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and cold against the rocky walls。 Also I thought I
could see her eyes flash through the gauze that hid
them。 I saw poor Billali； whom I had believed to be a
very fearless person； positively quiver with terror at
her words。
〃O 'Hiya'！ O _i_ She _i_ ！〃 he said； without lifting
his white head from the floor。 〃O _i_ She _i_ ； as
thou art great； be merciful； for I am now as ever thy
servant to obey。 It was no plan or fault of mine； O
_i_ She _i_ ； it was those wicked ones who are called
my children。 Led on by a woman whom thy guest the Pig
had scorned； they would have followed the ancient
custom of the land； and eaten the fat black stranger
who came hither with these thy guests the Baboon； and
the Lion who is sick； thinking that no word had come
from thee about the black one。 But when the Baboon and
the Lion saw what they would do； they slew the woman；
and slew also their servant to save him from the
horror of the pot。 Then those evil ones； ay； those
children of the Wicked One who lives in the Pit； they
went mad with the lust of blood； and flew at the
throats of the Lion and the Baboon and the Pig。 But
gallantly they fought。 O _i_ Hiya！ _i_ they fought
like very men； and slew many； and held their own； and
then I came and saved them； and the evil…doers have I
sent on hither to Ko^r to be judged of thy greatness；
O _i_ She！ _i_ and here they are。〃
〃Ay； old man； I know it； and tomorrow will I sit in
the great hall and do justice upon them； fear not。 And
for thee； I forgive thee； though hardly。 See that thou
dost keep thine household better。 Go。〃
Billali rose upon his knees with astonishing alacrity；
bowed his head thrice； and his white beard sweeping
the ground； crawled down the apartment as he had
crawled up it； till he finally vanished through the
curtains； leaving me； not a little to my alarm； alone
with this terrible but most fascinating person。
CHAPTER XIII
AYESHA UNVEILS
〃There；〃 said _i_ She _i_ ； 〃he has gone； the white…
bearded old fool！ Ah； how little knowledge does a man
acquire in his life。 He gathereth it up like water；
but like water it runneth through his fingers； and
yet； if his hands be but wet as though with dew；
behold a generation of fools call out； 'See； he is a
wise man！' Is it not so？ But how call they thee？
'Baboon；' he says；〃 and she laughed； 〃but that is the
fashion of these savages who lack imagination； and fly
to the beasts they resemble for a name。 How do they
call thee in thine own country； stranger？〃
〃They call me Holly； O queen；〃 I answered。
〃Holly；〃 she answered； speaking the word with
difficulty； and yet with a most charming accent； 〃and
what is Holly？〃
〃'Holly' is a prickly tree；〃 I said。
〃So。 Well； thou hast a prickly and yet a treelike
look。 Strong art thou； and ugly； but； if my wisdom be
not at fault； honest at the core； and a staff to lean
on。 Also one who thinks。 But stay； O Holly； stand not
there； enter with me and be seated by me。 I would not
see thee crawl before me like those slaves。 I am weary
of their worship and their terror； sometimes when they
vex me I could blast them for very sport； and to see
the rest turn white； even to the heart。〃 And she held
the curtain aside with her ivory hand to let me pass
in。
I entered； shuddering。 This woman was very terrible。
Within the curtains was a recess； about twelve feet by
ten； and in the recess was a couch and a table whereon
stood fruit and sparkling water。 By it； at its end；
was a vessel like a font cut in carved stone； also
full of pure water。 The place was softly lit with
lamps formed out of the beautiful vessels of which I
have spoken； and the air and curtains were laden with
a subtle perfume。 Perfume too seemed to emanate from
the glorious hair and white； clinging vestments of _i_
She _i_ herself。 I entered the little room； and there
stood uncertain。
〃Sit；〃 said _i_ She _i_ ； pointing to the couch。 〃As
yet thou hast no cause to fear me。 If thou hast cause；
thou shalt not fear for long； for I shall slay thee。
Therefore let thy heart be light。〃
I sat down on the end of the couch near to the font
like basin of water； and _i_ She _i_ sank down softly
on to the other end。
〃Now； Holly；〃 she said； 〃how comest thou to speak
Arabic ？ It is my own dear tongue； for Arabian am I by
birth； even ' _i_ al Arab al Ariba _i_ '〃 （an Arab of
the Arabs）； 〃and of the race of our father Yara‘b； the
son of Ka^htan； for in that fair and ancient city Ozal
was I born； in the province of Yaman the Happy。 Yet
