Istar of Babylon: A Phantasy

by Margaret Horton Potter

  XII

  EGIBI & SONS

  By noon that day Babylon was ringing with the story of Istar's fall andher miraculous escape from the hands of the mob of priests and thepeople. The tale, from the first appearance of Amraphel and Vul-Raman intheir chariot on the A-Ibur-Sabu at so early an hour, down to thearrival of Charmides and Istar at the edge of the royal park on thestreet of Palaces, was in the mouth of every man. But, strangely enough,the beginning and the end of it all, Beltishazzar the Jew and Belshazzarthe prince, were never once mentioned by any one. Amraphel in the templeand Daniel in the street listened, each with his own ears, in his ownway, to learn how much was known; and possibly both were relieved thatthe beginning was unguessed; but certainly both were annoyed to findthat they could learn no more of the close of the drama than any one.Istar had simply disappeared. Her Greek guide was known, had even beenseen in the afternoon walking from the temple of Sin towards the canalof the New Year. But no move was made towards his apprehension, for hewas highly valued by the priesthood of his temple, and no amount ofquestioning on the part of any one drew from him a single satisfactoryreply as to the final disposal of Istar and her child.

  Nevertheless, Charmides' mind and heart were full. Not until theafternoon had he an opportunity, or, indeed, the wish, to review thegreat event in which he had played so important a part that morning. Allthe circumstances had been shoved into the background and forced to liestill in his subconsciousness throughout the morning, while he performedhis regular duties at the temple. And only now was he free to let themcome once more to the surface and quietly consider them in his homewardwalk. First, there was the errand that had taken him to the temple ofIstar at that hour of the morning--a message concerning two oracles thatmust be identical, to be delivered at the same hour at two temples.Charmides had been more likely than any of the priests to win Istar'sconsent to the arrangement and to the deceit that it involved. And itwas thus that he arrived at the temple of the goddess at the hour of theclose of sacrifice, to find an unusual and excited throng assembledround the foot of the ziggurat, upon which, Charmides learned, Istar hadslept on the previous night. Entirely ignorant of the portent of thismob, the Greek had joined them--hearing only that Istar was still above.From there, in such wise, he watched her expulsion from the sanctuary;saw her struck by the whip of the high-priest; perceived the burden thatshe bore; and, finally, knew that she was swallowed up in the mob thathad been threatening her life. Then, at last, a furious desire foraction came over the Greek. He looked around eagerly. On his right handstood a company of men that were taking no part in the turmoil,regarding it rather with an expression of anxiety in their faces. Thesewere the eunuchs of Istar's household, wearing her livery: servitorsthat had been willing slaves. Charmides saw that in them lay hisgoddess' only chance. He rallied them and brought them together by meansof a few sharp words of encouragement and explanation; and with themclose-pressed around him, he made an onslaught on the disordered throng.

  It was thus that Istar's rescue had been effected. There was little init that was remarkable; but Istar's endurance in the long walk thatfollowed was certainly little less than miraculous. It was, however, thescene at the end of this walk that had affected Charmides mostpowerfully. In Belshazzar's reception of her, Charmides had not failedto read something of the history that had made that reception possible.Love for her, this wonderfully fallen woman, helpless, weary, andpersecuted as she was, the prince unquestionably bore. She had come tohim in her hour of sorest need, and he had not failed her. Could shethen, always, in her former glory, have rejected him? It seemedimpossible. And at this thought Charmides grew troubled. He could notbear that Istar should be tainted by contact with any mortal. Yet now,alas! he knew that she must be so tainted. With this thought the worldgrew human again, and Charmides turned his mind to Ramua, his wife, herwho had first made Babylon beautiful to him. In another two or threeminutes now he would be with her, for he had nearly finished hishomeward walk. Directly opposite him were the palace and gardens of LordRibata, behind whose walls dwelt Baba, that other being whose life hadfor a moment touched his, and had then flown off again at a tangent thatcould not but separate them more and more as time went on. For Baba,Charmides felt a lurking tenderness, that had developed since he won hishappiness through her; and as he rounded the corner of the tenement ofUt and hastened his pace towards his own door-way, he was not sorry tofind three women watching for him in that space--Ramua, Beltani, and,lastly, Baba herself.

