished the seven youths, swarthier and sterner than before, dark
sweat standing on the brows of each. Their words were brief, and they
wore each a terrible frown, saying to him, without further salutation,
'Thrust in the flame of this furnace thy right wrist.'

At the same moment, the Antelope said in his ear, 'Do thou their bidding,
and be not backward! In Aklis fear is ruin, and hesitation a destroyer.'

He fixed his mind on the devotedness of Noorna, and held his nether lip
tightly between his teeth, and thrust his right wrist in the flame of the
furnace. The wrist reddened, and became transparent with heat, but he
felt no pain, only that his whole arm was thrice its natural weight.
Then the flame of the furnace fell, and the seven youths made him kneel
by a brook of golden waters and dip his forehead up to his eyes in the
waters. Then they took him to the other side of the cave, and his sight
was strengthened to mark the glory of the Sword, where it hung in slings,
a little way from the wall, outshining the lights of the cave, and
throwing them back with its superior force and stedfastness of lustre.
Lo! the length of it was as the length of crimson across the sea when the
sun is sideways on the wave, and it seemed full a mile long, the whole
blade sheening like an arrested lightning from the end to the hilt; the
hilt two large live serpents twined together, with eyes like sombre
jewels, and sparkling spotted skins, points of fire in their folds, and
reflections of the emerald and topaz and ruby stones, studded in the
blood-stained haft. Then the seven young men, sons of Aklis, said to
Shibli Bagarag, 'Surrender the Lily!' And when he had given into their
hands the Lily, they said, 'Grasp the handle of the Sword!'