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He is disturbed; he reasons with her, till, after one swift glance round, she lets drop her veil, bending towards him and their lips meet. As time flies her face is turned towards us, and lo! it is the face of Atene, and amid her dusky hair the aura is reflected in jewelled gold, the symbol of her royal rank.
The Khania Atene also is mad with rage against thee and our holy College. Labouring night and day, she has gathered two great armies, one of forty, and one of twenty thousand men, and the latter of these she sends against the Mountain under the command of her uncle, Simbri the Shaman. In case it should be defeated she purposes to remain with the second and greater army on the plains about Kaloon."
Just then Atene looked round and saw him and an expression of hatred and contempt gathered on her beautiful face. "See," I heard her say to Leo, "see the companion of my days, and learn what it is to be Khania of Kaloon." "Then why do you not cleanse your court?" he asked. "Because, lord, if I did so there would be no court left.
But I weary of this talk, and ask thy leave to rest before to-morrow's rite." "Thou sayest, Atene," said the Hesea, "that Nature spoke to this man and to thee, and that his heart is thine; but that, fearing thy lord's vengeance, he fled from thee, he who seems no coward. Tell me, then, is that tress he hides in the satchel on his breast thy gage of love to him?"
Nay, thou shalt bide here in safety whilst I go forward to visit Atene as I promised." "Where thou goest, I go," said Leo angrily, his face flushing to the roots of his hair with shame. "I pray thee not, I pray thee not," she answered, yet without venturing to forbid him. "We will talk of it hereafter. Oros, away! Send round the Fire of Hes to every chief.
Thou hearest?" "I hear, O Queen, Mighty-from-of-Old." "One message more. Say to Atene that I forgive her. Her heart was high and greatly did she play her part. There in the Gates we will balance our account. Thou hearest?" "I hear, O Eternal Star that hath conquered Night." "Then, man, begone!"
To Oros she said proudly "Say to the messenger of Atene that I have received her message, and ere long will answer it, face to face with her in her palace of Kaloon. Go, priest, and disturb me no more."
We looked at each other, for the same thought was in both our minds that he had gone to fetch the murderers who were to make an end of us. But in this we did him wrong, for presently we heard the sound of horses' hoofs upon the stones, and he returned leading the two white steeds that Atene had given us. "I saddled them with my own hands," he whispered. "Who can do more to speed the parting guest?
Over him, a dagger in his withered hand yes, about to strike, in the very act stood the old Shaman, and on the floor hard by, gazing upward with wide-set eyes, dead and still majestic in her death, lay Atene, Khania of Kaloon.
I spoke also of the history of Alexander, whose general Rassen, her far-off forefather, conquered the country of Kaloon, and of the land of Egypt, whence the latter came, and so it went on till midnight, while Atene listened to us greedily, her eyes fixed always on Leo's face. Many such nights did we spend thus in the palace of the city of Kaloon where, in fact, we were close prisoners.
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