  It was evident that news of the great happening of the morning hadalready reached this remote corner of the city; for the instant that hewas within speaking distance of his family, the Greek was assailed withsuch a volley of questions as only women could have marshalled under asingle breath. It must be confessed that Charmides heard them withsomething like despair. Yet he knew also that he would do best to submitto the inevitable without protest. Therefore, seating himself upon a newstool in the living-room, he proceeded to utilize the moments unoccupiedby women's voices in explaining as lucidly as possible the morning'sadventure. Baba alone was silent during his recital. She stood perfectlystill, her hands folded in front of her, her large eyes fixed solemnlyon his face, listening, with an eagerness that he could not butperceive, to his every syllable. Immediately upon the end she turned,with a rustle of silk and a jingle of golden chains, towards the door.Then, beckoning Charmides to come with her, she led him along for a fewyards, and, fixing her gaze upon him, said, seriously:

  "Charmides, you must know that you have incurred danger by this act. Theeyes of all the priesthood, of Amraphel, of Vul-Raman, of Beltishazzarthe Jew, will from this time forth be upon you. Take care that, thoughyou have won the love of every woman in Babylon by your act, you do notalso receive some mortal injury from these others. I warn you as onethat loves you. Remember it."

  And with these words, and a nod to her sister behind, Baba let Charmidesgo, and went on alone towards her pleasant prison-house.

  There was no reluctance in Baba's gait as she approached the palace ofRibata; for the unhappiness of the first months of her new life wasgone. In its place had come a contentment that was as near akin tohappiness as anything she had ever known. By her own tact and wisdom shehad made for herself an enviable place in Lord Ribata's household. Everyone in it, from the first wife to the newest dancing-girl and thehumblest slave, liked her. She had never been known to do one of them anunkindness; and none of them had ever borne a complaint of her to theirlord. For this, if for nothing else, Bit-Shumukin would have regardedher as a paragon. But my lord had other cause for keeping a closecompanionship with her after her novelty had worn off. Baba was no fool;and, young as she was, began, under Ribata's experimental tuition, todevelop no mean abilities in the way of politics and politicaldiplomacy. She had begun by having explained to her the unimportantthings--dark secrets known to everybody in the state world, and toanybody else that cared to go into them. Finding from these that shepossessed that unheard-of thing in woman, a bridled tongue, Ribatatrusted her further, began to make some little use of her in astatesman's way, and found that she had unusual talent in that unusualline. Finally, she had ended by becoming an unfailing necessity to himin his broad outer life. Baba went to houses, knew people, heard thingsrepeated, received confidences that no other woman in Babylon dreamedof. In many cases she was able to save her lord's dignity in a pleasantway. She formed friendships with certain people whom he suggested toher, and obtained from them a world of amusement for herself, and anunfathomable fund of information for her master. She found Babylon to bea seething mass of plots and counterplots, little and great, honorable,ignoble, loyal and traitorous. The government was fighting its enemieswith their own weapons, and intrigued vigorously, sometimes in the lightof knowledge, far more often in hopeless darkness. Ribata, asBelshazzar's closest friend, dwelt in the very midst of this world ofcraft, and how valuable to him and to his prince so versatile and sotruthful an agent as Baba was, none but Ribata himself knew. But it wasin this way that
life had grown interesting again to the littlecreature; and it was in this way that she gained a satisfaction in herexistence, knowing that she was worthy, that she was serving a greatcause well. Indeed, from her heart, in the light of all her knowledge,Baba was body and soul loyal to the king and to the prince-governor ofthe city. Autocratic as they were and wished to be, it took littleunderstanding to perceive how infinitely more selfish, how infinitelymore tyrannical would be the other side, that great opposing element ofwhich Amraphel was the recognized head, and Daniel the Jew theunrecognized but not less important right hand.