dost thou not speak it as we used to speak。 Thy talk
doth lack the music of the sweet tongue of the tribes
of Hamyar which I was wont to hear。 Some of the words
too seem changed； even as among these Amahagger； who
have debased and defiled its purity； so that I must
speak with them in what is to to me another tongue。〃
〃I have studied it；〃 I answered； 〃for many years。 Also
the language is spoken in Egypt and elsewhere。〃
〃So it is still spoken； and there is yet an Egypt？ And
what Pharaoh sits upon the throne？ Still one of the
spawn of the Persian Ochus； or are the Achaemenians
gone； for so far is it to the days of Ochus？〃
〃The Persians have been gone from Egypt for nigh two
thousand years； and since then the Ptolemies； the
Romans； and many others have flourished and held sway
upon the Nile； and fallen when their time was ripe；〃 I
said； aghast。 〃What canst thou know of the Persian
Artaxerxes？〃
_i_ She _i_ laughed； and made no answer； and again a
cold chill went through me。 〃And Greece；〃 she said；
〃is there still a Greece？ Ah； I loved the Greeks。
Beautiful were they as the day； and clever； but fierce
at heart and fickle； notwithstanding。〃
〃Yes；〃 I said； 〃there is a Greece； and； just now； it
is once more a people。 Yet the Greeks of to…day are
not what the Greeks of the old time were； and Greece
herself is but a mockery of the Greece that was。〃
〃So！ The Hebrews； are they yet at Jerusalem？ And does
the Temple that the wise king built stand？ and if so；
what God do they worship therein？ Is their Messiah
come； of whom they preached so much and prophesied so
loudly； and doth he rule the earth？〃
〃The Jews are broken and gone； and the fragments of
their people strew the world； and Jerusalem is no
more。 As for the temple that Herod built〃
〃Herod！〃 she said。 〃I know not Herod。 But go on。〃
〃The Romans burned it； and the Roman eagles flew
across its ruins； arid now Judaea is a desert。〃
〃So； so！ They were a great people； those Romans； and
went straight to their enday； they sped to it like
Fate； or like their own eagles on their prey！and
left peace behind them。〃
〃Solitudinera faciunt； pacem appellant；〃 I suggested。
〃Ah； thou canst speak the Latin tongue； too！〃 she
said； in surprise。 〃It hath a strange ring in my ears
after all these days； and it seems to me that thy
accent does not fall as the Romans put it。 Who was it
wrote that？ I know not the saying； but it is a true
one of that great people。 It seems that I have found a
learned manone whose hands have held the water of
the world's knowledge。 Knowest thou Greek also？〃
〃Yes； O queen； and something of Hebrew； but not to
speak them well。 They are all dead languages now。〃
_i_ She _i_ clapped her hands in childish glee。 〃Of a
truth； ugly tree that thou art； thou growest the
fruits of wisdom； O Holly；〃 she said； 〃but of those
Jews whom I hatedfor they called me 'heathen' when I
would have taught them my philosophydid their
Messiah come； and doth he rule the world？〃
〃Their Messiah came；〃 I answered； with reverence； 〃but
he came poor and lowly； and they would have none of
him。 They scourged him； and crucified him upon a tree；
but yet his words and his works live on； for he was
the Son of God； and now of a truth he doth rule half
the world； but not with an empire of the world。〃
〃Ah； the fierce…hearted wolves；〃 she said； 〃the
followers of Sense and of many godsgreedy of gain
and faction torn。 I can see their dark faces yet。 So
they crucified their Messiah？ Well can I believe it。
That he was a Son of the Living Spirit would be naught
to them； if indeed he was so； and of that we will talk
afterwards。 They would care naught for any God if he
came not with pomp and power。 They； a chosen people； a
vessel of him they call Jehovah！ ay； and a vessel of
Baal； and a vessel of Astoreth； and a vessel of the
gods of the Egyptiansa high…stomached people； greedy
of aught that brought them wealth and power。 So they
crucified their Messiah because he came in lowly
guiseand now are they scattered about the earth。
Why； if I remember； so said one of their prophets that
it should be。 Well； let them go； they broke my heart；
those Jews； and made me look with evil eyes across the
world； ay； and drove me to this wilderness； this place
of a people that was before them。 When I would have
taught them wisdom in Jerusalem they stoned me； ay； at
the gate of the Temple those white…bearded hypocrites
and rabbis hounded the people on to stone me！ See；
here is the mark of it to this day！〃 and with a sudden
mov