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Updated: May 12, 2025
Ten of them were upon four of the elephants; on the two other elephants lay the princess, bound hand and foot, and quite still, save that her eyes rolled in their ghastly sockets. The two other Little Ones rode behind her on Lona's horse. Every now and then the wise creatures that bore her threw their trunks behind and felt her cords. I walked on in front, and out of the city.
The horses scented it mine first, then the small ones. Mine reared, shivering and wild-eyed, went about, and thundered blindly down the dark hall, with the little horses after him. Lona's stood gazing down at his mistress, and trembling all over. The boys flung themselves from their horses' backs, and they, not seeing the black wall before them, dashed themselves, with mine, to pieces against it.
If we retreated, it was certain the princess would not leave us unassailed! if we encountered her, the hope of the prophecy went with us! Mother and daughter must meet: it might be that Lona's loveliness would take Lilith's heart by storm! if she threatened violence, I should be there between them!
In the bosom of my desertion awoke an infant hope. The noiseless thrill reached the coffin-door became sound, and smote on my ear. The door began to move with a low, soft creaking of its hinges. It was opening! I ceased to listen, and stared expectant. It opened a little way, and a face came into the opening. It was Lona's.
She swept silently round the sleeping camp, and I saw her pass three times between the princess and the Little Ones. Thereupon I made the watch lie down with the others, and stretched myself beside the body of Lona. In the morning we set out, and made for the forest as fast as we could. I rode Lona's horse, and carried her body.
With Lona's power of recognising truth I had long been familiar; now I began to be astonished at her practical wisdom. Probably, had I been more of a child myself, I should have wondered less. It was yet far from morning when I became aware of a slight fluttering and scrambling. I rose on my elbow, and looking about me, saw many Little Ones descend from their nests.
I mounted Lona's horse; Mara brought her body, and gave it me in my arms. When she came out again with the princess, a cry of delight arose from the children: she was no longer muffled!
I fell a wondering where Lona was gone, and dropping on the grass, took the dead thing in my lap, and whispered in its ear, "Where are you, Lona? I love you!" But its lips gave no answer. I kissed them, not quite cold, laid the body down again, and appointing a guard over it, rose to provide for the safety of Lona's people during the night.
One tiny girl had chosen a father to sleep with, and that was mine. A boy lay by the side of the beautiful matron with the slow-healing hand. On the middle one of the three couches hitherto unoccupied, lay Lona. Eve set Lilith down beside it. Adam pointed to the vacant couch on Lona's right hand, and said, "There, Lilith, is the bed I have prepared for you!"
Q. Although you never again saw your cousin you must, I think, have heard something of her fate. A I learned of it through Nana Kandia, the servant who had secretly embraced Lona's cause, and who had borne her message to me.
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