  Knowing this religious body as she did, Baba's warning to Charmides hadbeen no idle one; and on her way home she was occupied in reviewing theposition of the man whom she revered as well as loved. It caused her nolittle anxiety, this plight of his; for, though no definite result ofhis generous action could be foretold, that there would be some resultthe little diplomatist was very sure. It was her intention, on reachingthe palace, to demand audience of Ribata at once. But when she came tothe outer gate of the zenana she found a eunuch watching for her coming,and he hurried forward to her with the command that she repair instantlyto the presence of her lord.

  Ribata was alone at table when Baba came to him. He greeted her arrivalwith extreme satisfaction, and, before dismissing the slaves, had aplace made for her beside him, and food and wine brought for herrefreshment. Baba watched the arrangements placidly. She was accustomedto such consideration, though no other woman of Ribata's household hadever been treated in this way. And when the two of them were finallyleft alone, she began quietly to eat, asking no questions, forbearing tointroduce the topic near her own heart, waiting, without the leastappearance of curiosity, for Ribata to begin the conversation.

  On the instant of their being left alone, Ribata's face lost itsexpression of cheerful nonchalance and took on the look of one thatlabors wearily in a hopeless cause. He ceased to eat and drink, and layback on his couch with a deep sigh. It was many minutes before he spoke,and during that time Baba played steadily at eating, never once noticinghis languor or commenting on his mood; for she knew her lord, and shetook the only possible method of pleasing him.

  "Baba," he said at last, "we have lost what should be reckoned as anarmy this day."

  Baba slowly lifted her eyes to his. "Istar?" she said, quietly.

  Ribata nodded. There was a little pause, and then he asked again: "Youknow, do you not, the man that saved her from the mob?"

  "Why--thou knowest, my lord, he is--"

  "Charmides, thy Greek. Say it, Baba."

  "He is the husband of my sister."

  "But once beloved of thee?"

  Baba looked at him.

  "Warn thy Greek, then, that Amraphel and the Jew will not again let anyact of his pass unnoticed. His life is endangered, I think."

  Still Baba was silent. At Ribata's words she merely bowed her head.

  "And now, my Baba, now hear the rest of the day's happenings. The GreatCity is coming into the evening of her day. That thing that wasNabu-Nahid's greatest safeguard, because it alone was feared by thepriesthood, is taken from us. In the days when Istar of Babylon shonelike Shamash in her temple, Amraphel himself laid his face in the dustbefore her. But now, for many months, yea, since that journey to Erech,her glory has departed from her. I have looked on her long anddespairingly of late weeks. This is the end that from the first I havefeared. She is become no more than any woman; and with her going ourpower fails. Yet, Baba, this Istar is wonderfully beloved. This day, inthe palace of the king, she was united in marriage with Belshazzar byword of the priest of Sin, who thereby, to all Babylonia, proclaimed hera woman."

  "Wife of Belshazzar!" gasped Baba.

  "Yes, verily. And I have not marvelled less than thou. Yet Belshazzarloves her with a love that is beyond approach: holding her dearer thanhalf the kingdom--nay, then, than the whole, I think. I spake out beforehim of the danger of her fall to our cause, and his answer frightenedme; and after that, through the whole day, he spoke to me no more.

  "But by the blood of my father that flows in my veins, neither for Istarnor for any other shall Belshazzar lose his kingdom to Amraphel,Beltishazzar, and Kurush the Elamite, till my spirit is fled toNinkigal, and my blood waters the streets of the city. And till the timewhen the madness of the prince my brother shall be ended, I alone willuphold the state against her enemies."

  He came to an abrupt and thoughtful pause, which Baba softly filled.

  "My lord knows that his will is also mine."

  Ribata drew a quick sigh and then smiled at her words. Afterwards herose from his couch and seated himself on the great pile of rugs andcushions in a corner, at the same time motioning Baba to join him. Shewent, obediently, and seated herself at his feet, her eyes restinginquiringly on his face, her chin on her hands. Before he began tospeak, he placed one hand caressingly on her hair, much as one wouldhave patted the head of a little child, for, in spite of her precociousdiscretion and level-headedness, Baba always impressed one first withher childlike personality.

