cutterbetweenonehundredandtwohundredrupeesalready；andthejadooofthatnightwouldcosttwohundredmore。Whichwascheap，hesaid，consideringthegreatnessofhisson’sdanger；butIdonotthinkhemeantit。
　　Thelightswereallcloakedinthefrontofthehousewhenwearrived。Icouldhearawfulnoisesfrombehindtheseal-cutter’sshop-front，asifsomeoneweregroaninghissoulout。Suddhooshookallover，andwhilewegropedourwayupstairstoldmethatthejadoohadbegun。JanooandAzizunmetusatthestair-head，andtoldusthatthejadoo-workwascomingoffintheirrooms，becausetherewasmorespacethere。Janooisaladyofafreethinkingturnofmind。ShewhisperedthatthejadoowasaninventiontogetmoneyoutofSuddhoo，andthattheseal-cutterwouldgotoahotplacewhenhedied。Suddhoowasnearlycryingwithfearandoldage。Hekeptwalkingupanddowntheroominthehalflight，repeatinghisson’snameoverandoveragain，andaskingAzizuniftheseal-cutteroughtnottomakeareductioninthecaseofhisownlandlord。Janoopulledmeovertotheshadowintherecessofthecarvedbow-windows。Theboardswereup，andtheroomswereonlylitbyonetinylamp。TherewasnochanceofmybeingseenifIstayedstill。
　　Presently，thegroansbelowceased，andweheardstepsonthestaircase。Thatwastheseal-cutter。HestoppedoutsidethedoorastheterrierbarkedandAzizunfumbledatthechain，andhetoldSuddhootoblowoutthelamp。Thislefttheplaceinjetdarkness，exceptfortheredglowfromthetwohuqasthatbelongedtoJanooandAzizun。Theseal-cuttercamein，andIheardSuddhoothrowhimselfdownonthefloorandgroan。Azizuncaughtherbreath，andJanoobackedtooneofthebedswithashudder。Therewasaclinkofsomethingmetallic，andthenshotupapaleblue-greenflameneartheground。ThelightwasjustenoughtoshowAzizun，pressedagainstonecorneroftheroomwiththeterrierbetweenherknees；
　　Janoo，withherhandsclasped，leaningforwardasshesatonthebed；Suddhoo，facedown，quivering，andtheseal-cutter。
　　IhopeImayneverseeanothermanlikethatseal-cutter。Hewasstrippedtothewaist，withawreathofwhitejasmineasthickasmywristroundhisforehead，asalmon-coloredloin-clothroundhismiddle，andasteelbangleoneachankle。Thiswasnotawe-
　　inspiring。Itwasthefaceofthemanthatturnedmecold。Itwasblue-grayinthefirstplace。Inthesecond，theeyeswererolledbacktillyoucouldonlyseethewhitesofthem；and，inthethird，thefacewasthefaceofademon——aghoul——anythingyoupleaseexceptofthesleek，oilyoldruffianwhosatintheday-timeoverhisturning-lathedownstairs。Hewaslyingonhisstomach，withhisarmsturnedandcrossedbehindhim，asifhehadbeenthrowndownpinioned。Hisheadandneckweretheonlypartsofhimoffthefloor。Theywerenearlyatrightanglestothebody，liketheheadofacobraatspring。Itwasghastly。Inthecentreoftheroom，onthebareearthfloor，stoodabig，deep，brassbasin，withapaleblue-greenlightfloatinginthecentrelikeanight-light。
　　Roundthatbasinthemanonthefloorwriggledhimselfthreetimes。
　　HowhediditIdonotknow。Icouldseethemusclesripplealonghisspineandfallsmoothagain；butIcouldnotseeanyothermotion。Theheadseemedtheonlythingaliveabouthim，exceptthatslowcurlanduncurlofthelaboringback-muscles。Janoofromthebedwasbreathingseventytotheminute；Azizunheldherhandsbeforehereyes；andoldSuddhoo，fingeringatthedirtthathadgotintohiswhitebeard，wascryingtohimself。Thehorrorofitwasthatthecreeping，crawlythingmadenosound——onlycrawled！
