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The stranger bowed and withoutspeaking took his stand in a corner of the cell.
Let himbe well fed that life may remain in him till all things
areaccomplished.
Yet before you search your mind for them, stretch out your
righthand. Yes, but one whose company it is believed will please you.
Danger
threatens the Queen and all of you.
Then others of them went on and vanished,to
hunt among the tombs beyond, or so Khian supposed.
As he read his brow
grewblack and his eyes flashed. Your Majesty knows well that I am none of
these.
After this the soldiersbegan to search for themselves. Neveryet have I
known harm to come to a Brother of the Dawn going about hisduty.
Calling to
Temu to keep close, he began to scale the pyramid,which to him was easy.
There
was a man in it who threw out afishing line, looked upwards and whistled very
softly. Next moment he, too, was gone and the massive door had shut,
leavingKhian alone. I fear lest we should be too late to give a certain
warning, Temu. Roy was deadand the rest were gone, Khian could guess why. At
last I have found one who is good and honest, although of an eviltrade, said
Khian.
The Vizier Anath rose from his sleep and visited me. How could you watch
through a stone wall, Friend?
If so, how came it that they hadseen no bodies or
signs of slaughter? Insuch a hole as this even a Pharaoh would need no
servant.
Temu saw this and stared, then muttering, Faith! There were many such
blocks, but at last he saw this one and knew itagain. Then they went to him,
trembling, climbed the dais, and looked intohis face.
It was a parting gift to
me, said Khian, looking down.
Trouble comes toall at times but it cannot change
the blood in the veins.
Moreover, now he knew what to answer; the words welled
upwithin him like water welling in a spring.
Moreover, now he knew what to
answer; the words welled upwithin him like water welling in a spring.
I see
lights moving; perhaps the dungeon hasbeen found empty. Then Temu took from his
robe a piece of papyrus on which were marksand lines.
Is it to make another war
upon the South?
Then they went to him, trembling, climbed the dais, and looked
intohis face. The man threw back his hood:Surely, said Khian, I have seen that
face before. Now he guessed to what land they hadbeen banished. They could see
no wound on him, but without doubt he wasdead and cold.
Or if hissecret end was
desired very swiftly, jailers would hurl him down thepit.
Youwill find him a
good man and true, said the jailer. This, however, Khian knew would never
happen, for thereason that first Nefra would choose to die. Even then the
purpose of thistrap came into Khians mind. There was the massive door andin it
the grating through which he had looked and listened.
Learnnow how I will deal
with these tomb rats of the pyramids who havedefied and insulted me.
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