THE DEMON POPE
the deficient appendages, and Lucifer now looked every inch a Pope. He was about to call the master of the ceremonies, and summon a consistory, when the door was burst open, and seven cardinals, brandishing poniards, rushed into the room.
"Down with the sorcerer!" they cried, as they seized and gagged him.
"Death to the Saracen!"
"Practises algebra, and other devilish arts!"
"Knows Greek!"
"Talks Arabic!"
"Reads Hebrew!"
"Burn him!"
"Smother him!"
"Let him be deposed by a general council," said a young and inexperienced Cardinal.
"Heaven forbid!" said an old and wary one, sotto voce.
Lucifer struggled frantically, but the feeble frame he was doomed to inhabit for the next eleven hours was speedily exhausted. Bound and helpless, he swooned away.
"Brethren," said one of the senior cardinals, "it hath been delivered by the exorcists that a sorcerer or other individual in league with the demon doth usually bear upon his person some visible token of his infernal compact. I propose that we forthwith institute a search for this stigma, the discovery of which may contribute to justify our proceedings in the eyes of the world."
"I heartily approve of our brother Anno's proposition," said another, "the rather as we cannot possibly
[233]
