Kim dragged forth his compass, Survey paint-box, and the new-filled medicine-box.  They had all accompanied his travels, and boylike he valued them immensely.

The woman rose slowly and moved with her hands a little spread before her.  Then Kim saw that she was blind.  ‘No, no,’ she muttered, ’the Pathan speaks truth — my colour does not go in a week or a month, and those whom I protect are under strong guard.’

’When one is far off and alone, it would not be well to grow blotched and leprous of a sudden,’ said Mahbub.  ’When thou wast with me I could oversee the matter.  Besides, a Pathan is a fair-skin.  Strip to the waist now and look how thou art whitened.’  Huneefa felt her way back from an inner room.  ‘It is no matter, she cannot see.’  He took a pewter bowl from her ringed hand.

The dye-stuff showed blue and gummy.  Kim experimented on the back of his wrist, with a dab of cotton-wool; but Huneefa heard him.

‘No, no,’ she cried, ’the thing is not done thus, but with the proper ceremonies.  The colouring is the least part.  I give thee the full protection of the Road.’

’Tadoo? [magic],’said Kim, with a half start.  He did not like the white, sightless eyes.  Mahbub’s hand on his neck bowed him to the floor, nose within an inch of the boards.

‘Be still.  No harm comes to thee, my son.  I am thy sacrifice!’

He could not see what the woman was about, but heard the dish-clash of her jewellery for many minutes.  A match lit up the darkness; he caught the well-known purr and fizzle of grains of incense.  Then the room filled with smoke — heavy aromatic, and stupefying.  Through growing drowse he heard the names of devils — of Zulbazan, Son of Eblis, who lives in bazars and paraos, making all the sudden lewd wickedness of wayside halts; of Dulhan, invisible about mosques, the dweller among the slippers of the faithful, who hinders folk from their prayers; and Musboot, Lord of lies and panic.  Huneefa, now whispering in his ear, now talking as from an immense distance, touched him with horrible soft fingers, but Mahbub’s grip never shifted from his neck till, relaxing with a sigh, the boy lost his senses.

’Allah!  How he fought!  We should never have done it but for the drugs.  That was his white blood, I take it,’ said Mahbub testily.  ‘Go on with the dawut [invocation].  Give him full Protection.’

’O Hearer!  Thou that hearest with ears, be present.  Listen, O Hearer!’ Huneefa moaned, her dead eyes turned to the west.  The dark room filled with moanings and snortings.

From the outer balcony, a ponderous figure raised a round bullet head and coughed nervously.

‘Do not interrupt this ventriloquial necromanciss, my friend,’ it said in English.  ’I opine that it is very disturbing to you, but no enlightened observer is jolly-well upset.’