Thereonsheunclaspedthebosomofherrobeandlaidthegleamingtoy,thatseemedasnakeofstone,uponherivorybreast,thoughshetrembledatitsicytouch,foritwasmorecoldthandeath。Withbothherhandssheclaspedapillarofthechamber,andsostood,andshewasshakenwiththroeslikethepangsofchildbirth。Thussheenduredawhiletillthatwhichwasa-coldgrewwarm,watchingitsbrightnessthatshonethroughhersilkendressastheflameofalampshinesthroughanalabastervase。Soshestoodforanhour,thenswiftlyputoffallherrobesandornamentsofgold,andloosingthedarkmassesofherhairletitfallroundherlikeaveil。Nowshebentherheaddowntoherbreast,andbreathedonthatwhichlayuponherbreast,fortheAncientEvilcanliveonlyinthebreathofhumankind。Thriceshebreatheduponit,thriceshewhispered,“/Awake!Awake!Awake!/“
AndthefirsttimethatshebreathedtheThingstirredandsparkled。
Thesecondtimethatshebreatheditundiditsshiningfoldsandreareditsheadtohers。Thethirdtimethatshebreatheditslidfromherbosomtothefloor,thencoileditselfaboutherfeetandslowlygrewasgrowsthemagician’smagictree。
Greateritgrewandgreateryet,andasitgrewitshonelikeatorchinatomb,andwounditselfaboutthebodyofMeriamun,wrappingherinitsfieryfoldstillitreachedhermiddle。Thenitreareditsheadonhigh,andfromitseyesthereflowedalightlikethelightofaflame,andlo!itsfacewasthefaceofafairwoman——itwasthefaceofMeriamun!
Nowfacelookedonface,andeyesglaredintoeyes。StillasawhitestatueoftheGodsstoodMeriamuntheQueen,andallaboutherformandinandoutofherdarkhairtwinedtheflamingsnake。
AtlengththeEvilspoke——spokewithahumanvoice,withthevoiceofMeriamun,butinthedeadspeechofadeadpeople:
“Tellmemyname,“itsaid。
“/Sin/isthyname,“answeredMeriamuntheQueen。
“TellmewhenceIcome,“itsaidagain。
“Fromtheevilthatisinme,“answeredMeriamun。
“TellmewhitherIgo。“
“WhereIgotherethougoest,forIhavewarmedtheeinmybreastandthouarttwinedaboutmyheart。“
ThentheSnakeliftedupitshumanheadandlaughedhorribly。
“Wellartthouinstructed,“itsaid。“SoIlovetheeasthoulovestme,“anditbentitselfandkissedheronthelips。“IamthatAncientEvil,thatLifewhichenduresoutofthefirstdeath;IamthatDeathwhichabidesinthelivinglife。IamthatwhichbroughtontheethewoethatisindivisionfromtheHeart’sDesire,andthenamethereofis/Hell/。FromLifetoLifethouhastfoundmeatthyhand,nowinthisshape,nowinthat。Itaughttheethemagicwhichthouknowest;I
showedtheehowtowintheThrone!Now,whatwiltthouofme,Meriamun,myMother,mySister,andmyChild?FromLifetoLifeIhavebeenwiththee:everthoumightesthaveputmefromthee,everthoufliesttothewisdomwhichIhave,andeverfromtheeIdrawmystrength,forthoughwithoutmethoumightestlive,withouttheeI
mustdie。Saynow,whatisit?——tellme,andIwillnamemyprice。NomorewillIaskthanmustbe,for——ah!——Iamgladtowakeandliveagain;gladtogripthysoulwithintheseshiningfolds,tobefairwiththybeauty!——tobefoulwiththysin!“
“Laythylipsagainstmyearandthineearagainstmylips,“saidMeriamuntheQueen,“andIwillsaywhatitisthatIwillofthee,thouAncientEvil。“
Sothehuman-headedEvillaiditsearagainstthelipsofMeriamun,andMeriamunlaidherlipsagainstitsear,andtheywhisperedeachtoeach。Thereinthedarknesstheywhispered,whilethewitch-lightglittereddownthegreysnake’sshiningfolds,beamedinitseyes,andshonethroughtheQueen’sdarkhairandonhersnowybreast。
Atlengththetalewastold,andtheSnakelifteditswoman’sheadhighintheairandagainitlaughed。
“HeseekstheGood,“itsaid,“andheshallfindtheIll!HelooksforLight,andinDarknessshallhewander!ToLoveheturns,inLustheshallbelost!HewouldwintheGoldenHelen,whomhehassoughtthroughmanyaway,whomhehasfollowedo’ermanyasea,butfirstshallhefindthee,Meriamun,andthroughtheeDeath!ForheshallswearbytheSnakewhoshouldhaveswornbytheStar。Farhathhewandered——furthershallhewanderyet,forthysinshallbehissin!
