The Empusa 



disproportionately long and almost perpen- 

 dicular. The end of this bust, round and 

 slender as a straw, carries the hunting-trap, 

 the grappling limbs, copied from those of the 

 Mantis. They consist of a terminal har- 

 poon, sharper than a needle, and a cruel 

 vice, with jaws toothed like a saw. The 

 jaw formed by the arm proper is hollowed 

 into a groove and carries on either side five 

 long spikes, with smaller indentations in be- 

 tween. The jaw formed by the fore-arm is 

 similarly furrowed, but its double saw, which 

 fits into the groove of the upper arm when 

 at rest, is formed of finer, closer and more 

 regular teeth. The magnifying-glass reveals 

 a score of equal points in each row. The 

 machine only lacks size to be a fearful im- 

 plement of torture. 



The head is in keeping with this arsenal. 

 What a queer-shaped head it is! A pointed 

 face, with walrus moustaches furnished by 

 the palpi; large goggle eyes; between them, 

 a dirk, a halberd blade; and, on the fore- 

 head, a mad, unheard-of thing: a sort of tall 

 mitre, an extravagant head-dress that juts 

 forward, spreading right and left into peaked 

 wings and cleft along the top. What does 

 the Devilkin want with that monstrous 



193 



