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It was the vision that I saw when my senses left me in the snow of the avalanche, fulfilled to the last detail! "Atene has taken him," I answered. "Atene has taken him and thou art left alive?" "Do not be wrath with me," I answered, "it is no fault of mine. Little wonder we were deceived after thou hadst said that thou mightest summon us ere dawn." Then as briefly as I could I told the story.
The priest bowed, and in his usual calm voice, as though he were narrating some event of every day, said mechanically, and in a fashion that carried no conviction to my mind "Eighteen years ago, on the fourth night of the first month of the winter in the year 2333 of the founding of the worship of Hes on this Mountain, the priestess of whom the Khania Atene speaks, died of old age in my presence in the hundred and eighth year of her rule.
Well, within six days thou shalt learn oh! verily thou shalt learn, and, though the issue be so very small, in such a fashion that thou wilt doubt no more for ever. Stay, I will look, though the effort of it wearies me, for those spies may be but victims to their own fears, or to the falsehoods of Atene."
She paused a moment, her delicate nostrils quivering, and her face alight with the prescience of ungarnered splendours; then like a swooping swallow flitted to where, by dead Atene, the gold circlet fallen from the Khania's hair lay upon the floor. She stooped, lifted it, and coming to Leo held it high above his head.
I believe thou art that Ayesha whom not twenty years ago I found and loved in those same Caves of Kor, and there saw perish miserably, swearing that thou wouldst return again." "See now, how madness can mislead a man," broke in Atene triumphantly.
She looks at the shaven priest; she laughs as though in triumph; she points to the westering sun and to the river, and is gone. Aye, and that laugh of long ago is echoed by Atene at our side, for she also laughs in triumph and cries aloud to the old Shaman "True diviners were my heart and thou! Behold how I won him in the past." Then, like ice on fire fell the cold voice of the Hesea.
Remember my words when I loose the Powers and thou followest the rent veil of Ayesha through the smitten squadrons of Kaloon. Only what if Atene should dare to murder him? Oh, if she should dare!" "Be comforted," I replied, wondering what she might mean by this loosing of the Powers. "I think that she loves him too well."
"There lived also a daughter of Pharaoh's house, one Amenartas, who cast eyes of love upon this Kallikrates, and, wrapping him in her spells for then as now she practised witcheries caused him to break his oaths and fly with her, as thou sawest written in the flame. Thou, Atene, wast that Amenartas.
To set out its record in full would be both tedious and useless, so I will only tell briefly of our principal adventures. On the morrow of our arrival the Khania Atene sent us two beautiful white horses of pure and ancient blood, and at noon we mounted them and went out to ride with her accompanied by a guard of soldiers.
The doors swung open, and through them came a procession clad in black, followed by the Shaman Simbri, who walked in front of a bier, upon which lay the body of the Khan, carried by eight priests. Behind it was Atene, draped in a black veil from head to foot, and after her marched another company of priests.
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