第11章

“Andhewentheavilyandstrickenwithfear。

“’Nay，’shesaid，gazingafterhim，’nomoreamIMeneptah’swife，butstillamIKhem’sdreadedQueen。Oh，thouoldpriest，Iamaweary。Seewhatalotismine，whohaveallthingsbutlove，andyetamsickofall！Ilongedforpower，andpowerismine，andwhatispower？Itisarodwherewithwebeattheairthatstraightwayclosesonthestroke。

Yes，Itireofmylovelessdaysandofthisdullroundofcommonthings。Oh，foronehourofloveandinthathourtodie！Ohthatthefuturewouldliftitsveilanddisclosethefaceoftimetobe！Say，Rei！Wiltthoubeboldanddareadeed？’Andsheclaspedmebythesleeveandwhisperedinmyear，inthedeadtongueknowntoherandme——’HerIslew——thousawest——’

“’Ay，Queen，Isaw——whatofher？’Twasilldone。’

“’Nay，’twasrightlydoneandwelldone。Butthouknowestsheisnotyetcold，norforawhilewillbe，andIhavethearttodragherspiritbackereshebecold，fromwheresheis，andtoforceknowledgefromherlips——forbeinganOsirisallthefutureisopentoherinthishour。’

“’Nay，nay，’Icried。’Itisunholy——notlightlymaywedisturbthedead，lesttheGuardianGodsbemovedtoanger。’

“’YetwillIdoit，Rei。Ifthoudostfear，comenot。ButIgo。Iamfainforknowledge，andthusonlymayIwinit。IfIdieinthedreadendeavour，writethisofMeriamuntheQueen:Thatinseekingtheto-be——shefoundit！’

“’Nay，RoyalLady，’Ianswered，’thoushaltnotgoalone。Itoohavesomeskillinmagic，andperchancecanwardevilfromthee。So，ifindeedthouwiltdarethisdreadfulthing，beholdnow，asever，Iamthyservant。’

“’Itiswell。See，now，thebodywillthisnightbelaidinthesanctuaryoftheTempleofOsiristhatisnearthegreatgates，asisthecustom，toawaitthecomingoftheembalmers。Comeereshebecolderthanmyheart，comewithme，Rei，tothehouseoftheLordoftheDead！’

“Shepassedtoherchamber，wrappedherselfaboutinadarkrobe，andhurriedwithmetotheTempledoors，wherewewerechallengedbytheguards。

“’Whopasses？InthenameoftheHolyOsirisspeak。’

“’Rei，theMasterBuilderandtheanointedPriest，andwithhimanother，’Imadeanswer。’Open。’

“’Nay，Iopennot。Thereisonewithinwhomaynotbewakened。’

“’Who，then，iswithin？’

“’ShewhomtheQueenslew。’

“’TheQueensendsonewhowouldlookonhersheslew。’

“Thenthepriestgazedonthehoodedformbesidemeandstartedback，crying，’Atoken，nobleRei。’

“IhelduptheRoyalsignet，and，bowing，heopened。BeingcomewithintheTempleIlitthetapersthathadbeenprepared。ThenbytheirfeeblelightwepassedthroughtheouterhalltillwecametothecurtainsthatveilthesanctuaryoftheHolyPlace，andhereI

quenchedthetapers；fornofiremustenterthere，savethatwhichburnsuponthealtarofthedead。Butthroughthecurtainscameraysoflight。

“’Open！’saidMeriamun，andIopened，andhandinhandwepassedin。

Onthealtarthatisintheplacetheflameburntbrightly。Thechamberisnotwideandgreat，forthisisthesmallestofthetemplesofTanis，butyetsolargethatthelightcouldnotreachitswallsnorpiercetheoverhanginggloom，andbymuchgazingscarcelycouldwediscovertheoutlineofthegravenshapesoftheHolyGodsthatareuponthewalls。ButthelightfellclearuponthegreatstatueoftheOsiristhatwasseatedbehindthealtarfashionedintheblackstoneofSyene，woundaboutwiththecorpse-cloths，wearingonhisheadthecrownoftheUpperLand，andholdinginhishandsthecrookofdivinityandtheawfulscourgeofpunishment。Thelightshoneallaboutthewhiteanddreadfulshapethatwasplaceduponhisholyknees，thenakedshapeoflostHataskawhothisnighthaddiedatthehandofMeriamun。Thereshebowedherheadagainstthesacredbreast，herlonghairstreamingdownoneitherside，herarmstiedacrossherheart，andhereyes，whencethehuesoflifehadscarcelyfaded，widelystaringatthedarknessoftheshrine。ForatTanistothisdayitisthecustomforanighttoplacethoseofhighbirthorofficewhodiesuddenlyuponthekneesofthestatueofOsiris。

“’See，’IsaidtotheQueen，speakinglow，fortheweightofthehauntedplacesankintomyheart，’seehowshewhoscarceanhouragowasbutalovelywantonhathbythineactbeencladinmajestygreaterthanallthegloryoftheearth。Bethinkthee，wiltthoudareindeedtosummonbackthespirittothebodywhencethouhastsetitfree？

Noteasily，OQueen，mayitbedoneforallthymagic，andifperchancesheanswereththee，itmaywellbethattheterrorofherwordsshallutterlyo’erwhelmus。’

