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Updated: June 25, 2025
Down to the very depths of humiliation he sternly abased his complaining, struggling, wounded, and sorely resentful spirit, . . he then and there became the merciless executioner of his own claims to literary honor, and deliberately crushing all his past ambition, mutinous discontent and uncompliant desires with a strong master-hand he lay quiet...as patiently unmoved as is a dead man to the wrongs inflicted on his memory...and forced himself to listen resignedly to every glowing line of his, . . no, not his, but Sah-luma's poem, . . the lovely, gracious, delicate, entrancing poem he remembered so well!
What a strange state of things! he thought, especially when the mighty Zephoranim actually descended three steps of his flower- strewn dais, and grasping Sah-luma's hands raised them to his lips with all the humility of a splendid savage paying homage to his intellectual conqueror!
Theos drew a quick breath of relief, and glanced at Niphrata, ... how cold and unconcerned was her demeanor! ... Did she not hear Sah-luma's pleading in her behalf? ... No matter! she would be saved, he thought, and all would yet be well!
How comes it your dull eyes and ears were fixed so fast upon yon dotard miscreant whose days are numbered? Methought t'was but Sah-luma's voice that could persuade ye to assemble thus in such locust-like swarms.. since when have the Poet and the People of Al-Kyris ceased to be as one?" A vague, muttering sound answered him, whether of shame or dissatisfaction it was difficult to tell.
Sah-luma's chariot whirled along with incredible swiftness, the hoofs of the galloping horses occasionally striking sparks of flame from the smooth mosaic-pictured pavement; but Theos now began to notice that there was a strange noiselessness in their movements that the whole CORTEGE appeared to be environed by a magic circle of silence and that the very night itself seemed breathlessly listening in entranced awe to some unlanguaged warning from the gods invisible.
Sah-luma's face clouded, and a sigh escaped him. "I would my thoughts were similar to thine!" he said sorrowfully.. "I would I could believe in an immortal destiny, ... but alas, my friend! there is no shadow of ground for such a happy faith, none neither in sense nor science.
"My lord Sah-luma's presence indeed brings joy!" she said softly and tremulously "But the joy is too sweet and brief for when he departs, none can fill the place he leaves vacant!"
The flames were now attacking the Shrine on every side like a besieging army, their leaping darts of blue and crimson gleaming here and there with indescribable velocity, . . and still Theos knelt by Sah-luma's corpse in dry-eyed despair, endeavoring with feverish zeal to stanch the oozing blood with a strip torn from his own garments, and listening anxiously for the feeblest heart-throb, or smaller pulsation of smouldering life in the senseless stiffening clay.
"Ah! what a querulous fool am I!" he cried, joyously, so joyously that Theos knew not whether to be glad or sorry at his sudden and capricious change of mood.. "why should I thus bemoan myself for fancied wrong? Good, noble Theos, thou hast been misled! My Lysia's words were but to try thy mettle! ... to test thee to the core, and prove thee truly faithful as Sah-luma's friend!
As he uttered these words, he raised his eyes, ... how dim and misty at the moment seemed the tall white figure of the majestic Zel! and in contrast to it, how brilliantly distinct Sah-luma's radiant face appeared, turned toward him in inquiring wonderment! ... He felt a swooning dizziness upon him, but the sensation swiftly passed, and he saw the haughty Priest's dark brows bent upon him in a frown of ominous disapproval.
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