“Then I know what you must do,” said Gale, filled with sudden resolution as she thought what it must mean to be in such a room for a single hour. “You must open that door.”
“It has never been done.” He stamped a small foot.
“You will open that door or I will bring a whole company of soldiers.”
“They will be welcome,” he declared, squeezing her hand. “They shall be fed. They shall sleep here. Everyone is welcome here.”
“Even if they come to tear that door down?” she asked.
“Tear that door down?” he exclaimed. “It is impossible!”
“Nothing is impossible.” Her words carried conviction. “Our engineers could take this whole temple down and carry it to China.”
He stared at her in astonishment. Twice he appeared about to speak. At last he said very simply,—“In that case we shall open the door.”
That was just what he did. And there stood Isabelle, blinking at the light.
“Someone shut the door,” she murmured. “Such a terrible place! I must have been here a long time. I thought you’d never come.”