TheAmuletwasheldup。’Takeussomewhere，’saidJane，’anywhereyoulikeinthePast——butsomewherewhereyouare。’
Thenshesaidtheword。
Nextmomenteveryonefeltaqueerrockingandswaying——somethinglikewhatyoufeelwhenyougooutinafishingboat。Andthatwasnotwonderful，whenyoucometothinkofit，foritwasinaboatthattheyfoundthemselves。Aqueerboat，withhighbulwarkspiercedwithholesforoarstogothrough。Therewasahighseatforthesteersman，andtheprowwasshapedliketheheadofsomegreatanimalwithbig，staringeyes。Theboatrodeatanchorinabay，andthebaywasverysmooth。Thecrewweredark，wiryfellowswithblackbeardsandhair。Theyhadnoclothesexceptatunicfromwaisttoknee，androundcapswithknobsonthetop。Theywereverybusy，andwhattheyweredoingwassointerestingtothechildrenthatatfirsttheydidnotevenwonderwheretheAmulethadbroughtthem。Andthecrewseemedtoobusytonoticethechildren。Theywerefasteningrushbasketstoalongropewithagreatpieceofcorkattheend，andineachbaskettheyputmusselsorlittlefrogs。Thentheycastouttherope，thebasketssank，butthecorkfloated。Andallaboutonthebluewaterwereotherboatsandallthecrewsofalltheboatswerebusywithropesandbasketsandfrogsandmussels。
’Whateverareyoudoing？’Janesuddenlyaskedamanwhohadrathermoreclothesthantheothers，andseemedtobeasortofcaptainoroverseer。Hestartedandstaredather，buthehadseentoomanystrangelandstobeverymuchsurprisedatthesequeerly—dressedstowaways。
’Settinglinesforthedyeshell—fish，’hesaidshortly。’Howdidyougethere？’
’Asortofmagic，’saidRobertcarelessly。TheCaptainfingeredanAmuletthathungroundhisneck。
’Whatisthisplace？’askedCyril。
’Tyre，ofcourse，’saidtheman。Thenhedrewbackandspokeinalowvoicetooneofthesailors。
’Nowweshallknowaboutyourpreciouscream—jugfish，’saidCyril。
’ButweneverSAIDcometoTyre，’saidJane。
’TheAmuletheardustalking，Iexpect。Ithinkit’sMOST
obligingofit，’saidAnthea。
’AndtheAmulet’sheretoo，’saidRobert。’Weoughttobeabletofinditinalittleshiplikethis。Iwonderwhichofthem’sgotit。’
’Oh——look，look！’criedAntheasuddenly。Onthebarebreastofoneofthesailorsgleamedsomethingred。Itwastheexactcounterpartoftheirprecioushalf—Amulet。
Asilence，fullofemotion，wasbrokenbyJane。
’Thenwe’vefoundit！’shesaid。’Ohdolet’stakeitandgohome！’
’Easytosay\"takeit\"，’saidCyril；’helooksverystrong。’
Hedid——yetnotsostrongastheothersailors。
’It’sodd，’saidAntheamusingly，’IdobelieveI’veseenthatmansomewherebefore。’
’He’sratherlikeourlearnedgentleman，’saidRobert，’butI’lltellyouwhohe’smuchmorelike——’Atthatmomentthatsailorlookedup。HiseyesmetRobert’s——andRobertandtheothershadnolongeranydoubtastowheretheyhadseenhimbefore。ItwasRekh—mara，thepriestwhohadledthemtothepalaceofPharaoh——andwhomJanehadlookedbackatthroughthearch，whenhewascounsellingPharaoh’sguardtotakethejewelsandflyforhislife。
Nobodywasquitepleased，andnobodyquiteknewwhy。
Janevoicedthefeelingsofallwhenshesaid，fingeringTHEIR
Amuletthroughthefoldsofherfrock，’Wecangobackinaminuteifanythingnastyhappens。’
Forthemomentnothingworsehappenedthananofferoffood——figsandcucumbersitwas，andverypleasant。
’Isee，’saidtheCaptain，’thatyouarefromafarcountry。
Sinceyouhavehonouredmyboatbyappearingonit，youmuststayheretillmorning。ThenIwillleadyoutooneofourgreatones。Helovesstrangersfromfarlands。’
’Let’sgohome，’Janewhispered，’allthefrogsaredrowningNOW。
Ithinkthepeopleherearecruel。’
Buttheboyswantedtostayandseethelinestakenupinthemorning。
’It’sjustlikeeel—potsandlobster—pots，’saidCyril，’thebasketsonlyopenfromoutside——Ivotewestay。’
Sotheystayed。
’That’sTyreoverthere，’saidtheCaptain，whowasevidentlytryingtobecivil。Hepointedtoagreatislandrock，thatrosesteeplyfromthesea，crownedwithhugewallsandtowers。Therewasanothercityonthemainland。
’That’spartofTyre，too，’saidtheCaptain；’it’swherethegreatmerchantshavetheirpleasure—housesandgardensandfarms。’
’Look，look！’Cyrilcriedsuddenly；’whatalovelylittleship！’
Ashipinfullsailwaspassingswiftlythroughthefishingfleet。TheCaptain’sfacechanged。Hefrowned，andhiseyesblazedwithfury。
’Insolentyoungbarbarian！’hecried。’DoyoucalltheshipsofTyreLITTLE？Nonegreatersailtheseas。Thatshiphasbeenonathreeyears’voyage。SheisknowninallthegreattradingportsfromheretotheTinIslands。Shecomesbackrichandglorious。Herveryanchorisofsilver。’
’I’msurewebegyourpardon，’saidAntheahastily。’Inourcountrywesay\"little\"forapetname。Yourwifemightcallyouherdearlittlehusband，youknow。’
’Ishouldliketocatchheratit，’growledtheCaptain，buthestoppedscowling。
’It’sarichtrade，’hewenton。’ForclothONCEdipped，second—bestglass，andtheroughimagesouryoungartistscarveforpractice，thebarbarianKinginTessosletsusworkthesilvermines。Wegetsomuchsilvertherethatweleavethemourironanchorsandcomebackwithsilverones。’
’Howsplendid！’saidRobert。’Dogoon。What’sclothoncedipped？’
’YouMUSTbebarbariansfromtheouterdarkness，’saidtheCaptainscornfully。’Allwealthynationsknowthatourfineststuffsaretwicedyed——dibaptha。They’reonlyfortherobesofkingsandpriestsandprinces。’
’Whatdotherichmerchantswear，’askedJane，withinterest，’inthepleasure—houses？’
’Theywearthedibaptha。OURmerchantsAREprinces，’scowledtheskipper。
’Oh，don’tbecross，wedosolikehearingaboutthings。WewanttoknowALLaboutthedyeing，’saidAntheacordially。
’Oh，youdo，doyou？’growledtheman。’Sothat’swhatyou’reherefor？Well，youwon’tgetthesecretsofthedyetradeoutofME。’
Hewentaway，andeveryonefeltsnubbedanduncomfortable。Andallthetimethelong，narroweyesoftheEgyptianwerewatching，watching。Theyfeltasthoughhewaswatchingthemthroughthedarkness，whentheylaydowntosleeponapileofcloaks。
Nextmorningthebasketsweredrawnupfullofwhatlookedlikewhelkshells。
Thechildrenwereratherintheway，buttheymadethemselvesassmallastheycould。Whiletheskipperwasattheotherendoftheboattheydidaskonequestionofasailor，whosefacewasalittlelessunkindthantheothers。
’Yes，’heanswered，’thisisthedye—fish。It’sasortofmurex——andthere’sanotherkindthattheycatchatSidonandthen，ofcourse，there’sthekindthat’susedforthedibaptha。
Butthat’squitedifferent。It’s——’
’Holdyourtongue！’shoutedtheskipper。Andthemanheldit。