　　And，remember，thislastedfortenminutes，whiletheterrierwhined，andAzizunshuddered，andJanoogasped，andSuddhoocried。
　　Ifeltthehairliftatthebackofmyhead，andmyheartthumplikeathermantidotepaddle。Luckily，theseal-cutterbetrayedhimselfbyhismostimpressivetrickandmademecalmagain。Afterhehadfinishedthatunspeakabletriplecrawl，hestretchedhisheadawayfromthefloorashighashecould，andsentoutajetoffirefromhisnostrils。Now，Iknewhowfire-spoutingisdone——I
　　candoitmyself——soIfeltatease。Thebusinesswasafraud。Ifhehadonlykepttothatcrawlwithouttryingtoraisetheeffect，goodnessknowswhatImightnothavethought。Boththegirlsshriekedatthejetoffireandtheheaddropped，chindown，onthefloorwithathud；thewholebodylyingthenlikeacorpsewithitsarmstrussed。Therewasapauseoffivefullminutesafterthis，andtheblue-greenflamedieddown。Janoostoopedtosettleoneofheranklets，whileAzizunturnedherfacetothewallandtooktheterrierinherarms。SuddhooputoutanarmmechanicallytoJanoo’shuqa，andshesliditacrossthefloorwithherfoot。
　　Directlyabovethebodyandonthewall，wereacoupleofflamingportraits，instampedpaperframes，oftheQueenandthePrinceofWales。Theylookeddownontheperformance，and，tomythinking，seemedtoheightenthegrotesquenessofitall。
　　Justwhenthesilencewasgettingunendurable，thebodyturnedoverandrolledawayfromthebasintothesideoftheroom，whereitlaystomachup。Therewasafaint“plop“fromthebasin——exactlylikethenoiseafishmakeswhenittakesafly——andthegreenlightinthecentrerevived。
　　Ilookedatthebasin，andsaw，bobbinginthewater，thedried，shrivelled，blackheadofanativebaby——openeyes，openmouthandshavedscalp。Itwasworse，beingsoverysudden，thanthecrawlingexhibition。Wehadnotimetosayanythingbeforeitbegantospeak。
　　ReadPoe’saccountofthevoicethatcamefromthemesmerizeddyingman，andyouwillrealizelessthanone-halfofthehorrorofthathead’svoice。
　　Therewasanintervalofasecondortwobetweeneachword，andasortof“ring，ring，ring，“inthenoteofthevoice，likethetimbreofabell。Itpealedslowly，asiftalkingtoitself，forseveralminutesbeforeIgotridofmycoldsweat。Thentheblessedsolutionstruckme。Ilookedatthebodylyingnearthedoorway，andsaw，justwherethehollowofthethroatjoinsontheshoulders，amusclethathadnothingtodowithanyman’sregularbreathing，twitchingawaysteadily。ThewholethingwasacarefulreproductionoftheEgyptianteraphinthatonereadaboutsometimesandthevoicewasascleverandasappallingapieceofventriloquismasonecouldwishtohear。Allthistimetheheadwas“lip-lip-lapping“againstthesideofthebasin，andspeaking。
　　IttoldSuddhoo，onhisfaceagainwhining，ofhisson’sillnessandofthestateoftheillnessuptotheeveningofthatverynight。Ialwaysshallrespecttheseal-cutterforkeepingsofaithfullytothetimeofthePeshawartelegrams。Itwentontosaythatskilleddoctorswerenightanddaywatchingovertheman’slife；andthathewouldeventuallyrecoverifthefeetothepotentsorcerer，whoseservantwastheheadinthebasin，weredoubled。
　　Herethemistakefromtheartisticpointofviewcamein。ToaskfortwiceyourstipulatedfeeinavoicethatLazarusmighthaveusedwhenherosefromthedead，isabsurd。Janoo，whoisreallyawomanofmasculineintellect，sawthisasquicklyasIdid。I
　　heardhersay“Aslinahin！Fareib！“scornfullyunderherbreath；
　　andjustasshesaidso，thelightinthebasindiedout，theheadstoppedtalking，andweheardtheroomdoorcreakonitshinges。
