第12章

“ButMeriamunonlylaughedanddrewbackaspace。

“’Notso，thouEnemy，’shesaid，’thiscirclethoumay’stnotbreak；

itistoostrongforthee。Buttothework。Hataska，onceagainbythelinkoflifeanddeathIsummonthee——andthistimethoumustcome，thouwhowastawantonandnowart“greaterthantheQueen。“’

“Andasshespoke，fromthedeadformofthewomanonOsiris’kneethereissuedforthanotherformandstoodbeforeus，asasnakeissuesfromitsslough。AndaswasthedeadHataskasowasthisform，featureforfeature，lookforlook，andlimbforlimb。ButstillthecorpseresteduponOsiris’knee，forthiswasbutthe/Ka/thatstoodbeforeus。

“AndthusspokethevoiceofHataskainthelipsoftheKa:

“’Whatwouldestthouwithmewhoamnomoreofthycompany，Othoubywhosehandmybodydidperish？Whytroublestthoume？’

“AndMeriamunmadeanswer:’Iwouldthisofthee，thatthoushouldestdeclareuntomethefuture，eveninthepresenceofthisgreatcompany。Speak，Icommandthee。’

“AndtheKasaid:’Nay，Meriamun，thatIcannotdo，forIambuttheKa——theDwellerintheTomb，theguardianofwhatwasHataskawhomthoudidstslay，whomImustwatchthroughallthedaysofdeathtillresurrectionis。OfthefutureIknownaught；seekthouthatwhichknows。’

“’Standthouononeside，’quoththeQueen，andtheDwellerintheTombobeyed。

“ThenoncemoreshecalleduponHataskaandtherecameasoundofrushingwings。Andbehold，ontheheadofthestatueofOsirissatagreatbird，featheredasitwerewithgold。Butthebirdhadtheheadofawoman，andthefacewasfashionedasthefaceofHataska。Andthusitspoke，thatwasthe/Bai/:

“’Whatwouldestthouwithme，Meriamun，whoamnomoreofthycompany？

WhydostthoudrawmefromtheUnderWorld，thoubywhosehandmybodydidperish？’

“AndMeriamunsaid:’ThisIwouldofthee，thatthoushouldestdeclareuntomethefuture。Speak，Icommandthee。’

“AndtheBaisaid:’Nay，Meriamun，thatIcannotdo。IambuttheBaiofherwhowasHataska，andIflyfromDeathtoLifeandLifetoDeath，tillthehourofawakeningis。OfthefutureIknownaught；

seekthouthatwhichknows。’

“’Restthouwherethouart，’quoththeQueen，andthereitrested，awfultosee。

“ThenoncemoreMeriamuncalleduponHataska，biddingherhearthesummonswhereshewas。

“AndbeholdtheeyesoftheDeadOnethatwasuponthekneeofOsirisglowed，andglowedtheeyesoftheDwellerintheTomb，andofthewingedMessengerwhosatabove。Andthentherewasasoundasthesoundofwind，andfromabove，cleavingthedarkness，descendedaTongueofFlameandrestedonthebrowofthedeadHataska。AndtheeyesofallthethousandthousandspiritsturnedandgazedupontheTongueofFlame。AndthendeadHataskaspoke——thoughherlipsmovednot，yetshespoke。Andthisshesaid:

“’Whatwouldestthouwithme，Meriamun，whoamnomoreofthycompany？

Whydostthoudaretotroubleme，thoubywhosehandmybodydidperish，drawingmefromthethresholdoftheDoubleHallofTruth，backtotheOverWorld？’

“AndMeriamuntheQueensaid，’Oh，thou/Khou/，forthispurposehaveIcalledthee。IamawearyofmydaysandIfainwouldlearnthefuture。ThefuturefainwouldIlearn，buttheforkedtongueofThatwhichsleepstellsmenoword，andthelipsofThatwhichisa-coldaredumb！Tellme，then，thou，Ichargetheebythewordthathaspowertoopenthelipsofthedead，thouwhoinallthingsartinstructed，whatshallbetheburdenofmydays？’

“AndthedreadKhoumadeanswer:’Loveshallbetheburdenofthydays，andDeathshallbetheburdenofthylove。BeholdonedrawsnearfromouttheNorthwhomthouhastloved，whomthoushaltlovefromlifetolife，tillallthingsareaccomplished。BethinktheeofadreamthatthoudreamedstasthoudidstlieonPharaoh’sbed，andreaditsriddle。Meriamun，thouartgreatandthynameisknownupontheearth，andinAmentiisthynameknown。Highisthyfate，andthroughbloodandsorrowshaltthoufindit。Ihavespoken，letmehence。’

“’Itiswell，’theQueenmadeanswer:’Butnotyetmayestthougohence。FirstIcommandthee，bythewordofdreadandbythelinkoflifeanddeath，declareuntomeifhereupontheearthandinthislifeIshallpossesshimwhomIshalllove？’

“’Insinandcraftandsorrow，Meriamun，thoushaltpossesshim；inshameandjealousagonyheshallbetakenfromtheebyonewhoisstrongerthanthou，thoughthouartstrong；byonemorebeautifulthanthou，thoughthouartbeautiful；andruinthoushaltgivehimforhisguerdon，andruinoftheheartshaltthouharvestforthyportion。Butforthistimesheshallescapethee，whosefootstepsmarchwiththine，andwithhiswhoshallbethineandhers。Nevertheless，inadaytocomethoushaltpayherbackmeasureformeasure，andevilforevil。I

havespoken。Letmehence。’

