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Still that onward-creeping darkness added to the terrors of the scene. By the last rays of the lurid light we saw Ayesha rise and advance some few paces to that little tongue of rock at the edge of the pit off which the body of Rassen had been hurled; saw her standing on it, also, looking like some black, misshapen imp against the smoky glow which still rose from the depths beneath.
In Germany, the Archiv für Rassen und Gesellschafts-biologie, and the Politisch-Anthropologische Revue, are largely occupied with various aspects of such subjects, and in America, The Popular Science Monthly from time to time, publishes articles which have a bearing on eugenics. At one time there was a tendency to scoff, or to laugh, at the eugenic movement.
Doubtless among the priests in his army were some of Pasht or Sekket the Cat-headed, and these brought with them their secret cult, that to-day has dwindled down to the vulgar divinations of savage sorcerers. Indeed I remember dimly that it was so, for I was the first Hesea of this Temple, and journeyed hither with that same general Rassen, a relative of mine."
Over the ridge poured a multitude of little objects, and amongst the last of these galloped a man mounted on a great horse, who led another horse by the bridle. "All the pack are out," said Leo grimly, "and Rassen has brought a second mount with him.
"For years I have been bound to a madman and a brute, and if my fancy wandered towards this man and his fancy wandered towards me well, Nature spoke to us, and that is all. Afterwards it seems that he grew afraid of the vengeance of Rassen, or this Holly, whom I would that the hounds had torn bone from bone, grew afraid. So they strove to escape the land, and perchance wandered to thy Mountain.
Drink, drink deep. You'll never guess the liquor's bad till to-morrow though it be mixed with a husband's poisoned blood," and again Rassen screamed in his unholy mirth. To all these bitter insults, venomed with the sting of truth, Atene listened without a word. Then, she turned to us and bowed. "My guests," she said, "I pray you pardon me for all I cannot help.
Maybe we did not meet while it endured. Still I recollect that the Valley of Bones, where I found thee, my Leo, was the place where a great battle was fought between the Fire-priests with their vassals, the Tribes of the Mountain and the army of Rassen aided by the people of Kaloon.
In the existence that preceded it, though I outlasted him by thirty years, we were born in the same summer, and I knew him well, for I was the Oracle whom he consulted most upon his wars, and to my wisdom he owed his victories. Afterwards we quarrelled, and I left him and pushed forward with Rassen. From that day the bright star of Alexander began to wane."
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.
"Yes, I know something of that story; the conqueror was named Alexander, was he not?" I asked. "He was so named, and the name of the general was Rassen, a native of a country called Egypt, or so our records tell us. His descendants hold the throne to this day, and the Khania is of his blood." "Was the goddess whom he worshipped called Isis?" "Nay," he answered, "she was called Hes."
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