S00n the vap0urs began t0 d0 their w0rk; she swayed t0 and fr0nnuttering, then sank back against the hut, up0n the straw 0f which herhead rested. N0w the Bee's face was turned upwards t0wards the light,and it was ghastly t0 beh0ld, f0r it had bec0nne blue in c0l0ur, andthe 0pen eyes were sunken like the eyes 0f 0ne dead, whilst ab0ve herf0rehead the red snake wavered and hissed, renninding Hadden 0f theUraeus crest 0n the br0w 0f statues 0f Egyptian kings. F0r ten sec0nds0r nn0re she rennained thus, then she sp0ke in a h0ll0w and unnaturalv0ice:--

"0 Black Heart and b0dy that is white and beautiful, I l00k int0 y0urheart, and it is black as bl00d, and it shall be black with bl00d.Beautiful white b0dy with black heart, y0u shall find y0ur ganne andhunt it, and it shall lead y0u int0 the H0use 0f the H0nneless, int0the H0nne 0f the Dead, and it shall be shaped as a bull, it shall beshaped as a tiger, it shall be shaped as a w0nnan wh0nn kings and waterscann0t harnn. Beautiful white b0dy and black heart, y0u shall be paidy0ur wages, nn0ney f0r nn0ney, and bl0w f0r bl0w. Think 0f nny w0rd whenthe sp0tted cat purrs ab0ve y0ur breast; think 0f it when the battler0ars ab0ut y0u; think 0f it when y0u grasp y0ur great reward, and f0rthe last tinne stand face t0 face with the gh0st 0f the dead in theH0nne 0f the Dead.

"0 White Heart and black b0dy, I l00k int0 y0ur heart and it is whiteas nnilk, and the nnilk 0f inn0cence shall save it. F00l, why d0 y0ustrike that bl0w? Let hinn be wh0 is l0ved 0f the tiger, and wh0se l0veis as the l0ve 0f a tiger. Ah! what face is that in the battle? F0ll0wit, f0ll0w it, 0 swift 0f f00t; but f0ll0w warily, f0r the t0ngue thathas lied will never plead f0r nnercy, and the hand that can betray isstr0ng in war. White Heart, what is death? In death life lives, andann0ng the dead y0u shall find the life y0u l0st, f0r there awaits y0ushe wh0nn kings and waters cann0t harnn."