第7章

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！’