Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-02-15
CHAPTER X.

A WOOING.
When the silence had grown again,
and Phorenice turned and saw me
standing alone among all the PROSTATE
worshipers, l stepped out from the
crowd and passed between two of the
great stones, and went across to
where she stood beside the altar. did
not PROSTATE myself. AT the pre-
scribed distance I made the salutation
which she herself had ordered when
she made me her chief minister, and
then hailed her with formal decorum
as empress.
"Deucalion, man of ice,' she re-
torted.
Il still adhere to the old gods!"
II was not referring to that" said
she, and looked at me with sidelong
smile
But here Ylga came up to us with
face that was white and a hand that
shook and made supplication for my
life. eff he will not leave the old gods
yet she pleaded, "surely you will
pardon him? He is strong man, and
does not become convert easily. You
may change him later. But think,
Phorenice, he is Deucalion; and you
slay him here for this one thing, there
is no other man within all the marches
of Atlantis who could so worthily
serve
The empress took the words from
her. "You SLUT" she cried out. 81
have you near me to appoint my ward
robe and carry my fan, and you dare
to put a meddling finger in ny poi
cies? Back with you, outside this cir
Gle, or I'll have you whipped. Aye, and
I'll do more. III serve you as Zaemon
served my captain, Tarca. Shall l
point a finger at you, and smite your
pretty skin with sudden leprosy?"
The girl bowed her shoulders and
went away cowed, and Phorenice
turned to me. my lord" she said,
Il am like a young bird in the nest
that has suddenly found its wings.
Wings have so many uses that l am
curious to try them all"
MAY each new flight they take be
for the good of Atlantis"
"Oh," she said, with an eye-flash, 81
know what you have most at heart.
But we will go back to the pyramid
and talk this out at more leisure. ]
pray you now, my lord, conduct me
back to my riding beast"
1t appeared then that I was to be
condoned for not offering her wor
ship, and so putting public question OF
her dedication. 1t appeared also tina
Ylga's interference was looked upo1
as untimely, and, though l could no
understand the exact reasons fol
either of these things, I accepted then
as they were, seeing that they for
warded the scheme that Zaemon ha,
hidden me to carry out.
So when the empress lent me he
fingers delicate fingers the,
were, though so skillful TO grasp tn,
weapons of war-I took them grave
ly, and led her out of the great cir
Gle, which she had polluted with heI
trickeries. l had expected to see our
Lord the Sun take vengeance on the
PROCLAMATION while it was still in act:
but none had come, and | knew tina
he would choose his own good tim,
for retribution and appoint what in
strument he thought best, without
my raising a puny arm to guard his
mighty honor.
So 1 led this lovely, sinful woman
back to the huge red mammoth which
stood there tamely in waiting, and the
smell of the sacrifice came after US
as we walked. She mounted the stair
to the golden castle on the shargJ
beasts back, and bade me mount also
and take seat beside her. But the
place of the fan-girl behind her was
empty, and what we said as we rode
back through the streets there was
none to overhear.
She was eager to know what had
befallen me after the attack on the
gate, and I told the tale, laying stress
on the worthiness of Nais, and utter
ing an opinion that with care the cir
might be won back to allegiance again
Only the commands that Zaemon lait
upon me, when he and I spoke to
gether in the sacred tongue, did
withhold, as it is not lawful to repea
these matters save only in the higl
council of the priests itself as the.
sit before the Ark of Mysteries.
''You seem to have an unusual kind
illness for this rebel Nais," salt
Phorenice.
"She showed herself to me as NOR,
clever and thoughtful than the com
mon herd"
"Aye," she answered, with sigh
that l think was real enough in its
way, 'an empress loses much that
meaner woman gets as her common
due"
In what PARTICULAR"
"She misses the honest wooing of her
equals"
''If you set up for a goddess"
I said.
"Pah! ] wish to be no goddess to
you, Deucalion. That was for the
common people; it gives me more pow
er with them; it helps my schemes
All you seven higher priests know
that trick of calling down the fire, and
it pleases me to fitch it. Can you not
be generous, and admit that a woman
may be as clever in finding out these
natural laws as your musty elder
priests?"
Remains that you are empress"
"Nor empress either. Just think
that there is a woman seated beside
you on this cushion, Deucalion, and
look upon her, and say what words
come first to your Lips. Have done
with ceremonies, and have done with
statecraft. Do you wish to wait on
as you are till all your manhood with
ers? 1t is well not to hurry unduly
in these matters; I am with you there.
Yet who but a fool watches fruit
grow ripe, and then leaves it till it is
past it's primer"
1 looked on her glorious beauty, but
as [ live it left me cold. But I re-
membered the command that had been
laid upon me, and forced a smile. 81
may have been fastidious," said, "but
n 4 I, =