Page:Frank Owen - The Scarlett Hill, 1941.djvu/354

RV 349 (VICTORY) But everything was in darkness, not even the moon shed a flickering light through the paper window panes.

He called a eunuch.

"I am here, Your Majesty!" said a high pitched voice, from right beside him.

"Why are there no lanterns burning?" cried An Lu-shan. "Why is the room in darkness?"

The eunuch smiled. He knew that his master had been reputed to have an amazing sense of humor, but this was the first time he had been cognizant of it. He had imagined that his Victorious Majesty was intensely angry. This, however, could not be. He sighed with relief; nevertheless his master had spoken. It was necessary to reply.

"There are several lanterns burning, Gracious Majesty," he said.

An Lu-shan swayed, and seemed about to fall. But he steadied himself by clutching the frail shoulder of the young eunuch with fingers that bit into the flesh like vultures.

"You lie!" he snarled. "The room is in blackness."

The eunuch winced, and fought to keep from crying out because of the biting pain of those relentless fingers. Nevertheless, he forced himself to say, "Your Majesty must inwardly smile at his droll utterance, for the room is very bright."

And then it seemed as though An Lu-shan went mad. His great fist crashed into the soft face of the eunuch while with the other hand he still clutched his shoulder. Again and again he struck until the eunuch fell RV 349 (349)