　　ThenJanoostruckamatch，litthelamp，andwesawthathead，basin，andseal-cutterweregone。Suddhoowaswringinghishandsandexplainingtoanyonewhocaredtolisten，that，ifhischancesofeternalsalvationdependedonit，hecouldnotraiseanothertwohundredrupees。Azizunwasnearlyinhystericsinthecorner；
　　whileJanoosatdowncomposedlyononeofthebedstodiscusstheprobabilitiesofthewholethingbeingabunao，or“make-up。“
　　IexplainedasmuchasIknewoftheseal-cutter’swayofjadoo；
　　butherargumentwasmuchmoresimple:——“Themagicthatisalwaysdemandinggiftsisnotruemagic，“saidshe。“Mymothertoldmethattheonlypotentlove-spellsarethosewhicharetoldyouforlove。Thisseal-cuttermanisaliarandadevil。Idarenottell，doanything，orgetanythingdone，becauseIamindebttoBhagwanDassthebunniafortwogoldringsandaheavyanklet。I
　　mustgetmyfoodfromhisshop。Theseal-cutteristhefriendofBhagwanDass，andhewouldpoisonmyfood。Afool’sjadoohasbeengoingonfortendays，andhascostSuddhoomanyrupeeseachnight。
　　Theseal-cutterusedblackhensandlemonsandmantrasbefore。Henevershowedusanythinglikethistillto-night。Azizunisafool，andwillbeapurdahnashinsoon。Suddhoohaslosthisstrengthandhiswits。Seenow！IhadhopedtogetfromSuddhoomanyrupeeswhilehelived，andmanymoreafterhisdeath；andbehold，heisspendingeverythingonthatoffspringofadevilandashe-ass，theseal-cutter！“
　　HereIsaid:——“ButwhatinducedSuddhootodragmeintothebusiness？OfcourseIcanspeaktotheseal-cutter，andheshallrefund。Thewholethingischild’stalk——shame——andsenseless。“
　　“SuddhooISanoldchild，“saidJanoo。“Hehaslivedontheroofstheseseventyyearsandisassenselessasamilch-goat。HebroughtyouheretoassurehimselfthathewasnotbreakinganylawoftheSirkar，whosesaltheatemanyyearsago。Heworshipsthedustoffthefeetoftheseal-cutter，andthatcow-devourerhasforbiddenhimtogoandseehisson。WhatdoesSuddhooknowofyourlawsorthelightning-post？Ihavetowatchhismoneygoingdaybydaytothatlyingbeastbelow。“
　　Janoostampedherfootonthefloorandnearlycriedwithvexation；
　　whileSuddhoowaswhimperingunderablanketinthecorner，andAzizunwastryingtoguidethepipe-stemtohisfoolisholdmouth。
　　Nowthecasestandsthus。Unthinkingly，Ihavelaidmyselfopentothechargeofaidingandabettingtheseal-cutterinobtainingmoneyunderfalsepretences，whichisforbiddenbySection420oftheIndianPenalCode。Iamhelplessinthematterforthesereasons，IcannotinformthePolice。Whatwitnesseswouldsupportmystatements？Janoorefusesflatly，AzizunisaveiledwomansomewherenearBareilly——lostinthisbigIndiaofours。Icannotagaintakethelawintomyownhands，andspeaktotheseal-cutter；
　　forcertainamIthat，notonlywouldSuddhoodisbelieveme，butthisstepwouldendinthepoisoningofJanoo，whoisboundhandandfootbyherdebttothebunnia。Suddhooisanolddotard；andwheneverwemeetmumblesmyidioticjokethattheSirkarratherpatronizestheBlackArtthanotherwise。Hissoniswellnow；butSuddhooiscompletelyundertheinfluenceoftheseal-cutter，bywhoseadviceheregulatestheaffairsofhislife。JanoowatchesdailythemoneythatshehopedtowheedleoutofSuddhootakenbytheseal-cutter，andbecomesdailymorefuriousandsullen。
　　Shewillnevertell，becauseshedarenot；but，unlesssomethinghappenstopreventher，Iamafraidthattheseal-cutterwilldieofcholera——thewhitearsenickind——aboutthemiddleofMay。AndthusIshallhavetobeprivytoamurderintheHouseofSuddhoo。