Theladenboatwasrowedslowlyroundtheendoftheisland，andwasmadefastinoneofthetwogreatharboursthatlayinsidealongbreakwater。Theharbourwasfullofallsortsofships，sothatCyrilandRobertenjoyedthemselvesmuchmorethantheirsisters。Thebreakwaterandthequayswereheapedwithbalesandbaskets，andcrowdedwithslavesandsailors。Fartheralongsomemenwerepractisingdiving。
’That’sjollygood，’saidRobert，asanakedbrownbodycleftthewater。
’Ishouldthinkso，’saidtheskipper。’Thepearl—diversofPersiaarenotmoreskilful。Why，we’vegotafresh—waterspringthatcomesoutatthebottomofthesea。Ourdiversdivedownandbringupthefreshwaterinskinbottles！Canyourbarbariandiversdoasmuch？’
’Isupposenot，’saidRobert，andputawayawilddesiretoexplaintotheCaptaintheEnglishsystemofwaterworks，pipes，taps，andtheintricaciesoftheplumbers’trade。
Astheynearedthequaytheskippermadeahastytoilet。Hedidhishair，combedhisbeard，putonagarmentlikeajerseywithshortsleeves，anembroideredbelt，anecklaceofbeads，andabigsignetring。
’Now，’saidhe，’I’mfittobeseen。Comealong？’
’Whereto？’saidJanecautiously。
’ToPheles，thegreatsea—captain，saidtheskipper，’themanI
toldyouof，wholovesbarbarians。’
ThenRekh—maracameforward，and，forthefirsttime，spoke。
’Ihaveknownthesechildreninanotherland，’hesaid。’Youknowmypowersofmagic。Itwasmymagicthatbroughtthesebarbarianstoyourboat。Andyouknowhowtheywillprofityou。
Ireadyourthoughts。Letmecomewithyouandseetheendofthem，andthenIwillworkthespellIpromisedyouinreturnforthelittleexperienceyouhavesokindlygivenmeonyourboat。’
TheskipperlookedattheEgyptianwithsomedisfavour。
’SoitwasYOURdoing，’hesaid。’Imighthaveguessedit。
Well，comeon。’
Sohecame，andthegirlswishedhehadn’t。ButRobertwhispered——
’Nonsense——aslongashe’swithuswe’vegotsomechanceoftheAmulet。Wecanalwaysflyifanythinggoeswrong。’
Themorningwassofreshandbright；theirbreakfasthadbeensogoodandsounusual；theyhadactuallyseentheAmuletroundtheEgyptian’sneck。Oneortwo，orallthesethings，suddenlyraisedthechildren’sspirits。Theywentoffquitecheerfullythroughthecitygate——itwasnotarched，butroofedoverwithagreatflatstone——andsothroughthestreet，whichsmelthorriblyoffishandgarlicandathousandotherthingsevenlessagreeable。Butfarworsethanthestreetscentswasthescentofthefactory，wheretheskippercalledintosellhisnight’scatch。IwishIcouldtellyouallaboutthatfactory，butI
haven’ttime，andperhapsafterallyouaren’tinterestedindyeingworks。IwillonlymentionthatRobertwastriumphantlyprovedtoberight。ThedyeWASayellowish—whiteliquidofacreamyconsistency，anditsmeltmorestronglyofgarlicthangarlicitselfdoes。
WhiletheskipperwasbargainingwiththemasterofthedyeworkstheEgyptiancameclosetothechildren，andsaid，suddenlyandsoftly——
’Trustme。’
’Iwishwecould，’saidAnthea。
’Youfeel，’saidtheEgyptian，’thatIwantyourAmulet。Thatmakesyoudistrustme。’
’Yes，’saidCyrilbluntly。
’Butyoualso，youwantmyAmulet，andIamtrustingyou。’
’There’ssomethinginthat，’saidRobert。
’WehavethetwohalvesoftheAmulet，’saidthePriest，’butnotyetthepinthatjoinedthem。Ouronlychanceofgettingthatistoremaintogether。Oncepartthesetwohalvesandtheymayneverbefoundinthesametimeandplace。Bewise。Ourinterestsarethesame。’
Beforeanyonecouldsaymoretheskippercameback，andwithhimthedye—master。Hishairandbeardwerecurledlikethemen’sinBabylon，andhewasdressedliketheskipper，butwithaddedgrandeurofgoldandembroidery。Hehadnecklacesofbeadsandsilver，andaglassamuletwithaman’sface，verylikehisown，setbetweentwobull’sheads，aswellasgoldandsilverbraceletsandarmlets。Helookedkeenlyatthechildren。Thenhesaid——
’MybrotherPheleshasjustcomebackfromTarshish。He’sathisgardenhouse——unlesshe’shuntingwildboarinthemarshes。Hegetsfrightfullyboredonshore。’
’Ah，’saidtheskipper，’he’satrue—bornPhoenician。\"Tyre，Tyreforever！Oh，Tyrerulesthewaves！\"astheoldsongsays。
I’llgoatonce，andshowhimmyyoungbarbarians。’
’Ishould，’saidthedye—master。’Theyareveryrum，aren’tthey？Whatfrightfulclothes，andwhatalotofthem！Observethecoveringoftheirfeet。Hideousindeed。’
Robertcouldnothelpthinkinghoweasy，andatthesametimepleasant，itwouldbetocatchholdofthedye—master’sfeetandtiphimbackwardintothegreatsunkenvatjustnearhim。Butifhehad，flightwouldhavehadtobethenextmove，soherestrainedhisimpulse。
TherewassomethingaboutthisTyrianadventurethatwasdifferentfromalltheothers。Itwas，somehow，calmer。AndtherewastheundoubtedfactthatthecharmwasthereontheneckoftheEgyptian。
Sotheyenjoyedeverythingtothefull，therowfromtheIslandCitytotheshore，therideonthedonkeysthattheskipperhiredatthegateofthemainlandcity，andthepleasantcountry——palmsandfigsandcedarsallabout。Itwaslikeagarden——clematis，honeysuckle，andjasmineclungabouttheoliveandmulberrytrees，andthereweretulipsandgladiolus，andclumpsofmandrake，whichhasbell—flowersthatlookasthoughtheywerecutoutofdarkbluejewels。InthedistancewerethemountainsofLebanon。Thehousetheycametoatlastwasratherlikeabungalow——longandlow，withpillarsallalongthefront。Cedarsandsycamoresgrewnearitandsheltereditpleasantly。
Everyonedismounted，andthedonkeyswereledaway。
’WhyisthislikeRosherville？’whisperedRobert，andinstantlysuppliedtheanswer。
’Becauseit’stheplacetospendahappyday。’
’It’sjollydecentoftheskippertohavebroughtustosucharippingplace，’saidCyril。
’Doyouknow，’saidAnthea，’thisfeelsmorerealthananythingelsewe’veseen？It’slikeaholidayinthecountryathome。’
Thechildrenwereleftaloneinalargehall。Thefloorwasmosaic，donewithwonderfulpicturesofshipsandsea—beastsandfishes。Throughanopendoorwaytheycouldseeapleasantcourtyardwithflowers。
’Ishouldliketospendaweekhere，’saidJane，’anddonkeyrideeveryday。’
Everyonewasfeelingveryjolly。EventheEgyptianlookedpleasanterthanusual。Andthen，quitesuddenly，theskippercamebackwithajoyoussmile。Withhimcamethemasterofthehouse。Helookedsteadilyatthechildrenandnoddedtwice。
’Yes，’hesaid，’mystewardwillpayyoutheprice。ButIshallnotpayatthathighratefortheEgyptiandog。’
Thetwopassedon。
’This，’saidtheEgyptian，’isaprettykettleoffish。’
’Whatis？’askedallthechildrenatonce。
’Ourpresentposition，’saidRekh—mara。’Ourseafaringfriend，’
headded，’hassoldusallforslaves！’
