“ButMeriamunonlylaughedanddrewbackaspace。
“’Notso，thouEnemy，’shesaid，’thiscirclethoumay’stnotbreak；
itistoostrongforthee。Buttothework。Hataska，onceagainbythelinkoflifeanddeathIsummonthee——andthistimethoumustcome，thouwhowastawantonandnowart“greaterthantheQueen。“’
“Andasshespoke，fromthedeadformofthewomanonOsiris’kneethereissuedforthanotherformandstoodbeforeus，asasnakeissuesfromitsslough。AndaswasthedeadHataskasowasthisform，featureforfeature，lookforlook，andlimbforlimb。ButstillthecorpseresteduponOsiris’knee，forthiswasbutthe/Ka/thatstoodbeforeus。
“AndthusspokethevoiceofHataskainthelipsoftheKa:
“’Whatwouldestthouwithmewhoamnomoreofthycompany，Othoubywhosehandmybodydidperish？Whytroublestthoume？’
“AndMeriamunmadeanswer:’Iwouldthisofthee，thatthoushouldestdeclareuntomethefuture，eveninthepresenceofthisgreatcompany。Speak，Icommandthee。’
“AndtheKasaid:’Nay，Meriamun，thatIcannotdo，forIambuttheKa——theDwellerintheTomb，theguardianofwhatwasHataskawhomthoudidstslay，whomImustwatchthroughallthedaysofdeathtillresurrectionis。OfthefutureIknownaught；seekthouthatwhichknows。’
“’Standthouononeside，’quoththeQueen，andtheDwellerintheTombobeyed。
“ThenoncemoreshecalleduponHataskaandtherecameasoundofrushingwings。Andbehold，ontheheadofthestatueofOsirissatagreatbird，featheredasitwerewithgold。Butthebirdhadtheheadofawoman，andthefacewasfashionedasthefaceofHataska。Andthusitspoke，thatwasthe/Bai/:
“’Whatwouldestthouwithme，Meriamun，whoamnomoreofthycompany？
WhydostthoudrawmefromtheUnderWorld，thoubywhosehandmybodydidperish？’
“AndMeriamunsaid:’ThisIwouldofthee，thatthoushouldestdeclareuntomethefuture。Speak，Icommandthee。’
“AndtheBaisaid:’Nay，Meriamun，thatIcannotdo。IambuttheBaiofherwhowasHataska，andIflyfromDeathtoLifeandLifetoDeath，tillthehourofawakeningis。OfthefutureIknownaught；
seekthouthatwhichknows。’
“’Restthouwherethouart，’quoththeQueen，andthereitrested，awfultosee。
“ThenoncemoreMeriamuncalleduponHataska，biddingherhearthesummonswhereshewas。
“AndbeholdtheeyesoftheDeadOnethatwasuponthekneeofOsirisglowed，andglowedtheeyesoftheDwellerintheTomb，andofthewingedMessengerwhosatabove。Andthentherewasasoundasthesoundofwind，andfromabove，cleavingthedarkness，descendedaTongueofFlameandrestedonthebrowofthedeadHataska。AndtheeyesofallthethousandthousandspiritsturnedandgazedupontheTongueofFlame。AndthendeadHataskaspoke——thoughherlipsmovednot，yetshespoke。Andthisshesaid:
“’Whatwouldestthouwithme，Meriamun，whoamnomoreofthycompany？
Whydostthoudaretotroubleme，thoubywhosehandmybodydidperish，drawingmefromthethresholdoftheDoubleHallofTruth，backtotheOverWorld？’
“AndMeriamuntheQueensaid，’Oh，thou/Khou/，forthispurposehaveIcalledthee。IamawearyofmydaysandIfainwouldlearnthefuture。ThefuturefainwouldIlearn，buttheforkedtongueofThatwhichsleepstellsmenoword，andthelipsofThatwhichisa-coldaredumb！Tellme，then，thou，Ichargetheebythewordthathaspowertoopenthelipsofthedead，thouwhoinallthingsartinstructed，whatshallbetheburdenofmydays？’
“AndthedreadKhoumadeanswer:’Loveshallbetheburdenofthydays，andDeathshallbetheburdenofthylove。BeholdonedrawsnearfromouttheNorthwhomthouhastloved，whomthoushaltlovefromlifetolife，tillallthingsareaccomplished。BethinktheeofadreamthatthoudreamedstasthoudidstlieonPharaoh’sbed，andreaditsriddle。Meriamun，thouartgreatandthynameisknownupontheearth，andinAmentiisthynameknown。Highisthyfate，andthroughbloodandsorrowshaltthoufindit。Ihavespoken，letmehence。’
“’Itiswell，’theQueenmadeanswer:’Butnotyetmayestthougohence。FirstIcommandthee，bythewordofdreadandbythelinkoflifeanddeath，declareuntomeifhereupontheearthandinthislifeIshallpossesshimwhomIshalllove？’
“’Insinandcraftandsorrow，Meriamun，thoushaltpossesshim；inshameandjealousagonyheshallbetakenfromtheebyonewhoisstrongerthanthou，thoughthouartstrong；byonemorebeautifulthanthou，thoughthouartbeautiful；andruinthoushaltgivehimforhisguerdon，andruinoftheheartshaltthouharvestforthyportion。Butforthistimesheshallescapethee，whosefootstepsmarchwiththine，andwithhiswhoshallbethineandhers。Nevertheless，inadaytocomethoushaltpayherbackmeasureformeasure，andevilforevil。I
