The Goddess of Atvatabar

  CHAPTER LVII.

  THE COMBINED CEREMONY OF MARRIAGE AND CORONATION.

  The day of our marriage and coronation as king and queen of Atvatabarat length arrived. The scene in the Bormidophia was of surpassingmagnificence. For the first time in history Lyone sat before thethrone of the gods not as goddess, but as queen; and I, her compeer,as king sat beside her. Lyone was attired in a loosely-fitting robe ofold-ivory silk, over which was an outer network of lace formed ofthread of gold, the design being a golden sun on the breast, which,with its long streaming rays, was held together by a golden cobwebthat covered the entire figure of the queen. She also wore her belt ofjewels. Beside her stood a page bearing her crown as Queen ofAtvatabar. For myself I had caused to be made a knightly suit ofgolden armor that shone mightily as I wore it on that eventfuloccasion.

  The priestesses of Egyplosis, taught by a priest of decorative artfrom Gnaphisthasia, had been for some time engaged in creating atapestry of lace, wrought with a thread of heavy bullion gold, as abridal gift to their queen. The design took the form of a wingedtwin-soul in loving converse, in the centre, surrounded byAtvatabarese arabesque--all held together by a most poetic fancy offloral scrolls and formed of gold thread lace work. This enormouspiece of work was twelve feet in width, seventy-five feet in length,and four inches in thickness. The gold used in its marvellousintricacies weighed five tons. Such was the glorious piece of tapestrythat was hung over the side of the throne, and which, reachingdownward three-fourths of its height, concealed a considerable part ofthe august structure.

  Around us swept the amphitheatre, filled with the leaders of the armyand navy, the great officers of government, and the people ofAtvatabar. Surrounding the base of the throne, sat those priests andpriestesses of Egyplosis who had embraced the new faith of "one bodyand one soul."

  The pontiff Charka performed the marriage ceremony when the roar ofguns had subsided. He performed his august duties sustained by thesplendors of music and the adoration of the people.

  "Wilt thou have this woman, Lyone, Queen of Atvatabar, to be thy wifeuntil death, according to the customs of our people and not accordingto the customs of Egyplosis?"

  "I will."

  "Wilt thou have this man, Lexington, King of Atvatabar, to be thyhusband until death, according to the new faith of 'one body and onesoul?'"

  "I will."

  The deed was done. Around the throne swept a cyclone of twin-soulsresolved on matrimony. In their bewildering flight they became radiantwith strange transformations of feeling and gesture, and their songssymbolized the intensity of the great crisis that had arrived in thehistory of the nation.

  All around the amphitheatre rose the enormous multitude, as one soul,shouting their joy. The guns of the fortress volleyed their thunders,and the first act of the great drama ended amid the shouting of armedhosts, the singing of twin-souls, and the hosannas of the multitude.

  The second scene was perhaps still more impressive. The grandchamberlain of the palace Cleperelyum had put into his phonographbeside us a coil containing the charter of coronation. Fitting amegaphone to the phonograph, there issued the following proclamationfrom the instrument, like a blast of music:

  _Charter of Coronation of Their Majesties_ LEXINGTON _and_ LYONE, _King and Queen of Atvatabar_.

  The crown and throne of the realm of Atvatabar, heretofore possessed in the persons of their ex-majesties King Aldemegry Bhoolmakar and Queen Toplissy, being now declared vacant by reason of the desertion, flight, deposition, and defeat of said ex-majesties, and said crown and throne of Atvatabar being now possessed, both by conquest and by will of the people, in the persons of their majesties Lexington and Lyone, King and Queen of Atvatabar, now, therefore, we, the priests, nobles, statesmen, and commanders of army and navy, as representatives of the people, do hereby confirm said possession of the crown and throne of this realm, by placing upon the head of Lexington and upon the head of Lyone their respective crowns as King and Queen of Atvatabar, and do hereby render both king and queen equal loyalty, fealty, and homage, as the true and rightful sovereigns of Atvatabar.

  (Signed)

  STARBOTTLE, _Goiloor of Calnogor, First Minister of the Government_.

  CHARKA, _Pontiff of Remeliorism, Goiloor of Egyplosis_.

  THOUBOOL, _Goiloose of Egyplosis_.

  RACKIRON, _Goiloor of Swondab, Commander-in-Chief of the Army_.

  WALLACE, _Admiral of the Fleet_.

  YERMOUL, _Lord of Art, Goiloor of Gnaphisthasia_.

  GRASNAGALLIPAS, _Commander-in-Chief of Bockhockids_.

  LADALMIR, _Goiloor of Kioram_.

  PRA, _Minister of Police_.

  NOTOTHERBOC, _Minister of Naval Affairs_.

  GOLDROCK, _Royal Treasurer_.

  DR. MERRYFERRY, _Minister of Foreign Affairs_.

  FLATHOOTLY, _Minister of War_.

  GEROLIO, _Vice-Commander of the Army_.

  COLTONOBORY, _Vice-Commander of Bockhockids_.

  WE SAT THUS CROWNED AMID THE TREMENDOUS EXCITEMENT. THEPEOPLE SHOUTED "LIFE, HEALTH, AND PROSPERITY, TO OUR SOVEREIGN LORDAND LADY, LEXINGTON AND LYONE, KING AND QUEEN OF ATVATABAR."]

  During the declamation of the megaphone the pontiff Charka raised thecrown to my head, while his consort Thoubool raised the crown of thequeen to Lyone's head. We sat thus crowned amid the tremendousexcitement. The guns of the fortress shook the Bormidophia with theirexplosions. The people shouted: "Life, health, and prosperity to oursovereign lord and lady, Lexington and Lyone, King and Queen ofAtvatabar!" Men heard no sweeter music than the coronation marchexecuted by a thousand instruments. I realized as I sat with Lyonebeneath the throne of the gods a portion of that immeasurable feelingof being universally exalted, universally loved, universally adored.It is true, the fervor of idolatry for Lyone had largely subsided, butin its stead came a more perfect loyalty of soul and body on the partof priest and priestess. Souls that had balanced themselves, as itwere, on the edge of a sword, once more stood on the solid earth.

  The magnificence of royalty, which kings born to the purple but rarelyfeel, was ours. Our sudden good fortune unveiled to us the splendorsof power, and riches, and honor. The people themselves, enchanted withthe product of their own abnegation, made their obeisance to us as togods.

  Lyone grew perceptibly paler with the intensity of her excitement; herbreast rose and fell more rapidly, as the soarings of song told herthat her supreme realization of life and fortune as goddess had notwholly died with her apostasy, but that a new life no less glorioushad begun.

  As for myself, seated on the focus of human endeavor, it thrilled meto think what power of realization I possessed for things I hadconsidered impossible and unattainable. I determined that art shouldsound the abysses of the inexpressible and bring from thence radiantsymbols of all things, clothed with imagination and emotion. Inventionwould still further extend man's empire over matter. Soul-culture andspirit-power would be cultivated in a reformed Egyplosis. Lyone,mystical and divine, would ever rule queen of hearts with the sorceryof her beauty.