Ahastycouncilsucceededtheshockofthisannouncement。ThePriestwasallowedtotakepartinit。Hisadvicewas’stay’，becausetheywereinnodanger，andtheAmuletinitscompletenessmustbesomewherenear，or，ofcourse，theycouldnothavecometothatplaceatall。Andaftersomediscussiontheyagreedtothis。
Thechildrenweretreatedmoreasgueststhanasslaves，buttheEgyptianwassenttothekitchenandmadetowork。
Pheles，themasterofthehouse，wentoffthatveryevening，bytheKing’sorders，tostartonanothervoyage。Andwhenhewasgonehiswifefoundthechildrenamusingcompany，andkeptthemtalkingandsinginganddancingtillquitelate。’Todistractmymindfrommysorrows，’shesaid。
’Idolikebeingaslave，’remarkedJanecheerfully，astheycurleduponthebig，softcushionsthatweretobetheirbeds。
Itwasblacknightwhentheywereawakened，eachbyahandpassedsoftlyoveritsface，andalowvoicethatwhispered——
’Bequiet，orallislost。’
Sotheywerequiet。
’It’sme，Rekh—mara，thePriestofAmen，’saidthewhisperer。
’Themanwhobroughtushasgonetoseaagain，andhehastakenmyAmuletfrommebyforce，andIknownomagictogetitback。
IstheremagicforthatintheAmuletyoubear？’
Everyonewasinstantlyawakebynow。
’Wecangoafterhim，’saidCyril，leapingup；’buthemighttakeOURSaswell；orhemightbeangrywithusforfollowinghim。’
’I’llseetoTHAT，’saidtheEgyptianinthedark。’HideyourAmuletwell。’
ThereinthedeepblacknessofthatroomintheTyriancountryhousetheAmuletwasoncemoreheldupandthewordspoken。
Allpassedthroughontoashipthattossedandtumbledonawind—blownsea。Theycrouchedtogethertheretillmorning，andJaneandCyrilwerenotatallwell。Whenthedawnshowed，dove—coloured，acrossthesteelywaves，theystoodupaswellastheycouldforthetumblingoftheship。Pheles，thathardysailorandadventurer，turnedquitepalewhenheturnedroundsuddenlyandsawthem。
’Well！’hesaid，’well，Ineverdid！’
’Master，’saidtheEgyptian，bowinglow，andthatwasevenmoredifficultthanstandingup，’weareherebythemagicofthesacredAmuletthathangsroundyourneck。’
’Ineverdid！’repeatedPheles。’Well，well！’
’Whatportistheshipboundfor？’askedRobert，withanauticalair。
ButPhelessaid，’Areyouanavigator？’Roberthadtoownthathewasnot。
’Then，’saidPheles，’Idon’tmindtellingyouthatwe’reboundfortheTinIsles。TyrealoneknowswheretheTinIslesare。Itisasplendidsecretwekeepfromalltheworld。Itisasgreatathingtousasyourmagictoyou。’
Hespokeinquiteanewvoice，andseemedtorespectboththechildrenandtheAmuletagooddealmorethanhehaddonebefore。
’TheKingsentyou，didn’the？’saidJane。
’Yes，’answeredPheles，’hebademesetsailwithhalfascorebravegentlemenandthiscrew。Youshallgowithus，andseemanywonders。’Hebowedandleftthem。
’Whatarewegoingtodonow？’saidRobert，whenPheleshadcausedthemtobeleftalongwithabreakfastofdriedfruitsandasortofhardbiscuit。
’WaittillhelandsintheTinIsles，’saidRekh—mara，’thenwecangetthebarbarianstohelpus。WewillattackhimbynightandtearthesacredAmuletfromhisaccursedheathenneck，’headded，grindinghisteeth。
’WhenshallwegettotheTinIsles？’askedJane。
’Oh——sixmonths，perhaps，orayear，’saidtheEgyptiancheerfully。
’AyearofTHIS？’criedJane，andCyril，whowasstillfeelingfartoounwelltocareaboutbreakfast，huggedhimselfmiserablyandshuddered。ItwasRobertwhosaid——
’Lookhere，wecanshortenthatyear。Jane，outwiththeAmulet！
WishthatwewerewheretheAmuletwillbewhentheshipistwentymilesfromtheTinIsland。That’llgiveustimetomatureourplans。’
Itwasdone——theworkofamoment——andtheretheywereonthesameship，betweengreynorthernskyandgreynorthernsea。Thesunwassettinginapaleyellowline。Itwasthesameship，butitwaschanged，andsowerethecrew。Weather—wornanddirtywerethesailors，andtheirclothestornandragged。Andthechildrensawthat，ofcourse，thoughtheyhadskippedtheninemonths，theshiphadhadtolivethroughthem。Pheleslookedthinner，andhisfacewasruggedandanxious。
’Ha！’hecried，’thecharmhasbroughtyouback！Ihaveprayedtoitdailytheseninemonths——andnowyouarehere？Haveyounomagicthatcanhelp？’
’Whatisyourneed？’askedtheEgyptianquietly。
’Ineedagreatwavethatshallwhelmawaytheforeignshipthatfollowsus。Amonthagoitlayinwaitforus，bythepillarsofthegods，anditfollows，follows，tofindoutthesecretofTyre——theplaceoftheTinIslands。IfIcouldsteerbynightI
couldescapethemyet，buttonighttherewillbenostars。’
’Mymagicwillnotserveyouhere，’saidtheEgyptian。
ButRobertsaid，’Mymagicwillnotbringupgreatwaves，butI
canshowyouhowtosteerwithoutstars。’
Hetookouttheshillingcompass，still，fortunately，inworkingorder，thathehadboughtoffanotherboyatschoolforfivepence，apieceofindiarubber，astripofwhalebone，andhalfastickofredsealing—wax。
AndheshowedPheleshowitworked。AndPheleswonderedatthecompass’smagictruth。
’Iwillgiveittoyou，’Robertsaid，’inreturnforthatcharmaboutyourneck。’
Phelesmadenoanswer。Hefirstlaughed，snatchedthecompassfromRobert’shand，andturnedawaystilllaughing。
’Becomforted，’thePriestwhispered，’ourtimewillcome。’
Theduskdeepened，andPheles，crouchedbesideadimlantern，steeredbytheshillingcompassfromtheCrystalPalace。
Nooneeverknewhowtheothershipsailed，butsuddenly，inthedeepnight，thelook—outmanatthesterncriedoutinaterriblevoice——
’Sheiscloseuponus！’
’Andwe，’saidPheles，’areclosetotheharbour。’Hewassilentamoment，thensuddenlyhealteredtheship’scourse，andthenhestoodupandspoke。
’Goodfriendsandgentlemen，’hesaid，’whoareboundwithmeinthisbraveventurebyourKing’scommand，thefalse，foreignshipiscloseonourheels。Ifweland，theyland，andonlythegodsknowwhethertheymightnotbeatusinfight，andthemselvessurvivetocarrybackthetaleofTyre’ssecretislandtoenrichtheirownmiserableland。Shallthisbe？’
’Never！’criedthehalf—dozenmennearhim。Theslaveswererowinghardbelowandcouldnothearhiswords。
TheEgyptianleapeduponhim；suddenly，fiercely，asawildbeastleaps。’GivemebackmyAmulet，’hecried，andcaughtatthecharm。Thechainthathelditsnapped，anditlayinthePriest’shand。
Pheleslaughed，standingbalancedtotheleapoftheshipthatansweredtheoarstroke。
’Thisisnotimeforcharmsandmummeries，’hesaid。’We’velivedlikemen，andwe’lldielikegentlemenforthehonourandgloryofTyre，oursplendidcity。\"Tyre，Tyreforever！It’sTyrethatrulesthewaves。\"IsteerherstraightfortheDragonrocks，andwegodownforourcity，asbravemenshould。Thecreepingcowardswhofollowshallgodownasslaves——andslavestheyshallbetous——whenweliveagain。Tyre，Tyreforever！’