  "Now, Baba, there is something for thee to do, whereby we may gain muchfor our king. Thou knowest the woman Bunanitu, and the great house ofEgibi, of which she is mistress?"

  Baba smiled. "Hast thou not many times bidden me go to her? And hath shenot come here to visit me? Ugh! My lord knows that I do not love her andher race."

  Ribata smiled. "My Baba, the king's treasury has never in its richesttime held half the wealth of the house of Egibi. With them is that powerof gold without which Amraphel himself would soon be helpless. There,Baba, in that house of Jews, is where more than half the secret meetingsof the traitors are held. It is from there, and from the house ofZicaru, near the temple of Marduk, that Babylon may look for its doom tocome forth. Listen, then, to me. If any meeting ever hath been held byour enemies--and, by thy goat, there have been a hundred of them!--therewill be one to-morrow, either in the monastery or in this house ofEgibi: and I think 'twill be in the last. Their best time is noon, aftersacrifice and before mercy, when business ceases and the city dines.Now, there will be a eunuch temple servant that is in my pay in thehouse of Zicaru, waiting, at the same hour that I would have you go tothe house of Egibi. You must enter it, Baba, as a female visitor toBunanitu, veiled and on foot, carrying embroidery, or a lute, orsomething that womankind fancies, creating no suspicion that you comefrom me or my house. Only greet Bunanitu, and tell her you are come topay a visit and to gossip with her for an hour. Then, being in thathouse, keep thou watch. Tell me the men that are to be seen about theplace, or, if there is none to see, look for any chance event that maybefall to give a clew to the traitors' workings. If you be shut awayfrom the men's rooms, cry out for faintness or with heat, and so run outinto the shop where moneys are changed. Or make you any excuse to lookand learn--I care not what it may be, or what you do. But, my Baba, forevery fact you bring me, there shall be a golden hairpin for your hairon your return."

  Baba looked up at him quickly. "My lord will learn in time that I lovenot gold. I do my lord's bidding for love of his work. Let him not payme like a servant."

  Ribata smiled and took up her two hands. "Baba is good, and also wise.Let her bear always in mind that the Achaemenian threatens the GreatCity; and that before him, if there works treachery inside the walls, Iand thou, Belshazzar and the king, Istar of Babylon and thy pale-eyedGreek, must surely fall. I shall not see thee again ere thou go; but thehousehold is at thy command, to do with as thou wilt in preparation forthy adventure."

  Then Ribata tapped her forehead in token of dismissal, and watched heras she jumped to her feet, made her reverence, and went away with herhands folded on her breast.

  Though the evening was young, Baba retired straightway, but without anyintention of sleeping. Once in her bed she was not liable tointerruptions of women or children, who clamored lustily round her inher waking hours. Now she was eager to think out her plans for themorrow, and how best to accomplish the most important mission everintrusted to her. It
was full three hours, and the whole zenana hadgrown sleepy-still, before at last she turned upon her side and closedher eyes in the satisfaction of knowing that, of all the plans she couldthink of, the one she had finally decided on held out the greatestchance of success.

  Next morning, the twenty-second of the fair month, found the city stillwrought up over the strange happenings of the day before. Istar's fallwas not a matter of rejoicing to Babylon in general. Many a woman hadwept, and many a workman turned silent and solemn on hearing of herexpulsion from the temple. In one quarter of the city only was there auniversal sense of delight. This was in the extreme southwest, south ofthe canal of the Prophet, and accessible from the outside only by thegate of the Maskim. This little spot was a settlement of an alien race,and its inhabitants enjoyed a mode of life peculiarly their own. It wasthe quarter that had been assigned, fifty years before, to the Jewishpeople, when Nebuchadrezzar had brought them, ten thousand strong, fromtheir far, barren country, to be a menace and a curse unto hisdescendant.

