第33章
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  ThisthenwasthemiserableendofKurritheSidonian,slainbythesightoftheBeauty。

  “Thouseest,Lady,“saidHelen,turningfromthedeadSidonian,“nomanmayharmme。“

  ForamomenttheQueenstoodastonished,whileReithePriestmutteredprayerstotheprotectingGods。Thenshecried:

  “Begone,thoulivingcurse,begone!Whereforeartthoucomeheretoworkmorewoeinthishouseofwoeanddeath?“

  “Fearnot,“answeredtheHelen,“presentlyIwillbegoneandtroubletheenomore。ThouaskestwhyIamcomehither。Icametoseehimwhowasmylove,andwhombutlastnightIshouldhavewed,butwhomtheGodshavebroughttoshameunspeakable,OdysseusofIthaca,Odysseus,Laertes’son。ForthiscauseIcame,andIhavestayedtolookuponthefaceofherwhosebeautyhadpowertodrivethethoughtofmefromtheheartofOdysseus,andbringhim,whoofallmenwasthegreatestheroandtheforemostleftalive,todoadastarddeedandmakehismightynameabywordandascorn。Knowestthou,Meriamun,thatIfindthematterstrange,sinceifallelsebefalse,yetisthistrue,thatamongwomenthefairestarethemoststrong。Thouartfairindeed,Meriamun,butjudgeifthouartmorefairthanArgiveHelen,“andshedrewtheveilfromherfacesothatthesplendourofherbeautyshoneoutupontheQueen’sdarkloveliness。Thusforawhiletheystoodeachfacingeach,andtoReiitseemedasthoughthespiritsofDeathandLifelookedoneonanother,asthoughthedarknessandthedaylightstoodinwoman’sshapebeforehim。

  “Thouartfairindeed,“saidtheQueen,“butinthis,witch,hasthybeautyfailedtoholdhimwhomthouwouldstwedfromthemostshamelesssin。Littlemethinkscanthatmanhavelovedtheewhocreptuponmelikeathieftosnatchmyhonourfromme。“

  ThenHelenbethoughtherofwhatReihadsaid,thatMeriamunlovedtheWanderer,andshespokeagain:

  “Nowitcomesintomyheart,Egyptian,thattrueandfalsearemixedinthistaleofthine。HarditistobelievethatOdysseusofIthacacouldworksuchacowarddeedasthis,or,unbidden,seektoclasptheetohisheart。Moreover,Ireadinthineeyesthatthouthyselfdostlovethemanwhomthounamestdastard。Nay,holdthypeace,looknotsowildlyonmewhomthoucanstnotharm,buthearken。WhetherthytalebetrueorfalseIknownot,whousenomagicandlearnthosethingsonlythattheGodsrevealtome。Butthisattheleastistrue,thatOdysseus,whomIshouldhavewed,haslookedontheewitheyesoflove,eveninthathourwhenIwaitedtobemadehiswife。Thereforethelovethatbuttwodaysagonebloomedinmyheart,diesandwithers;orifitdoesnot,atleastIcastitfrommeandtreaditsflowersbeneathmyfeet。ForthisdoomtheGodshavelaiduponme,whoamofallwomenthemosthapless,tolivebelovedbutlovelessthroughmanyyears,andatthelasttoloveandbebetrayed。AndnowIgohencebacktomytempleshrine;butfearnot,Meriamun,notforlongshallItroubletheeorKhem,andmenshalldienomorebecauseofmybeauty,forIshallpresentlypasshencewhithertheGodsappoint;andthisIsaytothee——dealgentlywiththatmanwhohasbetrayedmyfaith,forwhateverhedidwasdonefortheloveofthee。ItisnomeanthingtohavewontheheartofOdysseusofIthacaoutofthehandofArgiveHelen。Faretheewell,Meriamun,whowouldsthaveslainme。

  MaytheGodsgranttheebetterdaysandmoreofjoythanisgiventoHelen,whowouldlookuponthyfacenomore。“

  Thusshespake,andlettingherveilfallturnedtogo。ForawhiletheQueenstoodshamedtosilencebythesegentlewords,thatfelllikedewuponthefiresofherhate。ButereHelenhadpassedthelengthofaspearherfuryburnedupagain。What,shouldsheletthisstrangewomango——thiswomanwhoaloneofallthatbreathedwasmorebeautifulthanshe,bytheaidofwhosestolenbeautyshealonehadwonherlove,andforwhosesakeshehadenduredsuchbitterwordsofscorn?

  Nay,whileHelenyetlivedshecouldfindnotjoynorsleep。ButwereHelendead,thenperchanceallmightyetbewell,andtheWandereryetbehers,forwhenthebestisgonementurnthemtothebetter。

  “Closethegatesandbarthem,“shecriedtothemen,whonowstreamedbackintothehall;andtheyrantodoherbidding,sothatbeforeHelenreachedthePalacedoors,theyhadbeenshutandthegatesofbronzebeyondhadclashedliketheshieldsofmen。

  NowHelendrewnearthedoors。

  “Stayyonwitch,“criedtheQueentothosewhoguardedthem,andinwondertheypoisedtheirspearstobarthewaytoHelen。Butsheonlyliftedherveilandlookeduponthem。Thentheirarmsfellfromtheirhandsandtheystoodamazedatthesightofbeauty。