Agreatshoutwentup，andtheslavesbelowjoinedinit。
’Quick，theAmulet，’criedAnthea，andhelditup。Rekh—marahelduptheonehehadsnatchedfromPheles。Thewordwasspoken，andthetwogreatarchesgrewontheplungingshipintheshriekingwindunderthedarksky。FromeachAmuletagreatandbeautifulgreenlightstreamedandshonefaroutoverthewaves。
Itilluminated，too，theblackfacesandjaggedteethofthegreatrocksthatlaynottwoships’lengthsfromtheboat’speakednose。
’Tyre，Tyreforever！It’sTyrethatrulesthewaves！’thevoicesofthedoomedroseinatriumphantshout。Thechildrenscrambledthroughthearch，andstoodtremblingandblinkingintheFitzroyStreetparlour，andintheirearsstillsoundedthewhistleofthewind，andtherattleoftheoars，thecrashoftheshipsbowontherocks，andthelastshoutofthebravegentlemen—adventurerswhowenttotheirdeathssinging，forthesakeofthecitytheyloved。
’Andsowe’velosttheotherhalfoftheAmuletagain，’saidAnthea，whentheyhadtoldthePsammeadallaboutit。
’Nonsense，pooh！’saidthePsammead。’Thatwasn’ttheotherhalf。Itwasthesamehalfthatyou’vegot——theonethatwasn’tcrushedandlost。’
’Buthowcoulditbethesame？’saidAntheagently。
’Well，notexactly，ofcourse。Theoneyou’vegotisagoodmanyyearsolder，butatanyrateit’snottheotherone。Whatdidyousaywhenyouwished？’
’Iforget，’saidJane。
’Idon’t，’saidthePsammead。’Yousaid，\"TakeuswhereYOU
are\"——anditdid，soyouseeitwasthesamehalf。’
’Isee，’saidAnthea。
’Butyoumarkmywords，’thePsammeadwenton，’you’llhavetroublewiththatPriestyet。’
’Why，hewasquitefriendly，’saidAnthea。
’Allthesameyou’dbetterbewareoftheReverendRekh—mara。’
’Oh，I’msickoftheAmulet，’saidCyril，’weshallnevergetit。’
’Ohyesweshall，’saidRobert。’Don’tyourememberDecember3rd？’
’Jinks！’saidCyril，’I’dforgottenthat。’
’Idon’tbelieveit，’saidJane，’andIdon’tfeelatallwell。’
’IfIwereyou，’saidthePsammead，’IshouldnotgooutintothePastagaintillthatdate。You’llfinditsafernottogowhereyou’relikelytomeetthatEgyptiananymorejustatpresent。’
’Ofcoursewe’lldoasyousay，’saidAntheasoothingly，’thoughthere’ssomethingabouthisfacethatIreallydolike。’
’Still，youdon’twanttorunafterhim，Isuppose，’snappedthePsammead。’Youwaittillthe3rd，andthenseewhathappens。’
CyrilandJanewerefeelingfarfromwell，Antheawasalwaysobliging，soRobertwasoverruled。Andtheypromised。Andnoneofthem，noteventhePsammead，atallforesaw，asyounodoubtdoquiteplainly，exactlywhatitwasthatWOULDhappenonthatmemorabledate。
CHAPTER14
THEHEART’SDESIRE
IfIonlyhadtimeIcouldtellyoulotsofthings。Forinstance，how，inspiteoftheadviceofthePsammead，thefourchildrendid，oneverywetday，gothroughtheirAmuletArchintothegoldendesert，andtherefindthegreatTempleofBaalbecandmeetwiththePhoenixwhomtheyneverthoughttoseeagain。AndhowthePhoenixdidnotrememberthematalluntilitwentintoasortofprophetictrance——ifthatcanbecalledremembering。
But，alas！IHAVEN’Ttime，soImustleaveallthatoutthoughitwasawonderfullythrillingadventure。Imustleaveout，too，allaboutthevisitofthechildrentotheHippodromewiththePsammeadinitstravellingbag，andabouthowthewishesofthepeopleroundaboutthemweregrantedsosuddenlyandsurprisinglythatatlastthePsammeadhadtobetakenhurriedlyhomebyAnthea，whoconsequentlymissedhalftheperformance。Thentherewasthetimewhen，NursehavinggonetoteawithafriendoutIvalunkway，theywereplaying’devilinthedark’——andinthemidstofthatmostcreepypastimethepostman’sknockfrightenedJanenearlyoutofherlife。Shetookintheletters，however，andputtheminthebackofthehat—standdrawer，sothattheyshouldbesafe。Andsafetheywere，forsheneverthoughtofthemagainforweeksandweeks。
OnereallygoodthinghappenedwhentheytookthePsammeadtoamagic—lanternshowandlectureattheboys’schoolatCamdenTown。ThelecturewasallaboutoursoldiersinSouthAfrica。
Andthelecturerendedupbysaying，’AndIhopeeveryboyinthisroomhasinhishearttheseedsofcourageandheroismandself—sacrifice，andIwishthateveryoneofyoumaygrowuptobenobleandbraveandunselfish，worthycitizensofthisgreatEmpireforwhomoursoldiershavefreelygiventheirlives。’
And，ofcourse，thiscametrue——whichwasadistinctscoreforCamdenTown。
AsAntheasaid，itwasunluckythatthelecturersaidboys，becausenowsheandJanewouldhavetobenobleandunselfish，ifatall，withoutanyoutsidehelp。ButJanesaid，’Idaresaywearealreadybecauseofourbeautifulnatures。It’sonlyboysthathavetobemadebravebymagic’——whichnearlyledtoafirst—classrow。
AndIdaresayyouwouldliketoknowallabouttheaffairofthefishingrod，andthefish—hooks，andthecooknextdoor——whichwasamusingfromsomepointsofview，thoughnotperhapsthecook’s——buttherereallyisnotimeevenforthat。
Theonlythingthatthere’stimetotellaboutistheAdventureofMaskelyneandCooke’s，andtheUnexpectedApparition——whichisalsothebeginningoftheend。
ItwasNursewhobrokeintothegloomymusicoftheautumnrainonthewindowpanesbysuggestingavisittotheEgyptianHall，England’sHomeofMystery。Thoughtheyhadgood，butprivatereasonstoknowthattheirownparticularpersonalmysterywasofaverydifferentbrand，thefourallbrightenedattheidea。Allchildren，aswellasagoodmanygrown—ups，loveconjuring。
’It’sinPiccadilly，’saidoldNurse，carefullycountingoutthepropernumberofshillingsintoCyril’shand，’notsoveryfardownontheleftfromtheCircus。There’sbigpillarsoutside，somethinglikeCarter’sseedplaceinHolborn，asusedtobeDayandMartin’sblackingwhenIwasagell。AndsomethinglikeEustonStation，onlynotsobig。’
’Yes，Iknow，’saideverybody。
Sotheystarted。
Butthoughtheywalkedalongtheleft—handsideofPiccadillytheysawnopillaredbuildingthatwasatalllikeCarter’sseedwarehouseorEustonStationorEngland’sHomeofMysteryastheyrememberedit。
Atlasttheystoppedahurriedlady，andaskedherthewaytoMaskelyneandCooke’s。
’Idon’tknow，I’msure，’shesaid，pushingpastthem。’IalwaysshopattheStores。’Whichjustshows，asJanesaid，howignorantgrown—uppeopleare。
ItwasapolicemanwhoatlastexplainedtothemthatEngland’sMysteriesarenowappropriatelyenoughenactedatStGeorge’sHall。
SotheytrampedtoLanghamPlace，andmissedthefirsttwoitemsintheprogramme。Buttheywereintimeforthemostwonderfulmagicappearancesanddisappearances，whichtheycouldhardlybelieve——evenwithalltheirknowledgeofalargermagic——wasnotreallymagicafterall。
