The Story of the Amulet

ld embroidered cushions off the throne

to hear all about your wonderful country and how you got here, and everything, but I have

Ah, yes,' said the Queen, 'I should much prefer a private audience myself-much easier to manage. But pu

scales, Jane and me,' said Anthea, 'tw

asked the Queen,

e guards-at-the-gate's wife is takin

instrument,' said th

n sing in parts

en. 'How many parts are you e

t hastily. 'We couldn't sing if we

t has always been admired. I oughtn't to say that ought I? Sounds so conceited. But I don'

hildren, whispering together among the cushions on the steps of the throne, decide

er had left for her. The brother said it was the uncle who had the money. There was a good deal of

till one of them owns up t

did it?' Cyril could

best place for th

ose neith

'a thing's not done unless someone

on her head-at least Anthea thought so, but it may have been

?' said t

esty,' said the woman, 'but it wasn't. Someone

hadn't spoken evil o

man simply, 'when they'd on

said the Queen, s

uled that nobody could have any possible reason for owning a fox, and still less for stealing one. And she did

m a fight between brothers over the division of an inheritance, to the dishonest and unfriendly condu

idedly indeed. At last she clapped her hands qui

ce is over

the Queen live for

e in the justice-hall with the

dn't have done another stitch of justice if you'd offered me the crown of

of garden courtyard. There were thick shrubs closely planted, and roses were trained over trellises, and mad

a smooth face served cool drink in cups of gold studded with beryl

ght never to drink out of one of the nice, shiny, metal cups that are chain

n overhe

very clean man. And one has to have SOME

tasted all the cups, so they felt pretty safe. The drink was delic

r beautiful, many-folded, many-coloured, fringed dresses, fil

'tell me all ab

ked at e

bs,' sai

ea,' sai

u remember how pleased the Queen of In

he truth-and all the truth that he had to tell. But now it was not easy to tell a convincing story without mentioning the Amulet-which, of course, it

n had never been able to tell anyone before, and Cyril was surprised to find that the spell which kept them s

Psammead for the banquet tonight. Its performance will be one

did not know; also why it

e Queen, and everyone breathed a d

the gates and find out which g

ght he-would it interfere with his meal-tim

elf lucky if he gets his meals at any time,'

backed penny account-book, and feeling in his pockets

s. I'll call

finding the pencil and licking its point. He even h

boy!' said the Queen. 'D

y paper, with hairs that stuck out and would have got in

don't mention it-and destroy this letter. Everything is going

a strange flat surface!' said the

re fair, and a-and like a-like a festival; and that sh

yril wrote, his Babylonish eyes nearly starting out of his

a charm?' he timidly asked. 'A

til you've given it to Jane. And then she'll destroy it, so that it CAN'T hur

' said Ritti-Marduk,

t,' said Robert, 'That'll end the char

nny account-book and the bit of pencil in so marked and significant a way that Cyril felt h

make charms? Make a charm for me! Do you know,' her voice sank to

re, Nelson, Gordon, Lord Beaconsfield, Mr Rudyard Kipling, and Mr Sherlock Holme

it reverently among the

mes,' she said. 'And the names of their Minis

ister and Mr Burns a Minister, and so is the Archbishop of Canterb

each them to me later-because of course you'll make us a nice long visit now you have come, won't you? Now tell me-but n

want to know how it is

y "the King may-he-live-for-e

er has gone to fetch home his fourteenth wife? I don't think even Bluebe

looked b

ings only have one wife-at least, Henry the Ei

king would not reign a day who had only one wife

other thirteen ali

ngs! I don't associate with them, of cours

aid Anthea

his collection. Well, of course, to begin with, we sent a handsome present of gold. The Egyptian king sent back some horses-quite a few; he's fearfully stingy!-and he said he liked the gold very much, but what they were really short of was lapis lazuli, so of course we sent him some. But by that tim

a, who wanted to get to the

s in return, he sent to say he would esteem the honour of an alliance very highly, only unfortunately he hadn't any

rick!' sa

t be present, of course. She'll be having her baths and her anointings, and all that sort of thing. We always clean our foreign brides very carefully. It takes two or three weeks. Now it's dinnertime, and you shall eat with me, for I can see that you are of high rank.' She led them into a dark, cool hall, with many cushions on the floor. On these they sat and low tables were brought-beautiful tables of smooth, blue stone mounted in gold. On these, golden trays were placed; but there were no knives, or f

body went to sleep

awoke wi

ve slept! I must rush off and dress for the

ck with our sister and the

urse they wouldn't announce her unless I told them to, except

came in a m

basket has bitten the child of the guard, and your sister and the beast set out to come to you. The p

