Ayesha:The Return of She

rning, or a little past it, when the Shaman Simb

ke a log. A drugged man could

Holly, and yet y

things. But surely by your face, friend Simbri, you cannot have

h. “Last night I spent up on my b

we entered this kingdom, for, if so,

hich you entered, if you will; for did you not travel out

ich interest yo

that within an hour you are to start for the city, whith

e days ago. Well, I am sound again and prepa

rself. It is the Khania’s will. Here come the slav

, and lastly in a fur-lined camel-hair robe dyed black that was very comfortable to wear, and in appearance not unl

expect after his sickness. He was attired like myself, save that his garments were of a finer quality, and the overcoat was white, with a hood to it, added, I suppose, to protect the wound in his head from cold and the sun. This white dress I thought bec

we were together again, and for

een long shaft-like poles. In these we seated ourselves, and at a sign from Simbri slaves took the leading ponies by the bridle a

river, probably the same with which we had made acquaintance in the gulf, where, fed by the mountain snows, it had its source. Here it flowed rapidly, but on

m us, more than a hundred miles, I should say, yet even so a most majestic sight in that clear air. Many leagues from the base of its peak the ground began to r

rmounted by a yet more gigantic loop of virgin rock, whereof the blackness sto

ted further that all those with us did it reverence by bowing their heads as they caught sight of the peak, and by laying the first finger of the right hand across the first finger of the l

eyed to that Mountai

s head and answ

brave and most savage men, with whom we are oftentimes at war; for when they are hungry they raid our cattle and our crops. More

r fall in your co

n the Spirit of the Mountain is an

Spirit?” said

answered with impatience

on the old man’s waxen face and uneasy eyes. For now their horny calm was gone from t

ision do not reach so far. But see, here is the landing-stage,

sometimes a sail was hoisted, they were designed for towing, not to be rowed with oars. Leo

were packed away, and ropes of green hide, fastened to iron rings in the prows of the boats, were fixed to the towing tackle with which the animals had been reharnessed. Then we started, t

! Do you remember, Horace, that when we entered the land

in a web, and yonder Khania is the spider and Simbri the Shaman guards the net. But tell me all you r

e, talking of spiders reminds me of hanging at the end of that string of yak’s hide. Not that I need much reminding, for I am not likely

ed best to end together, so that

d affectionately, the tear

see you were right when you said that we shoul

en I woke it was to find a beautiful woman leaning over me, and Horace — at first I thou

am,” I answere

— the Khania — for I saw her plenty of times afterwards, and talked to her in

ancient tongues, and so

you were, for I forgot to say I found that you had gone. I think that she grew rather angry with me, for she wanted to know something, and, as you can guess, I wanted to know a good deal. But I could get nothing out of her except that she was the Khania — a person in authority.

of me, though why she should be so tenderly interested in a st

tell you what I think pres

phet, Simbri, had brought me my supper, just as I was thinking of going to sleep, the Khania came in alone, dressed like a queen. I c

h other in the past — very well indeed I gathered — and implying that she wished to continue our friendship. I fenced with her as best I could; b

fe, Horace. She smiled and suggested that I need not look far; in short, that the lost wife was already found — in herself, who had come to save me from death in the river. Indee

nd Leo touched his breast. “I drew it out and compared it with the Khania’s, and at the sight of it

turned it black; all the bad in her came out. In her anger her voice sounded coarse; yes, she grew almost vulgar, and, as you know, when Ayesha was

— like the hair. So I lay quiet and let her talk, and coax, and threaten on, until at length she drew herself up and marched from the room, and I heard her lock the

for that steersman is probably a spy, and I can feel old Simbri’s eyes fixe

m everything I knew, while he

inished. “Now, who is this Hesea who sent the let

stinct tell you t

ote the Sherd , whom Ayesha said was the Egyptian princ

thing, that if we were allowed to see the next act of the piece, we should find Amenartas, or rather t

do, and be sure of his identity continued from that past, why should not this woman, with so

uence to cause her, without any fault or seeking of her own, to fall madly

o I am sorry for the Khania, who hasn’t much choic

I believe that this is a trial sent to you, and doubtless there will be more to follo

y have been to me in the past — if she was anything at all — that story is done wit

etter from the Mountain, commanding the Shaman Simbri to meet us: the priestess or sp

he boat in which he sat and was preparing to enter ours. This he did, and, placing himself gravely on a seat in fron

not give him the slip

ped up their ponies,

esently, “and you will see the ci

eat size. Its position was good, for it was set upon a large island that stood a hundred feet or more above the level of

up in past ages during times of flood, so that from a mudbank in the centre of the broad river it grew by degrees to its present proportions. With th

y named?” asked

took it more than two thousand years ago. They kept the ancient title, but the territory of the Mountain they called Hes,

do they not?” said Leo, trying

e land. Or rather, it took the place of another College of those who fashioned the Sanctuary and

s worshippe

to consult the Oracle and to make prayer or offering in times of calamity, when a Khan dies, or the waters of the river sink and the crops fail, or when ashes fall and earthquakes shake the land, or great sickness comes. Otherwise, unless th

r square fields sown with corn and outlined by trees. Village folk, also, clad in long, grey gowns, were labouring on the land, or, their day’s toil finished, drivi

seen by the red light of the sinking sun on that spring day, even as beautiful with the same kind of beauty which is to be found in Holland. One could understand too th

ntry, with its homes, its herds, and its ripening grass, that they must have cried with one voice, “We will march and fight and toil no more. Here we will sit us down

ant loop that crowned its brow. Far, far fled those beams, making a bright path across the land, and striking the white crests of the bordering wall of mountains. High in the air ran that path, over the dim roofs of the city of Kaloon, over the river, yes, straight above us, over the mountains, and doubtless — though there we could not follow th

es down yonder flying light that is called the Road of Hes to work

t not always shine t

o-night, but before that not for years. Let us pray that

en it ceased as suddenly as it had begun, and there remai

for us to see before we reached its shelter. While we sat quietly in the boat — for the silence was broken only by the lapping of the still wat

ut the other on the west bank of the river — was heard the beat of the hoofs of a horse galloping furiously. Presently it appeared, a fine, white animal, on the back of which sat a man. It pa

huge, red dog, that dropped its foaming muzzle to the ground as it galloped, then lifted it and uttered a deep-throated, bell-

” I muttered, clasp

are running that poor devi

whip, which he waved. He was big but loosely jointed, and as he passed he turned his face also, and we saw that it was that

Simbri, bowing, and I cou

guards. I counted eight of them, all carryin

Simbri?” I asked, as the soun

t the Khan does justice in his own fashion

crime? And who i

ld the Khania he loved her, and offered to make war upon her husband and kill him, if she would promise herself to him

p saying unctuously, but with meaning, and the old wretch of a Sha

austed, both of them, for the poor beast could scarcely struggle on to the towing-path. As it gained it a great red hound with a black ear gripped its flank, and at the touch of the fangs it screamed aloud in terror

hose two heaps of worrying wolves, and of the maniac Khan, who yelled in h