’IfonlytheBabylonianscouldhaveseenTHISconjuring，’
whisperedCyril。’Ittakestheshineoutoftheiroldconjurer，doesn’tit？’
’Hush！’saidAntheaandseveralothermembersoftheaudience。
NowtherewasavacantseatnexttoRobert。AnditwaswhenalleyeswerefixedonthestagewhereMrDevantwaspouringoutglassesofallsortsofdifferentthingstodrink，outofonekettlewithonespout，andtheaudienceweredelightedlytastingthem，thatRobertfeltsomeoneinthatvacantseat。Hedidnotfeelsomeonesitdowninit。Itwasjustthatonemomenttherewasnoonesittingthere，andthenextmoment，suddenly，therewassomeone。
Robertturned。ThesomeonewhohadsuddenlyfilledthatemptyplacewasRekh—mara，thePriestofAmen！
ThoughtheeyesoftheaudiencewerefixedonMrDavidDevant，MrDavidDevant’seyeswerefixedontheaudience。Andithappenedthathiseyesweremoreparticularlyfixedonthatemptychair。
Sothathesawquiteplainlythesuddenappearance，fromnowhere，oftheEgyptianPriest。
’Ajollygoodtrick，’hesaidtohimself，’andworkedundermyowneyes，inmyownhall。I’llfindouthowthat’sdone。’Hehadneverseenatrickthathecouldnotdohimselfifhetried。
Bythistimeagoodmanyeyesintheaudiencehadturnedontheclean—shaven，curiously—dressedfigureoftheEgyptianPriest。
’Ladiesandgentlemen，’saidMrDevant，risingtotheoccasion，’thisisatrickIhaveneverbeforeperformed。Theemptyseat，thirdfromtheend，secondrow，gallery——youwillnowfindoccupiedbyanAncientEgyptian，warrantedgenuine。’
Helittleknewhowtruehiswordswere。
AndnowalleyeswereturnedonthePriestandthechildren，andthewholeaudience，afteramoment’sbreathlesssurprise，shoutedapplause。OnlytheladyontheothersideofRekh—maradrewbackalittle。SheKNEWnoonehadpassedher，and，asshesaidlater，overteaandcoldtongue，’itwasthatsuddenitmadeherfleshcreep。’
Rekh—maraseemedverymuchannoyedatthenoticehewasexciting。
’Comeoutofthiscrowd，’hewhisperedtoRobert。’Imusttalkwithyouapart。’
’Oh，no，’Janewhispered。’IdidsowanttoseetheMascotMoth，andtheVentriloquist。’
’Howdidyougethere？’wasRobert’sreturnwhisper。
’HowdidyougettoEgyptandtoTyre？’retortedRekh—mara。
’Come，letusleavethiscrowd。’
’There’snohelpforit，Isuppose，’Robertshruggedangrily。
Buttheyallgotup。
’Confederates！’saidamanintherowbehind。’Nowtheygoroundtothebackandtakepartinthenextscene。’
’Iwishwedid，’saidRobert。
’Confederateyourself！’saidCyril。Andsotheygotaway，theaudienceapplaudingtothelast。
InthevestibuleofStGeorge’sHalltheydisguisedRekh—maraaswellastheycould，butevenwithRobert’shatandCyril’sInvernesscapehewastoostrikingafigureforfoot—exerciseintheLondonstreets。Ithadtobeacab，andittookthelast，leastmoneyofallofthem。Theystoppedthecabafewdoorsfromhome，andthenthegirlswentinandengagedoldNurse’sattentionbyanaccountoftheconjuringandafervententreatyfordripping—toastwiththeirtea，leavingthefrontdooropensothatwhileNursewastalkingtothemtheboyscouldcreepquietlyinwithRekh—maraandsmugglehim，unseen，upthestairsintotheirbedroom。
WhenthegirlscameuptheyfoundtheEgyptianPriestsittingonthesideofCyril’sbed，hishandsonhisknees，lookinglikeastatueofaking。
’Comeon，’saidCyrilimpatiently。’Hewon’tbegintillwe’reallhere。Andshutthedoor，can’tyou？’
WhenthedoorwasshuttheEgyptiansaid——
’Myinterestsandyoursareone。’
’Veryinteresting，’saidCyril，’andit’llbeajollysightmoreinterestingifyoukeepfollowingusaboutinadecentcountrywithnomoreclothesonthanTHAT！’
’Peace，’saidthePriest。’Whatisthiscountry？andwhatisthistime？’
’Thecountry’sEngland，’saidAnthea，’andthetime’sabout6，000
yearslaterthanYOURtime。’
’TheAmulet，then，’saidthePriest，deeplythoughtful，’givesthepowertomovetoandfrointimeaswellasinspace？’
’That’saboutit，’saidCyrilgruffly。’Lookhere，it’llbetea—timedirectly。Whatarewetodowithyou？’
’Youhaveone—halfoftheAmulet，Itheother，’saidRekh—mara。
’Allthatisnowneededisthepintojointhem。’
’Don’tyouthinkit，’saidRobert。’Thehalfyou’vegotisthesamehalfastheonewe’vegot。’
’Butthesamethingcannotbeinthesameplaceandthesametime，andyetbenotone，buttwain，’saidthePriest。’See，hereismyhalf。’HelaiditontheMarcellacounterpane。
’Whereisyours？’
Janewatchingtheeyesoftheothers，unfastenedthestringoftheAmuletandlaiditonthebed，buttoofaroffforthePriesttoseizeit，evenifhehadbeensodishonourable。CyrilandRobertstoodbesidehim，readytospringonhimifoneofhishandshadmovedbuteversolittletowardsthemagictreasurethatwastheirs。Buthishandsdidnotmove，onlyhiseyesopenedverywide，andsodideveryoneelse’sfortheAmuletthePriesthadnowquiveredandshook；andthen，assteelisdrawntothemagnet，itwasdrawnacrossthewhitecounterpane，nearerandnearertotheAmulet，warmfromtheneckofJane。Andthen，asonedropofwatermingleswithanotheronarain—wrinkledwindow—pane，asonebeadofquick—silverisdrawnintoanotherbead，Rekh—mara’sAmuletslippedintotheotherone，and，behold！
therewasnomorebuttheoneAmulet！
’Blackmagic！’criedRekh—mara，andsprangforwardtosnatchtheAmuletthathadswallowedhis。ButAntheacaughtitup，andatthesamemomentthePriestwasjerkedbackbyaropethrownoverhishead。Itdrew，tightenedwiththepullofhisforwardleap，andboundhiselbowstohissides。Beforehehadtimetousehisstrengthtofreehimself，Roberthadknottedthecordbehindhimandtiedittothebedpost。Thenthefourchildren，overcomingthepriest’swrigglingsandkickings，tiedhislegswithmorerope。
’Ithought，’saidRobert，breathinghard，anddrawingthelastknottight，’he’dhaveatryforOURS，soIgottheropesoutofthebox—room，soastobeready。’
Thegirls，withratherwhitefaces，applaudedhisforesight。
’Loosenthesebonds！’criedRekh—marainfury，’beforeIblastyouwiththesevensecretcursesofAmen—Ra！’
’Weshouldn’tbelikelytoloosethemAFTER，’Robertretorted。
’Oh，don’tquarrel！’saidAntheadesperately。’Lookhere，hehasjustasmuchrighttothethingaswehave。This，’shetookuptheAmuletthathadswallowedtheotherone，’thishasgothisinitaswellasbeingours。Let’sgoshares。’
’Letmego！’criedthePriest，writhing。
’Now，lookhere，’saidRobert，’ifyoumakearowwecanjustopenthatwindowandcallthepolice——theguards，youknow——andtellthemyou’vebeentryingtorobus。NOWwillyoushutupandlistentoreason？’
’Isupposeso，’saidRekh—marasulkily。
Butreasoncouldnotbespokentohimtillawhisperedcounselhadbeenheldinthefarcornerbythewashhand—standandthetowel—horse，acounselratherlongandveryearnest。
