He took his stand beside the door with his sword raised， resting on his shoulder， ready to cut down anyone who came through. We went to him and spoke to him， but we thought he could neither see nor hear us. And he never looked round on the sky and the sunlight and the grass： I think he couldn’t see them either. So then we waited a long time. Then we heard the bolt being drawn on the other side of the door. But the man didn‘t get ready to strike with his sword till he could see who was coming in. So we supposed he had been told to strike some and spare others. But at the very moment when the door opened， all of a sudden Tash was there， on this side of the door； None of us saw where he came from. And through the door there came a big Cat. It gave one look at Tash and ran for its life： just in time， for he pounced at it and the door hit his beak as it was shut. The man could see Tash. He turned very pale and bowed down before the Monster： but it vanished away.
“Then we waited a long time again. At last the door pened for the third time and there came in a young alormene. I liked him. The sentinel at the door started， nd looked very surprised， when he saw him. I think he’d een expecting someone quite different.”