  So entirely distinctive a life did these captives live, that theirquarter was not greatly frequented by Babylonians. But there was onehouse, standing near the traders' square, covering a large plot ofground, and much more richly tiled than any of its neighbors, that hadbeen and was frequented by the greatest men in Babylon--prince andpriest, judge and minister--and the business of which was on a greaterscale than that of any similar native house, and which was in the enddestined to become famous in the annals of Babylonish history. This wasthe great banking-firm of Egibi & Sons; and it was managed at thepresent time by three generations of the family: Bunanitu, a remarkableold woman of more than sixty years of age; Kalnea, her son, a mansomething over forty; and Kabtiya, her grandson, a youth in histwentieth year and still unmarried. The establishment that was run bythese three to tremendous advantage to themselves, and not a little tothat of some others, had become, through the influence of Daniel, therendezvous for the priestly traitors of the city. Both Kalnea and hisson were dangerously implicated in the schemes of Amraphel; and, thoughBunanitu had always shrunk a little from the councils held within herwalls, her racial prejudices against the reigning family were too strongfor her not to be wholly in sympathy with their enemies.

  An hour after its accomplishment the news of the fall of Istar hadreached this household, through a message from Amraphel himself, whocommanded them to prepare for a meeting at noon on the followingday--the very obvious consequence that Ribata had foreseen. The messagemade no difference in the usual business of the morning; and at noon, asa matter of course, trade was relaxed for the dinner-hour. Few peoplewere in the streets, and no customers haunted the various small shops inthe quarter. The house of Egibi, however, was more fortunate than itsneighbors. Between twelve and half-past no fewer than seven men passedin the door of the bank; and, more unusual still, when the last one ofthem went in, the first had not yet come out. A little peculiar,certainly; but to the single person who witnessed the arrivals from asafe retreat behind a great pile of porous water-jars displayed for salein the street near by, the event appeared to have less of the strangethan of the satisfactory in it. This watcher was a small, half-robedletter-carrier, who had loitered about the neighborhood for half anhour, unseen by a single soul. He waited for five or ten minutes afterthe entrance of the last of the seven, made his way round the cornerbehind the house, and was presently to be seen dashing round it atbreak-neck speed, up to the open door of the establishment.

  Bunanitu was alone in the large room, and she came to the door, lookingout with some anxiety at the small, black creature that stood pantingbefore her.

  "Thy business, boy?" she demanded, sharply.

  The boy peered up at her, giving her eye for eye suspiciously. "Who areyou?" he croaked.

  "Bunanitum Bit-Egibi."

  "Mother of Kalnea?"

  "Yea."

  "Oho! Then I give thee this, to be"--the boy put a mysterious finger toone side of his nose and whispered so softly that the woman bent over tocatch his words--"to be delivered to Amraphel, my lord, in council--ifthou knowest the place." And he held up a neat little brick, coveredwith exquisitely minute writing and elaborately sealed.

  Bunanitum, growing rather large over the affair, took the epistle with anod. "I know," she whispered, in return, and the boy, with an answeringlook, turned as if to go away.

  The woman, hasty with her new importance, did not stay to watch hisdeparture. She turned about and started for the back part of the house,leaving the outer room quite empty for the space of three minutes. Andduring that three minutes Baba brought her plan to a successful issue.

  No one saw the little letter-carrier enter the shop. Still less did anyone know when he darted out of it and back into the maze of corridorsand rooms behind. Here, in a well-chosen corner, very dimly lighted,Baba huddled herself up, to await the return of Bunanitu to her post ofduty, which would leave the whole rear of the house open to inspection.Shortly the Jewess could be seen passing quickly along an adjoininghall-way, on her way back to the shop, whither she had been hastily sentby her son. And when she was gone, Baba, with a long breath, left herhiding-place. The most uncertain and perhaps the most dangerous part ofher work was over; but the important half of it remained still to bedone. She was confident of the efficacy of her disguise; and she wasfree to move rapidly in her scant tunic with her black-stained, barelimbs, and her flowing hair crammed under a woolly, black wig.Nevertheless her heart beat violently as she left her corner and beganto search for the room where the secret council would sit, or for somehiding-place where the sound of voices would come to her ears. She hadproceeded nearly to the back wall of the house, and was beginning tofear that the council-room was too well concealed for discovery, when afaint murmur of talking reached her ears. It came, apparently, fromsomewhere below, and, with the first murmurous sound, Baba stopped shortto look about.