AtlastAntheadetachedherselffromthegroup，andwentbacktothePriest。
’Lookhere，’shesaidinherkindlittlevoice，’wewanttobefriends。Wewanttohelpyou。Let’smakeatreaty。Let’sjointogethertogettheAmulet——thewholeone，Imean。Andthenitshallbelongtoyouasmuchastous，andweshallallgetourhearts’desire。’
’Fairwords，’saidthePriest，’grownoonions。’
’WEsay，\"Butternoparsnips\"，’Janeputin。’Butdon’tyouseeweWANTtobefair？Onlywewanttobindyouinthechainsofhonouranduprightdealing。’
’Willyoudealfairlybyus？’saidRobert。
’Iwill，’saidthePriest。’Bythesacred，secretnamethatiswrittenundertheAltarofAmen—Ra，Iwilldealfairlybyyou。
Willyou，too，taketheoathofhonourablepartnership？’
’No，’saidAnthea，ontheinstant，andaddedratherrashly。’Wedon’tswearinEngland，exceptinpolicecourts，wheretheguardsare，youknow，andyoudon’twanttogothere。ButwhenweSAY
we’lldoathing——it’sthesameasanoathtous——wedoit。Youtrustus，andwe’lltrustyou。’Shebegantounbindhislegs，andtheboyshastenedtountiehisarms。
Whenhewasfreehestoodup，stretchedhisarms，andlaughed。
’Now，’hesaid，’Iamstrongerthanyouandmyoathisvoid。I
haveswornbynothing，andmyoathisnothinglikewise。ForthereISnosecret，sacrednameunderthealtarofAmen—Ra。’
’Oh，yesthereis！’saidavoicefromunderthebed。Everyonestarted——Rekh—maramostofall。
CyrilstoopedandpulledoutthebathofsandwherethePsammeadslept。’Youdon’tknoweverything，thoughyouAREaDivineFatheroftheTempleofAmen，’saidthePsammeadshakingitselftillthesandfelltinklingonthebathedge。’ThereISasecret，sacrednamebeneaththealtarofAmen—Ra。ShallIcallonthatname？’
’No，no！’criedthePriestinterror。
’No，’saidJane，too。’Don’tlet’shaveanycallingnames。’
’Besides，’saidRekh—mara，whohadturnedverywhiteindeedunderhisnaturalbrownness，’Iwasonlygoingtosaythatthoughthereisn’tanynameunder——’
’ThereIS，’saidthePsammeadthreateningly。
’Well，evenifthereWASN’T，Iwillbeboundbythewordlessoathofyourstrangelyuprightland，andhavingsaidthatIwillbeyourfriend——Iwillbeit。’
’Thenthat’sallright，’saidthePsammead；’andthere’sthetea—bell。Whatareyougoingtodowithyourdistinguishedpartner？Hecan’tgodowntotealikethat，youknow。’
’Youseewecan’tdoanythingtillthe3rdofDecember，’saidAnthea，’that’swhenwearetofindthewholecharm。WhatcanwedowithRekh—maratillthen？’
’Box—room，’saidCyrilbriefly，’andsmuggleuphismeals。Itwillberatherfun。’
’LikeafleeingCavalierconcealedfromexasperatedRoundheads，’
saidRobert。’Yes。’
SoRekh—marawastakenuptothebox—roomandmadeascomfortableaspossibleinasnugnookbetweenanoldnurseryfenderandthewreckofabigfour—poster。Theygavehimabigrag—bagtositon，andanold，moth—eatenfurcoatoffthenailonthedoortokeephimwarm。Andwhentheyhadhadtheirownteatheytookhimsome。Hedidnotliketheteaatall，buthelikedthebreadandbutter，andcakethatwentwithit。Theytookitinturnstositwithhimduringtheevening，andlefthimfairlyhappyandquitesettledforthenight。
Butwhentheywentupinthemorningwithakipper，aquarterofwhicheachofthemhadgonewithoutatbreakfast，Rekh—marawasgone！Therewasthecosycornerwiththerag—bag，andthemoth—eatenfurcoat——butthecosycornerwasempty。
’Goodriddance！’wasnaturallythefirstdelightfulthoughtineachmind。Thesecondwaslesspleasing，becauseeveryoneatoncerememberedthatsincehisAmulethadbeenswallowedupbytheirs——whichhungoncemoreroundtheneckofJane——hecouldhavenopossiblemeansofreturningtohisEgyptianpast。
ThereforehemustbestillinEngland，andprobablysomewherequitenearthem，plottingmischief。
Theatticwassearched，topreventmistakes，butquitevainly。
’Thebestthingwecando，’saidCyril，’istogothroughthehalfAmuletstraightaway，getthewholeAmulet，andcomeback。’
’Idon’tknow，’Antheahesitated。’Wouldthatbequitefair？
Perhapsheisn’treallyabasedeceiver。Perhapssomething’shappenedtohim。’
’Happened？’saidCyril，’notit！Besides，whatCOULDhappen？’
’Idon’tknow，’saidAnthea。’Perhapsburglarscameinthenight，andaccidentallykilledhim，andtookawaythe——allthatwasmortalofhim，youknow——toavoiddiscovery。’
’Orperhaps，’saidCyril，’theyhidthe——allthatwasmortal，inoneofthosebigtrunksinthebox—room。SHALLWEGOBACKAND
LOOK？’headdedgrimly。
’No，no！’Janeshuddered。’Let’sgoandtellthePsammeadandseewhatitsays。’
’No，’saidAnthea，’let’saskthelearnedgentleman。IfanythinghashappenedtoRekh—maraagentleman’sadvicewouldbemoreusefulthanaPsammead’s。Andthelearnedgentleman’llonlythinkit’sadream，likehealwaysdoes。’
Theytappedatthedoor，andonthe’Comein’entered。Thelearnedgentlemanwassittinginfrontofhisuntastedbreakfast。
Oppositehim，intheeasychair，satRekh—mara！
’Hush！’saidthelearnedgentlemanveryearnestly，’please，hush！
orthedreamwillgo。Iamlearning……Oh，whathaveInotlearnedinthelasthour！’
’Inthegreydawn，’saidthePriest，’Ileftmyhiding—place，andfindingmyselfamongthesetreasuresfrommyowncountry，I
remained。Ifeelmoreathomeheresomehow。’
’OfcourseIknowit’sadream，’saidthelearnedgentlemanfeverishly，’but，oh，yegods！whatadream！Byjove！……’
’Callnotuponthegods，’saidthePriest，’lestyeraisegreateronesthanyecancontrol。Already，’heexplainedtothechildren，’heandIareasbrothers，andhiswelfareisdeartomeasmyown。’
’Hehastoldme，’thelearnedgentlemanbegan，butRobertinterrupted。Thiswasnomomentformanners。
’Haveyoutoldhim，’heaskedthePriest，’allabouttheAmulet？’
’No，’saidRekh—mara。
’Thentellhimnow。Heisverylearned。Perhapshecantelluswhattodo。’
Rekh—marahesitated，thentold——and，oddlyenough，noneofthechildrenevercouldrememberafterwardswhatitwasthathedidtell。Perhapsheusedsomemagictopreventtheirremembering。
Whenhehaddonethelearnedgentlemanwassilent，leaninghiselbowonthetableandhisheadonhishand。
’DearJimmy，’saidAntheagently，’don’tworryaboutit。Wearesuretofindittoday，somehow。’
’Yes，’saidRekh—mara，’andperhaps，withit，Death。’
’It’stobringusourhearts’desire，’saidRobert。
’Whoknows，’saidthePriest，’whatthingsundreamed—ofandinfinitelydesirableliebeyondthedarkgates？’
’Oh，DON’T，’saidJane，almostwhimpering。
Thelearnedgentlemanraisedhisheadsuddenly。
’Whynot，’hesuggested，’gobackintothePast？AtamomentwhentheAmuletisunwatched。Wishtobewithit，andthatitshallbeunderyourhand。’
Itwasthesimplestthingintheworld！Andyetnoneofthemhadeverthoughtofit。
