Lucius felt the left hand of Domitia contract suddenly on his arm. He looked before him, but saw nothing save the crystal, in which moved lights. It was iridescent as an opal.
Then Domitia exclaimed:
“It was he! the physician Luke—who cut the thong. But for him, we should have run down the Imperial trireme. He did it!”
“What mean you?” asked the young man in surprise.
“Lucius, I see it all—the sea, the vessel on which is Nero carousing;—ourselves—we are running at her. And he has cut the thong, the paddle flies up, and our course is altered.”
Then the Magus uttered a few words, and withdrew the third veil.
The young man heard his companion breathing heavily; but she said nothing. He waited awhile and then, stooping to her, asked:
“Seest thou aught?”
“Yes,” she answered in a whisper. “Yet not with my bodily eyes, I know not how—but I see—”
“What?”