“’Notyet，OKhou——notyet。Ihavestilltolearn。Showmethefaceofherwhoismineenemy，andthefaceofhimwhoismylove。’

“’Thricemayestthouspeaktome，Othougreatlydaring，’answeredthedreadKhou，’andthriceImaymakereply，andthenfarewelltillI

meettheeonthethresholdofthehallwhencethouhastdrawnme。LooknowonthefaceofthatHataskawhomthouslewest。’

“Andwelooked，andbeholdthefaceofdeadHataskachanged，andchangedthefaceoftheDouble，the/Ka/thatstoodononeside，andthefaceofthegreatbird，the/Bai/，thatspreadhiswingsabouttheheadofOsiris。Andtheygrewbeautiful，yes，mostexceedingbeautifulsothatitcannotbetold，andthebeautywasthatofawomanasleep。

Thenlo，therehungaboveHataska，asitwere，theshadowofonewhowaswatchinghersleeping。Andhisfacewesawnot，OthouWanderer，itwashiddenbythevisorofagoldentwo-hornedhelm，andinthathelmstoodfast/thebronzepointofabrokenspear/！ButhewascladinthearmourofthepeopleoftheNorthernSea，theAquaiusha，andhishairfelldarkabouthisshoulderslikethepetalsofthehyacinthflower。

“’Beholdthineenemyandbeholdthylove！Farewell，’saidthedreadKhou，speakingthroughdeadHataska’slips，andasthewordsdiedthebeautyfadedandtheTongueofFlameshotupwardsandwaslost，andoncemoretheeyesofthethousandthousanddeadturnedandlookeduponeachother，evenasthoughtheirlipswhisperedeachtoeach。

“ButforawhileMeriamunstoodsilent，asoneamazed。Then，awaking，shewavedherhandandcried，’Begone，thou/Bai/！Begone，thou/Ka/！’

“AndthegreatbirdwhereofthefacewasasthefaceofHataskaspreadhisgoldenwingsandpassedawaytohisownplace，andtheKathatwasinthesemblanceofHataskadrewneartothedeadone’sknees，andpassedbackintoherfromwhomshecame。Andallthethousandthousandfacesmeltedthoughthefieryeyesstillgazeduponus。

“ThenMeriamuncoveredherheadandoncemorespoketheawfulWord，andIalsocoveredupmyhead。But，asmustbedone，thissecondtimeshecalledtheWordaloud，andyetthoughshecalleditloud，itcamebutasatinywhisperfromherlips。Nevertheless，atthesoundofit，oncemorewastheTempleshakenasbyastorm。

“ThenMeriamununveiled，andbehold，againthefireburneduponthealtar，andonthekneesoftheOsirissatHataska，coldandstillindeath，androundthemwasemptinessandsilence。

“’Nowthatallisdone，Igreatlyfearforthatwhichhasbeen，andthatwhichshallbe。Leadmehence，ORei，sonofPames，forIcannomore。’

“AndsowithaheavyheartIledherforth，whoofallsorceressesistheverygreatest。Behold，thouWanderer，whereforetheQueenwastroubledatthecomingofthemaninthearmouroftheNorth，inwhosetwo-hornedgoldenhelmstandsfastthepointofabrokenspear。“

“ThesethingsarenotwithouttheGods，“saidtheWanderer，whowascalledEperitus，whenhehadheardallthetaleofReithePriest，sonofPames，theHeadArchitect，theCommanderoftheLegionofAmen。

Thenhesatsilentforawhile，andatlastraisedhiseyesandlookedupontheoldman。

“Thouhasttoldastrangetale，Rei。OvermanyaseahaveIwandered，andinmanyalandIhavesojourned。Ihaveseenthewaysofmanypeoples，andhaveheardthevoicesoftheimmortalGods。Dreamshavecometomeandmarvelshavecompassedmeabout。IthasbeenlaiduponmetogodownintoHades，thatlandwhichthounamestAmenti，andtolookonthetribesoftheDead；butnevertillnowhaveIknownsostrangeathing。Formarkthou，whenfirstIbeheldthisfairQueenofthineIthoughtshelookeduponmestrangely，asonewhoknewmyface。

Andnow，Rei，ifthouspeakesttruth，/she/deemsthatshehasmetmeinthewaysofnightandmagic。Say，then，whowasthemanofthevisionoftheQueen，themanwithdarkandcurlinglocks，cladingoldenarmourafterthefashionoftheAch？answhomyenametheAquaiusha，wearingonhisheadagoldenhelm，whereinwasfixedabrokenspear？“

“Beforemesitssuchaman，“saidRei，“orperchanceitisaGodthatmyeyesbehold。“

“NoGodamI，“quoththeWanderer，smiling，“thoughtheSidoniansdeemedmenothinglesswhentheblackbowtwangedandtheswiftshaftsflew。Readmetheriddle，thouthatartinstructed。“

NowtheagedPriestlookedupontheground，thenturnedhiseyesupward，andwithmutteringlipsprayedtoThoth，theGodofWisdom。