’Come，’criedRekh—mara，leapingup。’ComeNOW！’
’May——mayIcome？’thelearnedgentlemantimidlyasked。’It’sonlyadream，youknow。’
’Come，andwelcome，ohbrother，’Rekh—marawasbeginning，butCyrilandRobertwithonevoicecried，’NO。’
’Youweren’twithusinAtlantis，’Robertadded，’oryou’dknowbetterthantolethimcome。’
’DearJimmy，’saidAnthea，’pleasedon’tasktocome。We’llgoandbebackagainbeforeyouhavetimetoknowthatwe’regone。’
’Andhe，too？’
’Wemustkeeptogether，’saidRekh—mara，’sincethereisbutoneperfectAmulettowhichIandthesechildrenhaveequalclaims。’
JanehelduptheAmulet——Rekh—marawentfirst——andtheyallpassedthroughthegreatarchintowhichtheAmuletgrewattheNameofPower。
Thelearnedgentlemansawthroughthearchadarknesslightedbysmokygleams。Herubbedhiseyes。Andheonlyrubbedthemfortenseconds。
ThechildrenandthePriestwereinasmall，darkchamber。A
squaredoorwayofmassivestoneletingleamsofshiftinglight，andthesoundofmanyvoiceschantingaslow，strangehymn。Theystoodlistening。Nowandthenthechantquickenedandthelightgrewbrighter，asthoughfuelhadbeenthrownonafire。
’Wherearewe？’whisperedAnthea。
’Andwhen？’whisperedRobert。
’Thisissomeshrinenearthebeginningsofbelief，’saidtheEgyptianshivering。’TaketheAmuletandcomeaway。Itiscoldhereinthemorningoftheworld。’
AndthenJanefeltthatherhandwasonaslabortableofstone，and，underherhand，somethingthatfeltlikethecharmthathadsolonghungroundherneck，onlyitwasthicker。Twiceasthick。
’It’sHERE！’shesaid，’I’vegotit！’Andshehardlyknewthesoundofherownvoice。
’Comeaway，’repeatedRekh—mara。
’IwishwecouldseemoreofthisTemple，’saidRobertresistingly。
’Comeaway，’thePriesturged，’thereisdeathallabout，andstrongmagic。Listen。’
Thechantingvoicesseemedtohavegrownlouderandfiercer，andlightstronger。
’Theyarecoming！’criedRekh—mara。’Quick，quick，theAmulet！’
Janehelditup。
’Whatalongtimeyou’vebeenrubbingyoureyes！’saidAnthea；
’don’tyouseewe’vegotback？’Thelearnedgentlemanmerelystaredather。
’MissAnthea——MissJane！’ItwasNurse’svoice，verymuchhigherandsqueakyandmoreexaltedthanusual。
’Oh，bother！’saideveryone。Cyriladding，’Youjustgoonwiththedreamforasec，MrJimmy，we’llbebackdirectly。Nurse’llcomeupifwedon’t。SHEwouldn’tthinkRekh—marawasadream。’
Thentheywentdown。Nursewasinthehall，anorangeenvelopeinonehand，andapinkpaperintheother。
’YourPaandMa’scomehome。\"ReachLondon11。15。Prepareroomsasdirectedinletter\"，andsignedintheirtwonames。’
’Oh，hooray！hooray！hooray！’shoutedtheboysandJane。ButAntheacouldnotshout，shewasnearercrying。
’Oh，’shesaidalmostinawhisper，’thenitWAStrue。AndweHAVEgotourhearts’desire。’
’ButIdon’tunderstandabouttheletter，’Nursewassaying。’I
haven’tHADnoletter。’
’OH！’saidJaneinaqueervoice，’Iwonderwhetheritwasoneofthose……theycamethatnight——youknow，whenwewereplaying\"devilinthedark\"——andIputtheminthehat—standdrawer，behindtheclothes—brushesand’——shepulledoutthedrawerasshespoke——’andheretheyare！’
TherewasaletterforNurseandoneforthechildren。TheletterstoldhowFatherhaddonebeingawar—correspondentandwascominghome；andhowMotherandTheLambweregoingtomeethiminItalyandallcomehometogether；andhowTheLambandMotherwerequitewell；andhowatelegramwouldbesenttotellthedayandthehouroftheirhome—coming。
’Mercyme！’saidoldNurse。’Ideclareifit’snottoobadofYou，MissJane。Ishallhaveaniceto—dogettingthingsstraightforyourPaandMa。’
’Oh，nevermind，Nurse，’saidJane，huggingher；’isn’titjusttoolovelyforanything！’
’We’llcomeandhelpyou，’saidCyril。’There’sjustsomethingupstairswe’vegottosettleup，andthenwe’llallcomeandhelpyou。’
’Getalongwithyou，’saidoldNurse，butshelaughedjollily。
’NicehelpYOU’Dbe。Iknowyou。Andit’steno’clocknow。’
Therewas，infact，somethingupstairsthattheyhadtosettle。
Quiteaconsiderablesomething，too。Andittookmuchlongerthantheyexpected。
Ahastyrushintotheboys’roomsecuredthePsammead，verysandyandverycross。
’Itdoesn’tmatterhowcrossandsandyitisthough，’saidAnthea，’itoughttobethereatthefinalcouncil。’
’It’llgivethelearnedgentlemanfits，Iexpect，’saidRobert，’whenheseesit。’
Butitdidn’t。
’Thedreamisgrowingmoreandmorewonderful，’heexclaimed，whenthePsammeadhadbeenexplainedtohimbyRekh—mara。’I
havedreamedthisbeastbefore。’
’Now，’saidRobert，’JanehasgotthehalfAmuletandI’vegotthewhole。Showup，Jane。’
JaneuntiedthestringandlaidherhalfAmuletonthetable，litteredwithdustypapers，andtheclaycylindersmarkedalloverwithlittlemarkslikethelittleprintsofbirds’littlefeet。RobertlaiddownthewholeAmulet，andAntheagentlyrestrainedtheeagerhandofthelearnedgentlemanasitreachedoutyearninglytowardsthe’perfectspecimen’。
Andthen，justasbeforeontheMarcellaquilt，sonowonthedustylitterofpapersandcuriosities，thehalfAmuletquiveredandshook，andthen，assteelisdrawntoamagnet，itwasdrawnacrossthedustymanuscripts，nearerandnearertotheperfectAmulet，warmfromthepocketofRobert。Andthen，asonedropofwatermingleswithanotherwhenthepanesofthewindowarewrinkledwithrain，asonebeadofmercuryisdrawnintoanotherbead，thehalfAmulet，thatwasthechildren’sandwasalsoRekh—mara’s，——slippedintothewholeAmulet，and，behold！therewasonlyone——theperfectandultimateCharm。
’AndTHAT’Sallright，’saidthePsammead，breakingabreathlesssilence。
’Yes，’saidAnthea，’andwe’vegotourhearts’desire。FatherandMotherandTheLambarecominghometoday。’
’Butwhataboutme？’saidRekh—mara。
’WhatISyourheart’sdesire？’Antheaasked。
’Greatanddeeplearning，’saidthePriest，withoutamoment’shesitation。’Alearninggreateranddeeperthanthatofanymanofmylandandmytime。Butlearningtoogreatisuseless。IfI
gobacktomyownlandandmyownage，whowillbelievemytalesofwhatIhaveseeninthefuture？Letmestayhere，bethegreatknowerofallthathasbeen，inthatourtime，solivingtome，sooldtoyou，aboutwhichyourlearnedmenspeculateunceasingly，andoften，HEtellsme，vainly。’
’IfIwereyou，’saidthePsammead，’IshouldasktheAmuletaboutthat。It’sadangerousthing，tryingtoliveinatimethat’snotyourown。Youcan’tbreatheanairthat’sthousandsofcenturiesaheadofyourlungswithoutfeelingtheeffectsofit，soonerorlater。PreparethemysticcircleandconsulttheAmulet。’
’Oh，WHATadream！’criedthelearnedgentleman。’Dearchildren，ifyouloveme——andIthinkyoudo，indreamsandoutofthem——preparethemysticcircleandconsulttheAmulet！’
