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like a thermantidote paddle。 Luckily； the seal…cutter betrayed
himself by his most impressive trick and made me calm again。 After
he had finished that unspeakable triple crawl； he stretched his
head away from the floor as high as he could； and sent out a jet of
fire from his nostrils。 Now； I knew how fire…spouting is doneI
can do it myselfso I felt at ease。 The business was a fraud。 If
he had only kept to that crawl without trying to raise the effect；
goodness knows what I might not have thought。 Both the girls
shrieked at the jet of fire and the head dropped； chin down； on the
floor with a thud； the whole body lying then like a corpse with its
arms trussed。 There was a pause of five full minutes after this；
and the blue… green flame died down。 Janoo stooped to settle one
of her anklets； while Azizun turned her face to the wall and took
the terrier in her arms。 Suddhoo put out an arm mechanically to
Janoo's huqa； and she slid it across the floor with her foot。
Directly above the body and on the wall； were a couple of flaming
portraits； in stamped paper frames； of the Queen and the Prince of
Wales。 They looked down on the performance； and； to my thinking；
seemed to heighten the grotesqueness of it all。
Just when the silence was getting unendurable； the body turned over
and rolled away from the basin to the side of the room； where it
lay stomach up。 There was a faint 〃plop〃 from the basinexactly
like the noise a fish makes when it takes a flyand the green
light in the centre revived。
I looked at the basin； and saw； bobbing in the water； the dried；
shrivelled； black head of a native babyopen eyes； open mouth and
shaved scalp。 It was worse； being so very sudden； than the
crawling exhibition。 We had no time to say anything before it
began to speak。
Read Poe's account of the voice that came from the mesmerized dying
man； and you will realize less than one…half of the horror of that
head's voice。
There was an interval of a second or two between each word； and a
sort of 〃ring； ring； ring；〃 in the note of the voice； like the
timbre of a bell。 It pealed slowly； as if talking to itself； for
several minutes before I got rid of my cold sweat。 Then the
blessed solution struck me。 I looked at the body lying near the
doorway； and saw； just where the hollow of the throat joins on the
shoulders； a muscle that had nothing to do with any man's regular
breathing； twitching away steadily。 The whole thing was a careful
reproduction of the Egyptian teraphin that one read about sometimes
and the voice was as clever and as appalling a piece of
ventriloquism as one could wish to hear。 All this time the head
was 〃lip…lip…lapping〃 against the side of the basin； and speaking。
It told Suddhoo； on his face again whining； of his son's illness
and of the state of the illness up to the evening of that very
night。 I always shall respect the seal…cutter for keeping so
faithfully to the time of the Peshawar telegrams。 It went on to
say that skilled doctors were night and day watching over the man's
life； and that he would eventually recover if the fee to the potent
sorcerer； whose servant was the head in the basin； were doubled。
Here the mistake from the artistic point of view came in。 To ask
for twice your stipulated fee in a voice that Lazarus might have
used when he rose from the dead； is absurd。 Janoo； who is really a
woman of masculine intellect； saw this as quickly as I did。 I
heard her say 〃Asli nahin！ Fareib！〃 scornfully under her breath；
and just as she said so； the light in the basin died out； the head
stopped talking； and we heard the room door creak on its hinges。
Then Janoo struck a match； lit the lamp； and we saw that head；
basin； and seal… cutter were gone。 Suddhoo was wringing his hands
and explaining to any one who cared to listen； that； if his chances
of eternal salvation depended on it； he could not raise another two
hundred rupees。 Azizun was nearly in hysterics in the corner；
while Janoo sat down composedly on one of the beds to discuss the
probabilities of the whole thing being a bunao； or 〃make…up。〃
I explained as much as I knew of the seal…cutter's way of jadoo；
but her argument was much more simple：〃The magic that is always
demanding gifts is no true magic；〃 said she。 〃My mother told me
that the only potent love…spells are those which are told you for
love。 This seal…cutter man is a liar and a devil。 I dare not
tell； do anything； or get anything done； because I am in debt to
Bhagwan Dass the bunnia for two gold rings and a heavy anklet。 I
must get my food from his shop。 The seal…cutter is the friend of
Bhagwan Dass； and he would poison my food。 A fool's jadoo has been
going on for ten days； and has cost Suddhoo many rupees each night。
The seal…cutter used black hens and lemons and mantras before。 He
never showed us anything like this till to…night。 Azizun is a
fool； and will be a pur dahnashin soon。 Suddhoo has lost his
strength and his wits。 See now！ I had hoped to get from Suddhoo
many rupees while he lived； and many more after his death； and
behold； he is spending everything on that offspring of a devil and
a she…ass； the seal… cutter！〃
Here I said：〃But what induced Suddhoo to drag me into the
business？ Of course I can speak to the seal…cutter； and he shall
refund。 The whole thing is child's talkshameand senseless。〃
〃Suddhoo IS an old child；〃 said Janoo。 〃He has lived on the roofs
these seventy years and is as senseless as a milch…goat。 He
brought you here to assure himself that he was not breaking any law
of the Sirkar； whose salt he ate many years ago。 He worships the
dust off the feet of the seal…cutter； and that cow…devourer has
forbidden him to go and see his son。 What does Suddhoo know of
your laws or the lightning…post？ I have to watch his money going
day by day to that lying beast below。〃
Janoo stamped her foot on the floor and nearly cried with vexation；
while Suddhoo was whimpering under a blanket in the corner； and
Azizun was trying to guide the pipe…stem to his foolish old mouth。
。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。
Now the case stands thus。 Unthinkingly； I have laid myself open to
the charge of aiding and abetting the seal…cutter in obtaining
money under false pretences； which is forbidden by Section 420 of
the Indian Penal Code。 I am helpless in the matter for these
reasons； I cannot inform the Police。 What witnesses would support
my statements？ Janoo refuses flatly； Azizun is a veiled woman
somewhere near Bareillylost in this big India of ours。 I cannot
again take the law into my own hands； and speak to the seal…cutter；
for certain am I that； not only would Suddhoo disbelieve me； but
this step would end in the poisoning of Janoo； who is bound hand
and foot by her debt to the bunnia。 Suddhoo is an old dotard； and
whenever we meet mumbles my idiotic joke that the Sirkar rather
patronizes the Blac