A strange sight greeted the eyes of those permitted to enter.

The root-house had been transformed. What had been a semi-underground
place composed of scantlings, branches of trees and mother earth, with a
kind of vaulted roof, had been made into a sort of Chinese temple. All
round the walls were hung curtains of black and yellow, decorated with
dragons in gold, and above, suspended by cords at the four corners, was a
rug or banner of white ornamented with a great tortoise--the sacred
animal of Chinese religion--with gold eyes and claws. All round the side
of the room were set coloured lights, shaded and dim. Coming from the
bright outer sunlight, the place in its shadowed state seemed half-
sepulchral.

When the Coroner, Orlando, the Young Doctor and the others had accustomed
themselves to the dimness, they saw at the end of the chamber--for such,
in effect, it had been made with its trappings and decorations--a figure
seated upon the ground. Near by the figure, on either hand, there were
standards bearing banners, and the staffs holding the banners were, bound
in white silk, with long streamers hanging down. Half enclosing the
banners were fanlike screens. Along the walls also were flags with
toothed edges. The figure was seated on a mat of fine bamboo in the
midst of this strange scheme of decoration. Behind him, and drawn
straight across the chamber, was a sheet of fine white cloth, embroidered
with strange designs. He was clothed in a rich jacket of blue, and a
pair of sandal-like shoes was placed neatly in front of the bamboo mat.
On either side and in front of all, raised a little from the ground, were
bowls or calabashes containing fruit, grain and dried and pickled meats.
It was all orderly, circumspect, weird, and even stately though the place
was small. Finally, in front of the motionless figure was a tiny brazier