ThesunwasalreadyhighintheheavenswhenAzielawokefromthedeepanddreamlesssleepwhichfollowedontheexcitementsandexhaustionofthepreviousday.Afterhisservantshadwaiteduponhimandrobedhim，bringinghimmilkandfruittoeat，hedismissedthem，andsathimselfdownbythecasementofhischambertothinkawhile.
Belowhimlaythecityofflat—roofedhousesenclosedwithadoublewall，withouttheringofwhichwerethousandsofstrawhuts，shapedlikebee—hives，whereindweltnativesofthecountry，slavesorservantsoftheoccupyingPh？nicianrace.ToAziel’sright，andnotmorethanahundredpacesfromthegovernor’shouseinwhichhewas，rosetheroundandmightybattlementsofthetemple，wherethefollowersofElandBaaltisworshipped，andthegoldrefinerscarriedontheirbusiness.Atintervalsonitsflat—toppedwallsstoodtowersofobservation，alternatingwithpointedmonolithsofgraniteandsoapstonecolumnssupportingvultures，rudelycarvedemblemsofBaaltis.Betweenthesetowersarmedsoldierswalkedcontinually，watchingthecitybelowandtheplainbeyond，forthoughthemissionofthePh？niciansherewasoneofpeacefulgainitwasevidentthattheyconsidereditnecessarytobealwayspreparedforwar.Onthehillsideabovethegreattempletoweredanotherfortressofstone——acitadeldeemedtobeimpregnableevenshouldthetemplefallintothehandsofanenemy——whileonthecrestoftheprecipitousslope，stretchingasfartorightandleftastheeyecouldreach，weremanysmallerdetachedstrongholds.
ThescenethatAzielsawfromhiswindowwasabusyone，forbeneathhimamarketwasbeingheldinanopensquareinthecity.Here，shelteredfromthesunbygrass—thatchedbooths，thePh？nicianmerchantswhohadbeenhiscompanionsintheirlongandperilousjourneyfromthecoastwerealreadyintreatywithnumerouscustomers，hoping，notinvain，torecoupthemselvesamplyforthetoilsanddangerswhichtheyhadsurvived.Beneaththeseboothswerespreadtheirgoods;silksfromCos，bronzeweaponsandcopperrods，oringotsfromtherichminesofCyprus，linensandmuslinsfromEgypt;beads，idols，carvenbowls，knives，glassware，potteryinallshapes，andcharmsmadeofglazedfaienceorEgyptianstone;balesofthefamouspurpleclothofTyre;surgicalinstruments，jewellery，andobjectsoftoilet;scents，potsofrouge，andotherunguentsfortheuseofladiesinlittlealabasterandearthenwarevases;bagsofrefinedsalt，andathousandotherarticlesofcommerceproducedorstoredintheworkshopsofPh？nicia.Thesethechapmenbarteredforrawgoldbyweight，tusksofivory，ostrichfeathers，andgirlsofapprovedbeauty，slavestakeninwar，orinsomeinstancesmaidenswhomtheirunnaturalparentsorrelativesdidnotscrupletosellintobondage.
Inanotherportionofthesquare，provisionsandstock，aliveanddead，werebeingofferedforsale，forthemostpartbynativesofthecountry.Herewerepilesofvegetablesandfruitsgrowninthegardens，sacksofvarioussortsofgrain，bundlesofgreenforagefromtheirrigatedlandswithoutthewalls，calabashesfullofcurdledmilk，thicknativebeerandtrussesofreedforthatching.Hereagainwereoxen，mulesandasses，orgreatbuckssuchaswenowknowaselandorkudoo，carriedinonroughlittersofboughstobedisposedofbypartiesofsavagehuntsmenwhohadshotthemwitharrowsortrappedtheminpitfalls.EveryEasterntribeandnationseemedtoberepresentedinthemotleycrowd.Yonderstalkedsavages，nakedexceptfortheirgirdles，andarmedwithhugespears，whogazedwithbewildermentonthewondersofthismartofthewhiteman;theremovedgrave，long—beardedArabmerchantsorPh？niciansintheirpointedcaps，orbare—headedwhite—robedEgyptians，orhalf—bredmercenariescladinmail.Theirvarietywaswithoutend，whilefromthemcameaverybabelofdifferenttonguesastheycriedtheirwares，bargainedandquarrelled.
Azielgazedatthisnovelsightwithinterest，till，ashewasbeginningtowearyofit，thecrowdpartedtorightandleft，leavingaclearlaneacrossthemarket—placetothenarrowgateofthetemple.