Theydid。Asoncebefore，whenthesunhadshoneinAugustsplendour，theycrouchedinacircleonthefloor。NowtheairoutsidewasthickandyellowwiththefogthatbysomestrangedecreealwaysattendstheCattleShowweek。Andinthestreetcosterswereshouting。’UrHekauSetcheh，’JanesaidtheNameofPower。Andinstantlythelightwentout，andallthesoundswentouttoo，sothattherewasasilenceandadarkness，bothdeeperthananydarknessorsilencethatyouhaveeverevendreamedofimagining。Itwaslikebeingdeaforblind，onlydarkerandquietereventhanthat。
Thenoutofthatvastdarknessandsilencecamealightandavoice。Thelightwastoofainttoseeanythingby，andthevoicewastoosmallforyoutohearwhatitsaid。Butthelightandthevoicegrew。Andthelightwasthelightthatnomanmaylookonandlive，andthevoicewasthesweetestandmostterriblevoiceintheworld。Thechildrencastdowntheireyes。Andsodideveryone。
’Ispeak，’saidthevoice。’Whatisitthatyouwouldhear？’
Therewasapause。Everyonewasafraidtospeak。
’WhatarewetodoaboutRekh—mara？’saidRobertsuddenlyandabruptly。’ShallhegobackthroughtheAmulettohisowntime，or——’
’NoonecanpassthroughtheAmuletnow，’saidthebeautiful，terriblevoice，’toanylandoranytime。Onlywhenitwasimperfectcouldsuchthingsbe。Butmenmaypassthroughtheperfectcharmtotheperfectunion，whichisnotoftimeorspace。’
’Wouldyoubesoverykind，’saidAntheatremulously，’astospeaksothatwecanunderstandyou？ThePsammeadsaidsomethingaboutRekh—maranotbeingabletolivehere，andifhecan’tgetback——’Shestopped，herheartwasbeatingdesperatelyinherthroat，asitseemed。
’Nobodycancontinuetoliveinalandandinatimenotappointed，’saidthevoiceofglorioussweetness。’Butasoulmaylive，ifinthatothertimeandlandtherebefoundasoulsoakintoitastoofferitrefuge，inthebodyofthatlandandtime，thatthustheytwomaybeonesoulinonebody。’
Thechildrenexchangeddiscouragedglances。ButtheeyesofRekh—maraandthelearnedgentlemanmet，andwerekindtoeachother，andpromisedeachothermanythings，secretandsacredandverybeautiful。
Antheasawthelook。’Oh，but，’shesaid，withoutatallmeaningtosayit，’dearJimmy’ssoulisn’tatalllikeRekh—mara’s。I’mcertainitisn’t。Idon’twanttoberude，butitISN’T，youknow。DearJimmy’ssoulisasgoodasgold，and——’
’NothingthatisnotgoodcanpassbeneaththedoublearchofmyperfectAmulet，’saidthevoice。’Ifbotharewilling，saythewordofPower，andletthetwosoulsbecomeoneforeverandevermore。’
’ShallI？’askedJane。
’Yes。’
’Yes。’
ThevoiceswerethoseoftheEgyptianPriestandthelearnedgentleman，andthevoiceswereeager，alive，thrilledwithhopeandthedesireofgreatthings。
SoJanetooktheAmuletfromRobertandhelditupbetweenthetwomen，andsaid，forthelasttime，thewordofPower。
’UrHekauSetcheh。’
TheperfectAmuletgrewintoadoublearch；thetwoarchesleanedtoeachothermakingagreatA。
’AstandsforAmen，’whisperedJane；’whathewasapriestof。’
’Hush！’breathedAnthea。
ThegreatdoublearchglowedinandthroughthegreenlightthathadbeentheresincetheNameofPowerhadfirstbeenspoken——itglowedwithalightmorebrightyetmoresoftthantheotherlight——agloryandsplendourandsweetnessunspeakable。’Come！’
criedRekh—mara，holdingouthishands。
’Come！’criedthelearnedgentleman，andhealsoheldouthishands。
Eachmovedforwardundertheglowing，gloriousarchoftheperfectAmulet。
ThenRekh—maraquaveredandshook，andassteelisdrawntoamagnethewasdrawn，underthearchofmagic，nearerandnearertothelearnedgentleman。And，asonedropofwatermingleswithanother，whenthewindow—glassisrain—wrinkled，asonequick—silverbeadisdrawntoanotherquick—silverbead，Rekh—mara，DivineFatheroftheTempleofAmen—Ra，wasdrawninto，slippedinto，disappearedinto，andwasonewithJimmy，thegood，thebeloved，thelearnedgentleman。
AndsuddenlyitwasgooddaylightandtheDecembersunshone。
Thefoghaspassedawaylikeadream。
TheAmuletwasthere——littleandcompleteinjane’shand，andthereweretheotherchildrenandthePsammead，andthelearnedgentleman。ButRekh—mara——orthebodyofRekh—mara——wasnotthereanymore。Asforhissoul……
’Oh，thehorridthing！’criedRobert，andputhisfootonacentipedeaslongasyourfinger，thatcrawledandwriggledandsquirmedatthelearnedgentleman’sfeet。
’THAT，’saidthePsammead，’WAStheevilinthesoulofRekh—mara。’
Therewasadeepsilence。
’ThenRekh—mara’sHIMnow？’saidJaneatlast。
’AllthatwasgoodinRekh—mara，’saidthePsammead。
’HEoughttohavehisheart’sdesire，too，’saidAnthea，inasortofstubborngentleness。
’HISheart’sdesire，’saidthePsammead，’istheperfectAmuletyouholdinyourhand。Yes——andhasbeeneversincehefirstsawthebrokenhalfofit。’
’We’vegotours，’saidAntheasoftly。
’Yes，’saidthePsammead——itsvoicewascrosserthantheyhadeverheardit——’yourparentsarecominghome。Andwhat’stobecomeofME？Ishallbefoundout，andmadeashowof，anddegradedineverypossibleway。IKNOWthey’llmakemegointoParliament——hatefulplace——allmudandnosand。ThatbeautifulBaalbectempleinthedesert！Plentyofgoodsandthere，andnopolitics！IwishIwerethere，safeinthePast——thatIdo。’
’Iwishyouwere，’saidthelearnedgentlemanabsently，yetpoliteasever。
ThePsammeadswelleditselfup，turneditslongsnail’seyesinonelastlingeringlookatAnthea——alovinglook，shealwayssaid，andthought——and——vanished。
’Well，’saidAnthea，afterasilence，’Isupposeit’shappy。TheonlythingiteverdidreallycareforwasSAND。’
’Mydearchildren，’saidthelearnedgentleman，’Imusthavefallenasleep。I’vehadthemostextraordinarydream。’
’Ihopeitwasaniceone，’saidCyrilwithcourtesy。
’Yes……Ifeelanewmanafterit。Absolutelyanewman。’
Therewasaringatthefront—doorbell。Theopeningofadoor。
Voices。
’It’sTHEM！’criedRobert，andathrillranthroughfourhearts。
’Here！’criedAnthea，snatchingtheAmuletfromJaneandpressingitintothehandofthelearnedgentleman。’Here——it’syours——yourveryown——apresentfromus，becauseyou’reRekh—maraaswellas……Imean，becauseyou’resuchadear。’
Shehuggedhimbrieflybutfervently，andthefoursweptdownthestairstothehall，whereacabmanwasbringinginboxes，andwhere，heavilydisguisedintravellingcloaksandwraps，wastheirhearts’desire——three—fold——Mother，Father，andTheLamb。
’Blessme！’saidthelearnedgentleman，leftalone，’blessme！
Whatatreasure！Thedearchildren！Itmustbetheiraffectionthathasgivenmetheseluminousapercus。Iseemtoseesomanythingsnow——thingsIneversawbefore！Thedearchildren！Thedear，dearchildren！’