Page:Frank Owen - The Scarlett Hill, 1941.djvu/355

RV 350 (VICTORY) to the floor. An Lu-shan uttered a piercing cry, sprang upon the body, his great arms flaying the face that had once been that of the capon youth but now was a red pulp that no longer bore a resemblance to anything.

The commotion had brought a veritable army of eunuchs. They grouped about appalled at such brutality.

"Is Your Majesty unwell?" one ventured to ask. He was the older brother of the hapless eunuch whose lifeless body lay at the mercy of his Mighty Emperor.

"Light lanterns!" commanded An Lu-shan.

"There already are lanterns burning," was the reply.

"The room is in darkness!"

"The room is light."

An Lu-shan let the broken body fall to the floor. Anger vanished. He uttered a low moan. He took a faltering step forward, then he said, "I have gone blind. Come and help me to my couch."

Several eunuchs rushed to his aid but one bent weeping over the crumpled body of his younger brother.

During the following months, An Lu-shan was frightened to frenzy by the awesome world of darkness into which he had been plunged. He had the feeling that the blackness had texture, that he could tear it with his hands like silk if only he could get a firm grip; that he breathed it in with each breath that he took. It caught in his throat and invaded his lungs. RV 350 (350)