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Updated: April 30, 2025
Lysia awaits us, and will not easily pardon our tardy obedience to her summons, let us hence ere the gates of the palace close." Lysia! ... The "unvirgined Virgin" the "Queen Courtesan"! So had said Khosrul.
In the black thirsty eyes there was a look that spoke volumes, a look that betrayed what the heart concealed, and reading that featured emblazonment of hidden guilt, Theos knew beyond all doubt that the rumors concerning the High Priestess and the King were true, . . that the dead Khosrul had spoken rightly, . . that Zephoranim loved Lysia! ... Love? ... it seemed too tame a word for the pent-up fury of passion that visibly and violently consumed the man!
Crowds of people streamed past them, wandering hither and thither in confused, cloudy masses, some with groans and dire lamentations bearing away their dead and wounded, others rushing frantically about, beating their breasts, tearing their hair, calling on the gods and lamenting Khosrul, while not a few muttered curses on the King.
Nay, I myself shall be willing to enter into a rhyming joust with so disconsolately morose a contemporary, and who knows whether, betwixt us twain, the chords of the major and minor may not be harmonized in some new and altogether marvellous fashion of music such as we wot not of!" And turning to Khosrul he added "Wilt break a lance of song with me, sir gray-beard?
Yet there was surely a strange insensibility to suffering among them all, inasmuch as in spite of the contention and confusion there were no violent shrieks of either pain or fury, no exclamations of rage or despair, no sound whatever indeed, save a steady, sullen, monotonous snarl of opposition, above which the resonant voice of the Prophet Khosrul rang out like a silver clarion.
But he knew how useless it was to try and impart any of his inward forebodings to Sah-luma, Sah-luma, who had so lightly explained Lysia's treacherous conduct to his own entire satisfaction, . . Sah-luma, on whom neither the prophecies of Khosrul nor the various disastrous events of the day had taken any permanent effect, . . while no attempt could now be made to deter him from attending the Sacrificial Service in the Temple, seeing he had been so positively commanded thither by Lysia, through the medium of the priest Zel.
In trembling haste and eagerness the guards at once set to work to obey this order. The twisted cords were untied, the heavy iron fetters wrenched asunder, and in a very short space Khosrul stood at comparative liberty.
She paused, Sah-luma's gaze rested on her intently, a half- amused, half-tender light leaping from under the drooping shade of his long, silky black lashes, she caught the look, and a little shiver ran through her delicate frame, she pressed one hand on her heart, and resumed in steadier and more even tones, "My lord has perhaps not heard of the disturbances of the early morning in the city?" she asked "The riotous crowd in the marketplace the ravings of the Prophet Khosrul? ... the sudden arrest and imprisonment of many, and the consequent wrath of the King?"
But Khosrul is old, and that the King humors his vagaries is simply out of pity for his age and infirmity, Niphrata, not because of fear! Our Monarch knows no fear." "Khosrul prophesies terrible things!" ... murmured the girl hesitatingly "I have often thought ... if they should come true. ..."
Why, above all men, do they not seize Khosrul? a veritable madman, for all his many years and seeming wisdom! Hath he not denounced the faith of Nagaya and foretold the destruction of the city times out of number? ... and are we not all weary to death of his bombastic mouthing?
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