fascinated. I watched her body relax; she sank back in her chair. Her eyelids began to droop.
"Sleep," I said softly. "Here none can harm you. While you sleep none can harm you. Sleep…sleep…"
Her eyes closed; she sighed.
I said: "You are asleep. You will not awaken until I bid you. You cannot awaken until I bid you."
She repeated in a murmuring, childish voice: "I am asleep; I cannot awaken until you bid me."
I stopped the whirling mirrors. I said to her: "There are some questions I am going to ask you. You will
listen, and you will answer me truthfully. You cannot answer them except truthfully. You know that."
She echoed, still in that faint childish voice: "I must answer you truthfully. I know that."
I could not refrain from darting a glance of triumph at Ricori and McCann. Ricori was crossing himself,
staring at me with wide eyes in which were both doubt and awe. I knew he was thinking that I, too, knew