havespoken。Letmehence。’
“’Notyet，OKhou——notyet。Ihavestilltolearn。Showmethefaceofherwhoismineenemy，andthefaceofhimwhoismylove。’
“’Thricemayestthouspeaktome，Othougreatlydaring，’answeredthedreadKhou，’andthriceImaymakereply，andthenfarewelltillI
meettheeonthethresholdofthehallwhencethouhastdrawnme。LooknowonthefaceofthatHataskawhomthouslewest。’
“Andwelooked，andbeholdthefaceofdeadHataskachanged，andchangedthefaceoftheDouble，the/Ka/thatstoodononeside，andthefaceofthegreatbird，the/Bai/，thatspreadhiswingsabouttheheadofOsiris。Andtheygrewbeautiful，yes，mostexceedingbeautifulsothatitcannotbetold，andthebeautywasthatofawomanasleep。
Thenlo，therehungaboveHataska，asitwere，theshadowofonewhowaswatchinghersleeping。Andhisfacewesawnot，OthouWanderer，itwashiddenbythevisorofagoldentwo-hornedhelm，andinthathelmstoodfast/thebronzepointofabrokenspear/！ButhewascladinthearmourofthepeopleoftheNorthernSea，theAquaiusha，andhishairfelldarkabouthisshoulderslikethepetalsofthehyacinthflower。
“’Beholdthineenemyandbeholdthylove！Farewell，’saidthedreadKhou，speakingthroughdeadHataska’slips，andasthewordsdiedthebeautyfadedandtheTongueofFlameshotupwardsandwaslost，andoncemoretheeyesofthethousandthousanddeadturnedandlookeduponeachother，evenasthoughtheirlipswhisperedeachtoeach。
“ButforawhileMeriamunstoodsilent，asoneamazed。Then，awaking，shewavedherhandandcried，’Begone，thou/Bai/！Begone，thou/Ka/！’
“AndthegreatbirdwhereofthefacewasasthefaceofHataskaspreadhisgoldenwingsandpassedawaytohisownplace，andtheKathatwasinthesemblanceofHataskadrewneartothedeadone’sknees，andpassedbackintoherfromwhomshecame。Andallthethousandthousandfacesmeltedthoughthefieryeyesstillgazeduponus。
“ThenMeriamuncoveredherheadandoncemorespoketheawfulWord，andIalsocoveredupmyhead。But，asmustbedone，thissecondtimeshecalledtheWordaloud，andyetthoughshecalleditloud，itcamebutasatinywhisperfromherlips。Nevertheless，atthesoundofit，oncemorewastheTempleshakenasbyastorm。
“ThenMeriamununveiled，andbehold，againthefireburneduponthealtar，andonthekneesoftheOsirissatHataska，coldandstillindeath，androundthemwasemptinessandsilence。
“’Nowthatallisdone，Igreatlyfearforthatwhichhasbeen，andthatwhichshallbe。Leadmehence，ORei，sonofPames，forIcannomore。’
“AndsowithaheavyheartIledherforth，whoofallsorceressesistheverygreatest。Behold，thouWanderer，whereforetheQueenwastroubledatthecomingofthemaninthearmouroftheNorth，inwhosetwo-hornedgoldenhelmstandsfastthepointofabrokenspear。“
“ThesethingsarenotwithouttheGods，“saidtheWanderer，whowascalledEperitus，whenhehadheardallthetaleofReithePriest，sonofPames，theHeadArchitect，theCommanderoftheLegionofAmen。
Thenhesatsilentforawhile，andatlastraisedhiseyesandlookedupontheoldman。
“Thouhasttoldastrangetale，Rei。OvermanyaseahaveIwandered，andinmanyalandIhavesojourned。Ihaveseenthewaysofmanypeoples，andhaveheardthevoicesoftheimmortalGods。Dreamshavecometomeandmarvelshavecompassedmeabout。IthasbeenlaiduponmetogodownintoHades，thatlandwhichthounamestAmenti，andtolookonthetribesoftheDead；butnevertillnowhaveIknownsostrangeathing。Formarkthou，whenfirstIbeheldthisfairQueenofthineIthoughtshelookeduponmestrangely，asonewhoknewmyface。
Andnow，Rei，ifthouspeakesttruth，/she/deemsthatshehasmetmeinthewaysofnightandmagic。Say，then，whowasthemanofthevisionoftheQueen，themanwithdarkandcurlinglocks，cladingoldenarmourafterthefashionoftheAch？answhomyenametheAquaiusha，wearingonhisheadagoldenhelm，whereinwasfixedabrokenspear？“
“Beforemesitssuchaman，“saidRei，“orperchanceitisaGodthatmyeyesbehold。“
“NoGodamI，“quoththeWanderer，smiling，“thoughtheSidoniansdeemedmenothinglesswhentheblackbowtwangedandtheswiftshaftsflew。Readmetheriddle，thouthatartinstructed。“
NowtheagedPriestlookedupontheground，thenturnedhiseyesupward，andwithmutteringlipsprayedtoThoth，theGodofWisdom。