for you cannot remain awake forever." He laughed, a cackling, dry
laugh. "When you sleep, An-Tak will eat."

It was horrible. Bradley shuddered. For a long time each sat
in silence. The Englishman could guess why the other made no
sound--he awaited the moment that sleep should overcome his victim.
In the long silence there was born upon Bradley's ears a faint,
monotonous sound as of running water. He listened intently.
It seemed to come from far beneath the floor.

"What is that noise?" he asked. "That sounds like water running
through a narrow channel."

"It is the river," replied An-Tak. "Why do you not go to sleep?
It passes directly beneath the Blue Place of Seven Skulls. It runs
through the temple grounds, beneath the temple and under the city.
When we die, they will cut off our heads and throw our bodies into
the river. At the mouth of the river await many large reptiles.
Thus do they feed. The Wieroos do likewise with their own dead,
keeping only the skulls and the wings. Come, let us sleep."

"Do the reptiles come up the river into the city?" asked Bradley.

"The water is too cold--they never leave the warm water of the
great pool," replied An-Tak.

"Let us search for the way out," suggested Bradley.

An-Tak shook his head. "I have searched for it all these moons,"
he said. "If I could not find it, how would you?"