  The room where she stood was large, almost dark, and scantily furnished.Its walls, however, were hung with elaborate draperies, and its floorscovered with costly rugs. Save for two or three inlaid chairs, withembroidered cushions and carven feet, the room was empty of furniture.But from somewhere, and somewhere below, came that unceasing murmur ofconversation. The intruder examined her surroundings from floor toceiling. Then she looked all round the walls, and finally back again tothe floor. Here, on a certain spot, her eyes stopped. It was where thecorner of a great crimson rug was turned up, as if it had been hastilylaid. And by this upturned corner was a black spot that was not shadow.In the dim light Baba could distinguish nothing very clearly; but shemoved noiselessly across to this place, and found when she came to itthat the voices had become definite, and she could hear what was beingsaid. There was a square opening in the floor, all but four or fiveinches of which was quite concealed by the rug.

  Without any hesitation Baba threw herself flat down, and then, realizingto the full the risk that she ran, pushed the rug yet farther away fromthe opening, put her face close to it, and looked down.

  Below was a good-sized vault, made, probably, in the brick platform onwhich the house stood. It was well lighted with torches and lamps, hungwith richly embroidered tapestry, and ceiled with glazed bricks ofbright colors. Its furniture consisted of piles of rugs and cushions onwhich, seated in an orderly circle, sat, not nine, but fourteen men, allbut four of whom wore the goat-skin. Baba did not know them all, even bysight; but half were familiar figures, and the other half--well, Ribatashould tell her their names to-night, after her description. Those thatshe knew were Amraphel, Vul-Raman of Nebo and Nergal, Larissib-Sin ofMarduk, Zir-Iddin of Shamash at Sippar, Siatu-Sin, Itti-Bel, andGula-Zir, together with Beltishazzar the Jew and his fellows Kalnea andyoung Kabtiya of the house of Egibi; and the rest were one morehawk-eyed fellow of the tribe of Judah, and five priests, none of themabove the rank of elder.

  In her first downward glance Baba perceived that Amraphel had in hishand the brick letter that she herself had sent him; and evidently itscontents had been surprising enough
to displace the former topic ofdiscussion and to raise a storm of talk. Amraphel and Beltishazzar weresilent, waiting, with more or less patience, for a chance of beingheard. After a little time this opportunity came, for the majority ofthose present were too ignorant of their subject to be particularlyinstructive; and at last they quieted, one by one, and turned to theplace where their leaders sat.

  Amraphel spoke the first words that Baba was able to catch definitely,and from that time on there was nothing that she did not hear andremember.

  "Now that ye take council with silence, men of emptiness, learn of methat there is little enough danger in the fact, even if it be true, thatBelshazzar has taken the woman of Babylon to wife. Answer me severallyone by one, if there has been in any of your temples a rumor of such amarriage made by any of its priests. Siatu-Sin--dost thou remember?"

  "Nay, Lord Amraphel."

  This answer was repeated by every priest present. Then, in the littlepause that followed before Amraphel went on, Daniel, with a faint smile,observed:

  "Yesterday, at four hours after noon, Kasmani, second sacrificial priestof the temple of Sin, entered the gates of Nabu-Nahid's palace, anddrove away again in an hour in the golden chariot of Prince Belshazzar."

  Every one looked to Amraphel for his idea of this information. Thehigh-priest only smiled, in slow indifference, and continued: "The womanof Babylon desires, then, to be queen in the Great City. A queen is nota goddess; and yet I say unto you that she shall never be queen. Shewhom I drove forth yesterday from the temple is fallen ill under herdisgrace. This morning at dawn came to me Nergal-Yukin, rab-mag of theking's household, for a charm to ward off a fever from a divine lady."

  Here Amraphel hesitated for the fraction of a second, while a thin smilespread over Daniel's keen face. "That charm--" he urged.

  "That charm," said Amraphel, carefully, "was what the great Elamitewould have desired."

  "The sword?" demanded Vul-Raman, bluntly.

  "Ten drops of the liquor from an adder's fang, to be rubbed upon a prickin the left wrist at sunset to-day."

  Baba gasped; but from the men assembled below there was only a quickround of applause.

