The Inverted House
assigned to him, he strode up and down the room like an imprisoned animal. In the morning he would leave the house of Yuan Shi Kai. He would go on his way, to take up once more the explorations which were his life's work. Up till that moment he had thrilled to new dawns, new sights, new adventures, new discoveries but now there would be dawn no longer. Without Liane whom he had seen only for a little while there would be no tomorrow worth the effort to anticipate. His cosmos was in ruins.
He walked to the window, swept aside the tapestries and gazed off over the drowsy country. A pale yellow moon stood out clear-cut in the sky. When the moon had set, so would pass the last thread of his happiness. Then abruptly a great decision came to him, a rather wild decision but one that carried with it his sole hope for happiness. He would steal the lovely Liane, carry her off while the unsuspecting Yuan Shi Kai slept. He had not a single qualm of conscience. His love blotted out all sense of right and wrong. He must possess that flower-girl, naught else mattered.
Silently he stepped out into the dim-lit hall. He wore no shoes and the pit-pat of his feet was stilled. Slowly he made his way down the corridor which seemed endless. Nowhere was there a sign of life. Yuan Shi Kai was evidently sleeping, so naturally none of the servants were awake. At last Ras Orla came to the marble staircase. He crept cautiously down to the floor of tapestries
and vases, then on down the second flight to
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