“’Nay，’shemadeanswer，’Iaminstructed。Ifearnot。IknowbywhatnametocalltheKhouthathoversonthethresholdoftheDoubleHallofTruth，andhowtosenditbacktoitsownplace。Ifearnot，butifperchancethoufearest，Rei，departhenceandleavemetothetaskalone。’

“’Nay，’Isaid。’Ialsoaminstructed，andIgonot。ButIsaytotheethatthisisunholy。’

“ThenMeriamunspokenomore——butliftingupherhandssheheldthemheavenwards，andsoforawhileshestood，herfacefixed，aswasthefaceofdeadHataska。Then，asmustbedone，IdrewthecircleroundusandroundthealtarandthestatueofOsiris，andthatwhichsatuponhisknee。WithmystaffIdrewit，andstandingthereinIsaidtheholywordswhichshouldwardawaytheevilthingsthatcomenearinsuchanhour。

“NowMeriamunthrewacertainpowderintotheflameuponthealtar。

Thriceshethrewthepowder，andasshethrewitaballofflamerosefromthealtarandfloatedaway，eachtimethatshethrewdidtheballoffirerise；andthisitwasneedfultodo，forbyfireonlymaythedeadbemanifest，andthereforewasaglobeoffiregiventoeachofthethreeshapesthattogethermakethethreefoldspiritofthedead。

Andwhenthethreeglobesoffirehadmeltedintoair，passingovertheheadofthestatueofOsiris，thricedidMeriamuncryaloud:

“’/Hataska！Hataska！Hataska！/

“’BythedreadfulNameIsummonthee。

“’IsummontheefromthethresholdoftheDoubleHall。

“’IsummontheefromtheGatesofJudgment。

“’IsummontheefromthedoorofDoom。

“’Bythelinkoflifeanddeaththatisbetweentheeandme，IbidtheecomefromwherethouartandmakeanswertothatwhichIshallaskofthee。’

“Sheceased，butnoanswercame。StillthecoldOsirissmiled，andstillthebodyonhiskneesatwithopeneyesgazingintonothingness。

“’Notthuseasily，’Iwhispered，’maythisdreadfulthingbedone。

ThouartinstructedintheWordofFear。Ifthoudarest，letitpassthylips，orletusbegone。’

“’Nay，itshallbespoken，’shesaid——andthusshewrought。PassingtothestatueshehidherheadwithinhercloakandwithbothhandsgraspedthefeetoftheslainHataska。

“SeeingthisIalsocroucheduponthefloorandhidmyface，foritisdeathtohearthatWordwithanuncoveredface。

“Theninsosoftawhisperthatscarcehaditsbreathstirredafeatheronherlips，MeriamunspoketheWordofFearwhichmaynotbewritten，whosesoundhaspowertopassallspaceandopentheearsofthedeadwhodwellinAmenti。Softlyshesaidit，forinashoutofthunderitwascaughtupandechoedfromherlips，anddowntheeternalhallsitseemedtorushonthefeetofstormandthewingsofwind，sothattheroofrockedandthedeepfoundationsoftheTemplequiveredlikeawind-stirredtree。

“’Unveil，yemortals！’criedadreadfulvoice，’andlookuponthesightoffearthatyehavedaredtosummon。’

“AndIroseandcastmycloakfromaboutmyfaceandgazed，thensankdowninterror。ForroundaboutthecirclethatIhaddrawnpressedallthemultitudeofthedead；countlessasthedesertsandstheypressed，gazingwithawfuleyesuponustwain。Andthefirethatwasonthealtardiedaway，butyetwastherelight，foritshonefromthosedeadeyes，andintheeyesoflostHataskatherewaslight。

“Andeverthefaceschanged，neverforonebeatoftimedidtheyceasetochange。Foraswegazeduponafaceitwouldmelt，eventotheeyes，androundthesesameeyesagainwouldgatherbutnomorethesame。AndliketheslopingsidesofpyramidswerethefacessetaboutusfromthegroundtotheTempleroof——andonuswerefixedtheirglowingeyes。

“AndI，Rei，beinginstructed，knewthattosuffermyselftobeovercomewithterrorwasdeath，asitwasdeathtopasswithoutthecircle。SoinmyheartIcalleduponOsiris，LordoftheDead，toprotectus，andevenasInamedtheineffablename，lo！allthethousandthousandfacesbentthemselvesinadorationandthen，turning，lookedeachupontheotherevenasthougheachspaketoeach，andchanged，andswiftlychanged。

“’Meriamun，’Isaid，gatheringupmystrength，’fearnot，butbeware！’

“’Nay，whereforeshouldIfear，’sheanswered，’becausetheveilofsenseistorn，andforanhourweseethosewhoareeveraboutourpathandwhoseeyeswatchourmostsecretthoughtcontinually？Ifearnot。’Andshesteppedboldly，eventotheedgeofthecircle，andcried:

“’Allhail，yeSahus，spiritsoftheawfuldead，amongwhomIalsoshallbenumbered。’

“Andasshecamethechangingfacesshrunkaway，leavingaspacebeforeher。Andinthespacetheregrewtwoarms，mightyandblack，thatstretchedthemselvestowardsher，untiltherewasnotthelengthofthreegrainsofwheatbetwixttheclutchingfingersandherbreast。