The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-04-15


the god would reveal his purpose and
show what part each fyou should play
in the fate that is to be, and therefore
the people look to see some sign or
wonder when Day and Night are come
together"
Now Natal thought for awhile, and
went on:
"Lady, am DID, and for many years
have followed the worship Of the
gods, and yet never have / known the |
gods to make answer to their votaries,
or heard the voices of the immortals |
speaking into human ears, cannot
tell, but think were | in so sore a
strait as you find yourselves tonight, L
should not hesitate to give voice to
these dumb gods"
"What is your meaning?" asked Maya,
"When the severed halves of the
heart are set in their place upon the al
tar, if there should be any gods they
should give a sign. The ancient sym
boil on the altar is hollow, and If it
were to open it might be that writing
would be found within it, an ancient
writing of the gods prepared against
| the present time that shall be to us as
lantern to one wandering in the dark,
or it might be that nothing would be
found.
''Now, as it happens, in searching
through the earliest records of the tenn
pie, have discovered certain writing,
and it seems to me that your fortune
would be great if that writing should,
lie within the symbol on the night of
the Rising Waters. Here it is"
And suddenly he produced small
plate of dull gold covered over with
symbols.
"Read it" said Maya.
Then M9ttai read:
"To thee it speaks, unborn daughter
of chief to be, whose name is the name:
of a nation. When my people have,
grown old and their numbers have less
ened and their heart is faint, then,
lady, take to thyself as husband
man of the race of the white god, q son
of the sea foam, whom thou shalt lead
hither across the desert, for so my peo-
pie shall once more prosper and grow
strong, and the land shall be to thy
child and the child of the god, cast and
west and north and south, further than
my eagles wing between sunrise and
set"
He finished reading, and there was
silence as we looked on each other
amazed at the boldness and the cum
ming of this old priest and plotter. 1t
i was Maya who spoke first.
;; "You have forged this writing Mat
| tai" she said "and now you desire that
!; l should set it in the symbol, for you
!, are mindful of that curse which is
written in the ritual. In short, if you
:, do not fear the vengeance of the god,
you fear the vengeance of the order"
ITO speak the truth, lady, | fear
:, both. Still, you must make your choice,
:; and swiftly"
;! Now she turned to us, saying:
:! "Advise me, friends, for l know not
: what to answer. In the faith of my
!, people l have lost faith, and it is tC
! yours that look for comfort, and YET
) the deed seems awful, for if we are not
worshipers of the nameless god, still W.
! are all of us brethren of the ancien
= mysteries of the Heart, and to do this
> thing would be to break our solemn
= oaths. Come, let us put 1t to vote, ant
! do you, who are the oldest and th'
y wisest among us. vote first, Ignatio."
y, $50 be it," | answered. "For m.
. part | give my voice against the trick
OF the gods Of your people know moth
!. ing and think less, but am the maste
'i of our order in my own land, and viii
not offend against it. Still, in thi
:; matter your lives are at stake as wei
as mine: therefore, il Of the three o
81 us two are In favor of the act will b
%, bound by their decision"
=, "Good, let it be so" said Maya. "An
y now, beloved, speak and tell uswhethe
-, you choose death and clean cor
q, science, or life and my love to gladde
~ it," and she looked into his face wit
=; her beautiful eyes, and half stretche
~ out her arms as though she would clas
y him to her breast
u ~ have no choice" he said. II
y, not fear to die, if need be; but shoul
~ be no man were l to choose death Will
u, 1t is your wish that 1 should live. Lili
IL Ignatio, say that the gods of this cit
n,, are to me nothing more than idols, an
- to deceive that which does not exist
o. impossible. For the rest, became
- Brother Of the Heart not by my ow
!" wish, but by accident; therefore, on tn
. point, my conscience prieks me little.
W. 81 will do your wish, Maya, and
you think it better that we should di
", why let us die and make an end.
'o "Nay," she answered with flash
ra, TeCkteSS pdSSlOl, Iilhh ~ DOVVSl VIZ
vo we should live far from this unlucl
-, city, and there be happy in each other
20 love. For your sake my fathers cur
40 has fallen on me, and after it all 9th
On q maledictions of gods or men will
oA light as feathers"
J., little do l care for vengeance
us ~. come if for only one short year m'
~ ~ call you husband.
ou "I1l-omeaed Words" muttered Me
tai, shivering little; 'words that on
va w q woman would utter, but so be it"
~ ~ AS he spoke thought / heard o fai
~ groan come from the man upon t
'uU couch. glanced anxiously at Zabi
Nc. ie bay to find that | must have been m
tp tIO taken, or, at least, that it had not pl
~, md ceeded from his lips, for he lay the
nu rigid and senseless as corpse
Il, - 1.-The vote is taken," said. "Wf
%, next, Mattai?"
aii, "Follow me-" he answered, land
ou e"s will show you a secret path from Il
esS chamber to the sanctuary benea
Nav, you need not fear to leave hi
J, an for if his life still burns within him i
~ Il ~ asleep But stay, where is the Ia
manP That will be necessary to us.
., 'I have one-half," answered, "t
81 other is about Zibalbay's neck"
Al Find It," he said sternly to the La
Maya. NAY, you must"
IL CHAPTER XIX
THE sAcRILEGE
r r IL