He had lifted his foot and was just going to cross the white line of coral-sand, when his Shadow, catching him suddenly and stoutly round the waist, pulled him back from the enclosure with every sign of horror, alarm, and astonishment.  “No, you can’t go,” he cried, grappling with him with all his force, yet using him very tenderly for all that, as becomes a god.  “Taboo!  Taboo there!”

“But I am a god myself,” Felix cried, insisting upon his privileges.  If you have to submit to the disadvantages of taboo, you may as well claim its advantages as well.  “The King of Fire and the King of Water crossed my taboo line.  Why shouldn’t I cross equally the King of the Birds’, then?”

“So you might—­as a rule,” the Shadow answered with promptitude.  “You are both gods.  Your taboos do not cross.  You may visit each other.  You may transgress one another’s lines without danger of falling dead on the ground as common men would do if they broke taboo-lines.  But this is the Month of Birds.  The king is in retreat.  No man may see him except his own Shadow, the Little Cockatoo, who brings him his food and drink.  Do you see that hawk’s head, stuck upon the post by the door at the side.  That is his Special Taboo.  He keeps it for this month.  Even gods must respect that sign, for a reason which it would be very bad medicine to mention.  While the Month of Birds lasts, no man may look upon the king or hear him.  If they did, they would die, and the carrion birds would eat them.  Come away.  This is dangerous.”

Scarcely were the words well out of his mouth when from the recesses of the hut a rollicking French voice was heard, trilling out merrily: 

“Quand on con-spi-re,
   Quand, sans frayeur—­”

Without waiting for more, the Shadow seized Felix’s arm in an agony of terror.  “Come away!” he cried, hurriedly, “come away!  What will become of us?  This is horrible, horrible!  We have broken taboo.  We have heard the god’s voice.  The sky will fall on us.  If his Shadow were to find it out and tell my people, my people would tear us limb from limb.  Quick, quick!  Hide away!  Let us run fast through the forest before any man discover it.”

The Shadow’s voice rang deep with alarm.  Felix felt he dare not trifle with this superstition.  Profound as was his curiosity about the mysterious Frenchman, he was compelled to bottle up his eagerness and anxiety for the moment, and patiently wait till the Month of Birds had run its course, and taken its inconvenient taboo along with it.  These limitations were terrible.  Yet he counted much upon the information the Frenchman could give him.  The man had been some time on the island, it was clear, and doubtless he understood its ways thoroughly; he might cast some light at last upon the Korong mystery.

So he went back through the woods with a heart somewhat lighter.

Not far from their own huts he met Muriel and Mali.