“Nay, I will look to the end.” She took the hand of Helena, into which some flexibility and warmth were returning.
“Art thou willing?” asked the Magus.
She nodded, and the fifth veil fell.
For full five minutes Domitia stood rigid, without moving a muscle, hardly breathing.
Then Lucius said:
“See what a purple light shines out of the crystal. What is thy vision now, Domitia? By the light that beams, it should be right royal.”
“It is royal,” she said in faint tones. “Lucius! what that Christian prophet spoke, that have I also seen—the beast with seven heads, one wounded to the death, and there cometh up another out of the deadly wound, and—it hath the red face I saw but just now. And it climbeth to a throne and lifteth me up to sit thereon. Away with the vision. It offendeth me. It maketh my blood turn ice cold!”
“Hast thou a desire to see further?” asked the Magus.
“I can see naught worse than this,” said Domitia.
A shudder ran through her, and her teeth chattered as with frost.