  “Open,Ibeseechyou,“saidtheHelengently,andstraightwaytheyopenedthedoorsandshepassedthrough,followedbythosewhoguardedthem,bytheQueen,andbyRei。Butonemantherewaswhodidnotseeherbeauty,andhestroveinvaintoholdbackthedoorsandtoclaspHelenasshepassed。

  Nowshedrewneartothegates——

  “Shootthewitch!“criedMeriamuntheQueen;“ifshepassthegates,bymyroyalwordIswearthatyeshalldieeverymanofyou。Shootherwitharrows。“

  Thenthreemendrewtheirbowsmightily。Thestringofthebowofoneburst,andthebowwasshattered,andthearrowofthesecondslippedashedrewit,andpassingdownwardspiercedhisfoot;andtheshaftofthethirdswervedereitstruckthebreastofHelen,andsunkintotheheartofthatsoldierwhowasnexttotheQueen,sothathefelldowndead。ItwasthesamemanwhohadstriventoholdtothedoorsandclasptheHelen。

  ThenHelenturnedandspoke:

  “Bidnotthyguardtoshootagain,Meriamun,lestthearrowfind/thy/

  heart,for,knowthis,nomanmayharmme;“andoncemoresheliftedherveil,andspeakingtothoseatthegatessaid:“Open,Ibeseechyou,andlettheHathorpass。“

  Nowtheirweaponsfellfromtheirhands,andtheylookeduponherbeauty,andtheytoomadehastetoopenthegates。Thegreatgatesclangedupontheirsocketsandrolledback。Shepassedthroughthem,andallwhoweretherefollowedafterher。Butwhentheylooked,lo!

  shehadmingledwiththepeoplewhowenttoandfroandwasgone。

  ThenMeriamungrewwhitewithragebecauseHelenwhomshehatedhadescapedher,andturningtothosemenwhohadopenedthedoorsandthosewhohadgivenpassageofthegates,whoyetstoodlookingoneachotherwithdazedeyes,shedoomedthemtodie。

  ButRei,kneelingbeforeher,prayedfortheirlives:

  “Illwillcomeofit,OQueen!“hesaid,“asillcametoyonderSidonianandtothesoldieratthyfeet,fornonemayworkevilonthisGoddess,orthosewhobefriendedtheGoddess。Slaythemnot,O

  Queen,lestilltidingsfollowonthedeed!“

  ThentheQueenturnedonhimmadly:

  “Hearkenthou,Rei!“shesaid;“speakthusagain,andthoughIhavelovedtheeandthouhastbeenthechiefoftheservantsofPharaoh,thisIswear,thatthoushaltdiethefirst。Alreadythecountislongbetweentheeandme,foritwasthouwhodidstbringyonaccursedwitchtomyPalace。Nowthouhastheard,andofthisbesure,asI

  havespokensoIwilldo。Gettheegone——gettheefrommysight,I

  say,lestIslaytheenow。Itakebackthyhonours,Istriptheeofthyoffices,Igatherthywealthintomytreasury。Goforthabeggar,andletmeseethyfacenomore!“

  ThenReiheldhispeaceandfled,foritwerebettertostandbeforealionessrobbedofherwhelpsthanbeforeMeriamuninherrage。Thereonthegateswereshutagain,andthecaptainofthegateswasdraggedbeforetheplacewheretheQueenstood,andaskingnomercyandtakinglittleheed,forstillhissoulwasfilledwiththebeautyofHelenasacupwithwine,hesuffereddeath,forhisheadwasstraightwaysmittenfromhim。

  Rei,watchingfromafar,groanedaloud,thenturnedandleftthePalace,buttheQueencalledtothesoldierstoslayon。EvenasshecalledtherecameacryofwoewithoutthePalacegates。Menlookedeachoneach。Againthecryroseandavoicewithoutcalled,“Pharaohiscomeagain!Pharaohiscomeagain!“andthereroseasoundofknockingatthegates。

  NowforthatwhileMeriamunthoughtnomoreofslayingthemen,butbadethemopenthegates。Theyopened,andamanenteredcladinraimentstainedwithtravel。Hiseyeswerewild,hishairwasdishevelled,andscarcecouldhisfacebeknownforthefaceofPharaohMeneptah,itwassomarredwithgriefandfear。

  PharaohlookedontheQueen——helookeduponthedeadwholayatherfeet,thenlaughedaloud:

  “What!“hecried,“moredead!IstherethennoendtoDeathandthenumberofhisslain?Nay,herehedothworkbutfeebly。Perchancehisarmgrowsweary。Come,whereare/thy/dead,Queen?Bringforththydead!“

  “Whathathchanced,Meneptah,thatthouspeakestthusmadly?“askedtheQueen。“ShewhomtheynametheHathorhathpassedhere,andthese,andanotherwholiesyonder,dobutmarkherpath。Speak!“

  “Ay,Iwillspeak,Queen。Ihaveamerrytaletotell。ThousayestthattheHathorhathpassedhereandthesemarkherfootsteps。Well,I

  cancapthystory。HewhomtheApuranameJahvehhathpassedyonderbytheSeaofWeeds,andthereliemany,lietomarkHisfootsteps。“

  “Thyhost!Whereisthyhost?“criedtheQueen。“Attheleastsomeareleft。“

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