The Virgin of the Sun

pon the floor, Blanche dead in the oaken chair. We who remained alive were silent also. I glanced at Kari's face; it was as that of a stone statu

e events that for a while crush its mortality from the soul and set it free to marvel at the temp

ngeance wreaked upon an evil man; that of the unshuttering of my own eyes to the flame of a hellish truth, that of the self-murder and turning to cold clay before those same eyes of her whom I had hoped to clasp in honest love-I, I sa

lm and even-voiced, saying in his broken Eng

mall justice these things may bring trouble. That lord brought a writing," and he nodded towards the document on the table, "and talked of dea

the first shock was passing away and all the eating

ould I fly? I am an innocent man and for

ore. Kari, who hate women and read heart, Kari who drink this same bitter water long ago, guess these things coming and thi

do?" I asked

ore daybreak. Here leave everything: much land, much wealth-what matter? Li

nic, which he put on his own body. Also he took his sword and buckled it about him, while the parchment writ he th

looked my last upon the ashen face of Blanche, which

r I had caused to be altered to fit myself. Swiftly he buckled it on to me, throwing over all a long, dark robe such as merchants wear. From the cupboard, too, he brought the

t I could not. The cup from which I drank was, as it chanced, the same in which I had pl

ay of the back yard we rode out into the night, none seeing us, for by now all were asl

to great wealth, and won the woman I desired. And now where was the wealth and where was the woman, and what was I? One flying his native land by night with blood upon his hands, the blood of

est pit of hell, it seemed to me that he whom I had worshipped as a heavenly patron,

you be, but where'er you go the good bow and the good sword shall keep you saf

was easier. Also something of hope came back to me. I no longer desired to

wants of other creatures. Then we went to the quayside where was made fast that boat in which I had come ashore some hours gone. There was a moon which now and again showed between the drifting clouds, and by the light of it I saw that the Blanche lay safe at her anchors not a b

d to see us, and with his help, made the boat

he gale had abated and tide and wind served, I desired to sail at once. He s

I would wait for nothing, and when he asked why, was inspired to tell him that it was because I went about the King's business, h

are to disobey the King's orders, for you know that

ed, pointing to the sky, but when they saw me standing there, wearing a knight's armour and looking very stern with my hand upon my sword, whe

s fast as tide and wind could drive her. I think that it was not too soon, for as the quay vanished in the gloom I saw m

d racing for the open sea. Now it was that behind us we perceived from the rushing clouds that the gale, which had lulled during the night, was coming up more strongly than ever and stil

to them, whereat the

ent to him and he pointed out to me men galloping along the

i, "that some have entered

ly I saw that the ship was altering her course so that her bow pointed first one way and then an

ng to win ashore before it was too late. Kari smiled as though he were not astonished, but in my rage I shouted at them, calling them curs and traitors. I think that the captain heard my words for I saw h

urned. I saw some of the men clinging to the boat and one or two scrambling on to her keel, but what chanced to them and the others I do not know, who had rushed to the steering gear to set the ship upon her

ncreasing gale, she rushed on her course towards th

shall we do? Try to ru

inting to those who galloped, now b

have a God, and I, Kari, have another God, mayhap same God with different name. I say-Trust our Gods and sai

rowned than fall into the hands of those who were galloping

ider and wider grew the estuary and farther and farther away the shores as the Blanche scudded on

od in plenty, ale, too, and with these we filled ourselves. Also, leaving Kari to hold the tiller, I took off my armour and in

nche was new and strong and the best ship that ever I had sailed in upon a heavy sea. Moreover, her hatches were closed down, for this the sailors had done after we weighed, so she rode the waters like a duck, taking no harm. Oh! well it was for

also by what seemed to be considerable periods of time-days or weeks perhaps. There was a sense of endless roaring seas before which the s

which I have spoken, while Kari fed me with food and water and sometimes thrust into my mouth little pellets of I knew not what, which he took from the leathern bag he wore about him. I remembered that bag. It had been on his person when I rescued him at the quay, for I had seen it first as he washed

These things made me certain that I was dead and I was glad to be dead, since now I knew there would be no more pain or strivings; that the endeavours which make up life from hour to hour had ceased and that rest was won. Only then appeared my uncle, John Grimmer, who kept quoting his favouri

is wealth and whether the hospitals would be quick to seize the lands to which he had

d him, for he did go, saying that it was only another "vanit

fall from weakness, and it dropped on to hair which I knew must be that of a beard, which set me wondering, for it had been my fashion to go clean-shaven. How, then, did I come by a beard? I looked about me and saw that I was lying on the deck of a ship, yes, of the Blanche itself, for I knew the shape o

erceived tall-stemmed trees with tufts of great leaves at the top of them, which trees seemed to be within a few yards of me. Bright-winged birds flew about them and in their crowns I saw a

now I grew sure that I was dead and had reached Paradise. Only then how came it that I still lay on the ship, for never had I heard that such things also went to Paradise? Nay,

It was Kari, very thin and hollow-eyed, much, indeed, as he had been when I found him on the quay

er aw

said, "but tell

o my lips. I did so, swallowing what seemed to be broth though I thought it strangely flavoured, after which I felt

into the big storm. For long we sail, and though once it turn, always the great wind blew, behind us. You grow weak and your mind leave you, but I keep you alive with medicine that I have and for many days I stay awake and steer. Then at last my mind leave me, too,

, but wher

s still far away, but still in that country. You remember," he added with a fl

is the cou

t you first white man who ever come here, that why people

ake on the morning of the following day, feeling wonderfully stronger and able to eat with appetite. Al

and without my face had grown more serious, while to it hung a short yellow beard which, when I looked at my reflection, seemed to become me well enough. That beard puzzled me much, since such are not grown in a day, altho

ht and observed something of the stars, and noted that the constellations had changed their places in the heavens, also that some with which I was familiar were missing, while other new ones had appeared. Further, the heat was great and constant, even at night being more than that of our hottest summer day, and the air was full of stinging insects, which at firs

e done so, save for the fine wool that was packed into the lower part of her, which wool seemed to have swollen when it grew wet and to have kept the water out. For the rest she was but a hulk, s

re was plenty left at hand in barrels, since the Blanche had been provisioned for a long voyage to Italy and farther. At least we had lived for weeks, and weeks, being still young and very st

er he would return, bringing with him fish and wildfowl, and corn of a sort that I did not know, for its grains were a dozen times the size of wheat, flat-sided, and if ripe, of a yellow colour, which he sai

till it shone like silver, and seat myself in a chair upon what remained of the poop of the ship. When I asked him why, he answered in order that he m

should not have lived or could continue to do so, I fell into his humour. Moreover, I promised that I would remain still and neither spea

talking in a strange tongue. Presently they appeared on the bank of the creek, a great number of them, very curious people

throng was Kari, who, as it appeared from the bushes, waved his hand and pointed me out seated in the shining armour on the ship, the visor up to show my fac

ng towards me from time to time. Afterwards I learned that he was

they hung back, he advanced towards me, bowing and kissing the air till he drew near, then he went upon his knees and laid his hand

and wave your sword and shout aloud, to s

w the bright sword whirling through the air and heard these bellowings, uttering cries of fear, those poor folk fled. Indeed most of them fell fr

that henceforward I was not a man but the Spirit of the Sea come to e

ose simple people, who had never before so much as hea