The World's Desire

  XI

  THE WAKING OF THE WANDERER

  Now Rei the Priest, as had been appointed, went to the pylon gate of theTemple of Hathor. Awhile he stood looking for the Wanderer, but thoughthe hour had come, the Wanderer came not. Then the Priest went to thepylon and stood in the shadow of the gate. As he stood there a wicketin the gate opened, and there passed out a veiled figure of a woman uponwhose breast burned a red jewel that shone in the night like a star.The woman waited awhile, looking down the moonlit road between the blackrows of sphinxes, but the road lay white and empty, and she turned andhid herself in the shadow of the pylon, where Rei could see nothing ofher except the red star that gleamed upon her breast.

  Now a great fear came upon the old man, for he knew that he looked uponthe strange and deadly Hathor. Perchance he too would perish like therest who had looked on her to their ruin. He thought of flight, but hedid not dare to fly. Then he too stared down the road seeking for theWanderer, but no shadow crossed the moonlight. Thus things went forawhile, and still the Hathor stood silently in the shadow, and still theblood-red star shone upon her breast. And so it came to pass that theWorld's Desire must wait at the tryst like some forsaken village maid.

  While Rei the Priest crouched thus against the pylon wall, praying forthe coming of him who came not, suddenly a voice spoke to him in tonessweeter than a lute.

  "Who art thou that hidest in the shadow?" said the voice.

  He knew that it was the Hathor who spoke, and so afraid was he that hecould not answer.

  Then the voice spoke again:

  "Oh, thou most crafty of men, why doth it please thee to come hither toseek me in the guise of an aged priest. Once, Odysseus, I saw thee inbeggar's weeds, and knew thee in the midst of thy foes. Shall I not knowthee again in peace beneath thy folded garb and thy robes of white?"

  Rei heard and knew that he could hide himself no longer. Therefore hecame forward trembling, and knelt before her, saying:

  "Oh, mighty Queen, I am not that man whom thou didst name, nor am I hidin any wrappings of disguise. Nay, I do avow myself to be named Rei theChief Architect of Pharaoh, the Commander of the Legion of Amen, thechief of the Treasury of Amen, and a man of repute in this land of Khem.Now, if indeed thou art the Goddess of this temple, as I judge by thatred jewel which burns upon thy breast, I pray thee be merciful to thyservant and smite me not in thy wrath, for not by my own will am I here,but by the command of that hero whom thou hast named, and for whosecoming I await. Be merciful therefore, and hold thy hand."

  "Fear not thou, Rei," said the sweet voice. "Little am I minded toharm thee, or any man, for though many men have gone down the path ofdarkness because of me, who am a doom to men, not by my will has itbeen, but by the will of the immortal Gods, who use me to their ends.Rise thou, Rei, and tell me why thou art come hither, and where is hewhom I have named?"

  Then Rei rose, and looking up saw the light of the Helen's eyes shiningon him through her veil. But there was no anger in them, they shonemildly as stars in an evening sky, and his heart was comforted.

  "I know not where the Wanderer is, O thou Immortal," he said. "This Iknow only, that he bade me meet him here at one hour before midnight,and so I came."

  "Perchance he too will come anon," said the sweet voice; "but why didhe, whom thou namest the Wanderer, bid thee meet him here?"

  "For this reason, O Hathor. He told me that this night he should be wedto thee, and was minded thereafter to fly from Khem with thee. Thereforehe bade me come, who am a friend to him, to talk with thee and him as tohow thy flight should go, and yet he comes not."

  Now as Rei spake, he turned his face upward, and the Golden Helen lookedupon it.

  "Hearken, Rei," she said; "but yesterday, after I had stood upon thepylon tower as the Gods decreed, and sang to those who were ripe to die,I went to my shrine and wove my web while the doomed men fell beneaththe swords of them who were set to guard my beauty, but who now aregone. And as I wove, one passed the Ghosts and rent the web and stoodbefore me. It was he whom I await to-night, and after awhile I knew himfor Odysseus of Ithaca, Laertes' son. But as I looked on him and spakewith him, behold, I saw a spirit watching us, though he might not seeit, a spirit whose face I knew not, for no such man have I known in mylife days. Know then, Rei, that the face of the spirit was _thy_ face,and its robes _thy_ robes."

  Then once more Rei trembled in his fear.

  "Now, Rei, I bid thee tell me, and speak the truth, lest evil come onthee, not at my hands indeed, for I would harm none, but at the handsof those Immortals who are akin to me. What did thy spirit yonder, in mysacred shrine? How didst thou dare to enter and look upon my beauty andhearken to my words?"

  "Oh, great Queen," said Rei, "I will tell thee the truth, and I praythee let not the wrath of the Gods fall upon me. Not of my own will didmy spirit enter into thy Holy Place, nor do I know aught of what it sawtherein, seeing that no memory of it remains in me. Nay, it was sent ofher whom I serve, who is the mistress of all magic, and to her it madereport, but what it said I know not."

  "And whom dost thou serve, Rei? And why did she send thy spirit forth tospy on me?"

  "I serve Meriamun the Queen, and she sent my spirit forth to learn whatbefell the Wanderer when he went up against the Ghosts."

  "And yet he said naught to me of this Meriamun. Say, Rei, is she fair?"

  "Of all women who live upon the earth she is the very fairest."

  "Of _all_, sayest thou, Rei? Look now, and say if Meriamun, whomthou dost serve, is fairer than Argive Helen, whom thou dost namethe Hathor?" and she lifted her veil so that he saw the face that wasbeneath.

  Now when he heard that name, and looked upon the glory of her who isBeauty's self, Rei shrank back till he went nigh to falling on theearth.

  "Nay," he said, covering his eyes with his hand; "nay thou art fairerthan she."

  "Then tell me," she said, letting fall her veil again, "and for thineown sake tell me true, why would Meriamun the Queen, whom thou servest,know the fate of him who came up against the Ghosts?"

  "Wouldst thou know, Daughter of Amen?" answered Rei; "then I will tellthee, for through thee alone she whom I serve and love can be saved fromshame. Meriamun doth also love the man whom thou wouldst wed."

  Now when the Golden Helen heard these words, she pressed her handagainst her bosom.

  "So I feared," she said, "even so. She loves him, and he comes not. Ah!if it be so! Now, Rei, I am tempted to pay this Queen of thine in herown craft, and send thy spirit forth to spy on her. Nay, that I will notdo, for never shall Helen work by shameful guile or magic. Nay--but wewill hence, Rei, we will go to the Palace where my rival dwells, thereto learn the truth. Fear not, I will bring no ill on thee, nor on herwhom thou servest. Lead me to the Palace, Rei. Lead me swiftly."