dressing. I shall not report their conversation; it was very gloomy. Everyone repeated himself several times, and the discussion

sammead is jolly careful of itself too. And it isn't as if we

affable. The banquet was long; there were all sorts of nice things to eat, and everybody seemed to eat and drink a good deal. Everyone lay on cushions and couches, ladies on one side and gentlemen on the other; and after the ea

came and did amusing things. There were conjurers and juggle

. Cedar splinters dipped in oil blaze

es. She had hardly any clothes, and was not at all pretty. The children wer

cried, 'ask what you like g

honour of having pleased the King may-he

modest and sensible reply that he gave

, awed by the magni

. We always keep a stock of cheap jewellery for these occasions. And now-you

of November-with penny horns, a tin whistle, a tea-tray, the tongs, a policeman's rattle, and a toy drum. They had enjoyed this band very much at the time. But it was quite different

e sing?' Cyri

low?' sugge

o will o'er the downs".

l o'er the d

will wit

ll up and

bloomin

he has lock

er keeps

bolt nor b

rue love

never could 'keep the key', but the song, even so, was sufficiently unlike anythin

'by my beard, this savage musi

hey

bower at tw

rded safe

bower at b

rded then

they were

e was no

g fair that

my love

sung all their part-songs (they only knew three) twice over, and ended up with 'Men of Harlech' in u

at you will, strangers from the

ugh honour, like the danc

sk for IT,'

ho was excited by the music, and the flaring torches, and the appl

t the name UR HEKAU SETCHEH,' he said, adding

who crouched amid her cushions with her head in her hands, and the King, who stood upright, perfectly stil

, seiz

iers in bright armour inlaid with gold, and tunics of r

eons with them! We will find a way, tomorrow, to make them speak. F

ildren and hurried them away among the many pillars of the great hall

time,' said Cyril wit

It MUST. It always does,'

the ground under their feet, smooth marble at first, grew rougher like stone, then it was

g to the deepest dungeon below the

ell rather like the shells of oysters. There was a torch-that is to say, a copper basket on a high stick with oiled wood burning in it. By its light the children saw that the walls were green, and th

s which is part of all of us, and which is sometimes called the Old Adam-and both were victors. Neither of them said to Robert (and both tried h

he gaoler. 'To be kept during the King's pleasure. I expect he mea

kids,' said

own too. But it doesn't do to let domestic sentime

d gold. The gaoler, with a bunch of big keys in his hand, stood look

, you know. It MUST be! I don't believe about time being only a something or o

l bitterly. And Ro

l up do please not keep a down on me a

is father was 3,000 miles and 5,

d Cyril; and Anthea got hold of

es made of coarse grain, very different from the cream-and

e,' h

much. You ARE kind,'

inting to a heap of straw in a cor

id Anthea, 'whatever wil

vice is if you've nothing to tell, make up something. Then perhaps they'l

owners strove in vain to render firm. Then he went ou

t long,' said Cyril, lookin

lling on the name when we haven't

think so. But

ank silence of the damp d

Cyril suddenly. 'Nisbeth-Nesbit-somethin

h I don't know why you want it. N

scles tightened, and the muscles of her mind an

ervent voice. 'Oh, Nisroch, servant

d terrible figure. I won't try to describe it, because the drawing shows it, exactly as it was, and exactly as the old Babylonians carved it on their s

em, strong and uns

d Anthea; but Cyril

bowed low before them on th

s being turned in locks. 'The servant of the Great Ones is YOUR

go home,'

thea; 'we want to

shone and glowed a room with rich hangings of red silk embroidered with golden water-lilies, with cushioned couches and great mirrors of polished steel; and in it w

s there aught else that the Servant of the gr

ril. 'It's all right

the least knowing what she was saying.

ature, and it was cold and har

said Nisroch.

o let you out the first thing in the morning, if I could slip away-but thanks be to Dagon, you've managed it for yoursel

ness' sake,' said Anthea, 'ex

ith energy, and

ad all to myself for a bit. You'll excuse the little natural deception?-it's part of the Babylonis

h of what the Babylonians were like when they were roused. 'We can go by our own

the Queen. 'You ar

p, blinkin

ril, catching up the Psammead, which mec

the East?'

' said the

said Jane sleepily,

e in the dining-room a

sence of mind, 'go and get the pla

e w

on the stairs, 'don't let's tell her about the dungeon and all that.

ea felt that she could not hav

ed Jane, returning with the plate of sand. 'It was a

of course, but I thought we'd been there long enough. Mo