DarknessshallwearthefaceofLight——EvilshallshinelikeGood。I
willgivehimtothee,Meriamun,but,hearkentomyprice。NomoremustIbelaidcoldinthegloomwhilethouwalkestinthesunshine——
nay,Imustbetwinedaboutthybody。Fearnot,fearnot,Ishallseembutajewelintheeyesofmen,agirdlefashionedcunninglyforthebodyofaqueen。ButwiththeehenceforthImustevergo——andwhenthoudiest,withtheemustIdie,andwiththeepasswherethoudostpass——withtheetosleep,withtheetoawakeagain——andso,onandon,tillintheendIwinorthouwinnest,orshewinswhoisourfoe!“
“Igivetheethyprice,“saidMeriamuntheQueen。
“Sooncebeforethoudidstgiveit,“answeredtheEvil;“ay,far,faraway,beneathagoldenskyandinanotherclime。Happywastthouthenwithhimthoudostdesire,butItwinedmyselfaboutthyheartandoftwaincamethreeandallthesorrowthathasbeen。Sowomanthouhastworked,sowomanitisordained。Forthouartsheinwhomallwoesaregathered,inwhomallloveisfulfilled。AndIhavedraggedthyglorydown,woman,andIhaveloosedtheefromthygentleness,andsetitfreeupontheearth,andBeautyisshenamed。Bybeautydoth/she/
workwhoistheGoldenHelen,andforherbeauty’ssake,thatallmenstrivetowin,arewarsandwoes,arehopesandprayers,andlongingswithoutend。ButbyEvildost/thou/workwhoartdivorcedfromInnocence,andevilshaltthoueverbringonhimwhomthoudesireth。A
riddle!Ariddle!Readitwhomay——readitifthoucanst,thouwhoartnamedMeriamuntheQueen,butwhoartlessthanQueenandmore。Whoartthou?WhoisshetheynamedtheHelen?WhoisthatWandererwhoseeksherfromafar,andwho,whoam/I/?Ariddle!ariddle!thatthoumaystnotread。Yetistheanswerwrittenonearthandskyandsea,andintheheartsofmen。
“Nowhearken!To-morrownightthoushalttakemeandtwinemeaboutthybody,doingasIbidthee,andbehold!forawhilethyshapeshallweartheshapeoftheGoldenHelen,andthyfaceshallbeasherface,andthineeyesashereyes,andthyvoiceashervoice。ThenIleavetheresttothee,forasHelen’sselfthoushaltbeguiletheWanderer,andonce,ifonceonly,beawifetohimwhomthoudesireth。NaughtcanItelltheeofthefuture,Iwhoambutacounsellor,buthereafteritmaybethatwoeswillcome,woesandwarsanddeath。Butwhatmatterthesewhenthouhasthadthydesire,whenhehathsinned,andhathswornbytheSnakewhoshouldhaveswornbytheStar,andwhenheisboundtotheebytiesthatmaynotbeloosed?Choose,Meriamun,choose!Putmycounselfromtheeandto-morrowthismanthoulovestshallbelosttothee,lostinthearmsofHelen;andaloneformanyyearsshaltthoubeartheburdenofthylonelylove。Takeit,andheshallatleastbethine,letcomewhatmaycome。Thinkonitandchoose!“
ThusspaketheAncientEvil,temptingherwhowasnamedMeriamun,whileshehearkenedtothetempting。
“Ihavechosen,“shesaid;“IwillweartheshapeofHelen,andbeawifetohimIlove,andthenletruinfall。Sleep,thouAncientEvil。
Sleep,fornomoremayIendurethyfaceoffearthatismyface,northelightofthoseflamingeyesthataremyeyesmademad。“
AgaintheThingreareditshumanheadandlaughedoutintriumph。Thenslowlyitunlooseditsgleamingcoils:slowlyitslidtotheearthandshrankandwitheredlikeaflamingscroll,tillatlengthitseemedoncemorebutashiningjewelofopalandofamethyst。
TheWanderer,whenhelefttheinnersecretshrine,sawnomoretheguardianofthegates,norheardtheclashoftheswordsunseen,fortheGodshadgiventhebeautyofHelentoOdysseusofIthaca,asitwasforetold。
Withoutthecurtainsthepriestsofthetempleweregatheredwondering——littlecouldtheyunderstandhowitcametopassthattheherowhowascalledEperitushadvanishedthroughthecurtainsandhadnotbeensmittendownbytheunseenswords。Andwhentheysawhimcomeforthgloriousandunharmedtheycriedaloudwithfear。
Buthelaughedandsaid,“Fearnot。VictoryistohimwhomtheGodsappoint。Ihavedonebattlewiththewardensoftheshrine,andpassedthem,andmethinksthattheyaregone。IhavelookedupontheHathoralso,andmorethanthatseekyenottoknow。Nowgivemefood,forI
amweary。“
Sotheybowedbeforehim,andleadinghimthencetotheirchamberofbanquetsgavehimoftheirbest,andwatchedhimwhileheateanddrankandputfromhimthedesireoffood。
Thenheroseandwentfromthetemple,andagainthepriestsbowedbeforehim。Moreover,theygavehimfreedomofthetemple,andkeyswherebyallthedoorsmightbeopened,thoughlittle,astheythought,hadheanyneedofkeys。
NowtheWanderer,walkinggladlyandlightofheart,cametohisownlodginginthecourtsofthePalace。AtthedoorofthelodgingstoodReithePriest,who,whenhesawhim,rantohimandembracedhim,sogladwashethattheWandererhadescapedalive。
“LittledidIthinktolookupontheeagain,Eperitus,“hesaid。“HaditnotbeenforthatwhichtheQueen——“andhebethoughthimselfandstayedhisspeech。
“Nevertheless,hereIamunhurt,ofghostormen,“theWandereranswered,laughing,ashepassedintothelodging。“ButwhatoftheQueen?“
“Naught,Eperitus,naught,savethatshewasgrievedwhenshelearnedthatthouhadstgoneuptotheTempleoftheHathor,there,asshethought,toperish。Hearken,thouEperitus,IknownotifthouartGodorman,butoathsarebindingbothmenandGods,andthoudidstswearanoathtoPharaoh——isitnotso?“