  "By dawn to-morrow there will be no more of 'Istar of Babylon,'"observed Daniel, satisfaction oiling his tone.

  "And the Great City is open to its savior," concluded Siatu-Sin.

  Now Baba was in a sudden agony to escape, for she felt that the life ofIstar rested in her hands. Yet sunset was still many hours away, and thetalk that was beginning gave signs of proving exactly what Ribata hadtold her to hear. Therefore from minute to minute she lingered on in herplace, while the story of treachery and blood-guiltiness was made clearto her, and it seemed as if, with the evidence in her hands, it mustsoon be possible to have these men put to death without imprisonment andwith a mere form of trial. And had it been two centuries earlier thismight perhaps have been arranged. But Babylon was not Nineveh, and thepower of Nabonidus was not that of the old monarchs of Chaldea; neitherwas the king by nature a tyrant, or even a strict ruler. And possiblybecause of these things, and only because of them, these councils wereventured at all.

  "What is the last word from Kurush?" demanded Salathiel the Jew, ofAmraphel.

  There was a general little murmur of interest, and a settling down uponthe cushions as if for a lengthy talk.

  "Kurush," said Amraphel, with all the authority of Cyrus himself, "isnow in the marsh country south of Teredou, and from there he despatchesa letter to us. Ye shall hear it."

  Amraphel drew from the pocket of his broad girdle a clay tablet,slightly larger than those in general use for letters, and covered withneatly pressed cuneiform characters. This, with the aid of a small,round magnifying-glass, always used in correspondence, he read aloud tothose assembled--and to Baba above:

  "'Unto Amraphel, high servant of the ancient gods of Babylon, and tothose that are with him, thus saith Kurush the Achaemenian: With me it iswell. With thee and thy houses may it be exceeding well. Now I, theking, lie secretly in the country to the south of the city of Teredou,not far from the gulf of the setting sun. And here, from the east andfrom the north, the army will assemble about me. The people in the landare poor and ill-content. Little grain have they to eat, and shortmeasure of milk to drink. The king their lord knows them not. To me theyturn, in their extremity. Soon shall ye learn of revolts among thedwellers in the lowlands: know, then, that it will be by my hand. Afterthis we will march northward, towards the gates of the Great City.

  "'Gobryas, my general, the governor of Gutium, is in the north. Beforehim, in the month of Duzu (June), Sippar and its works shall fall.

  "'Look to it only that ye hold Babylon estranged from its king. She whomwe have feared--doth she bear herself yet divinely? The captive Jewsthat are in the city, greet them well for me. Tell them that, after mycoming, those that open to me the Great City shall know again the landof their fathers and their fathers' fathers. And those of theBabylonians that shall acclaim me master, to each of these shall begiven out of the public moneys thirty shekels of silver; but to thegreat that bow before shall be given high offices, honor, and muchwealth. And in the month of Ab, Queen of the Bow, shall Babylon knowme.'"

  The seal of Cyrus was affixed to the end of the epistle; and the brickwas passed round the circle, that each man present might be sure that itwas genuine.

  Now began a discussion that proved tedious and scarcely comprehensibleto Baba. It was about numbers and divisions of men, and was accompaniedby the reading of endless lists of names, and the checking of each astrue or untrue to the cause of rebellion. And after listening to thistalk until she found that it would be utterly hopeless for her toattempt to remember anything valuable in it, Baba rose, pulled the rugcarefully back to its original place, listened for a moment to make surethat she was undiscovered, and then, with the utmost caution, made herway to the rear door of the house, which she unfastened, and throughwhich she safely passed. Once outside, in the glare of day, her heartafire with anxiety for Istar, she started away, in a light-running pace,up through the city that she knew so well. Through the Traders' square,across the canal of the Prophet, along the river-bank for an endlessdistance she ran, till she came to the great bridge, across which loomedthe high, blue walls of the new palace.

  The sun was swinging down towards the horizon now, and the life of Istarswung with it in its balance, when the dishevelled figure of Ribata'sslave halted at the palace gates and demanded the admission that herdisguise gained for her.