High Gods take vengeance for the insults which this lovely woman
had offered Them.

The sentries in the two forts beat drums at one another in
their accustomed rotation, and in the growing dusk were going to

pay little enough attention to the fishingboat which lay against
the great chain clamouring to have it lowered. But luckily a pair

of officers were taking the air of the evening in a stone-dropping
turret of the roof of the nearer fort, and these recognised the

tone of our shouts. They silenced the drums, torches were lowered
to make sure of our faces, and then with a splash the great chain

was dropped into the water to give us passage.
A galley lay inside, nuzzling the harbour wall, and presently

the ladder of ropes was let down from the top of the nearest fort,
and a crew came down to man the oars. There were the customary

changes of raiment too, given as presents by the officers of the
fort, and these we put on in the cabin of the galley in place of

the sodden clothes we wore. There are fevers to be gained by
carrying wet clothes after sunset, and though from personal

experience I have learned that these may be warded off with drugs,
I noticed with some grim amusement that the Empress had

sufficiently little of the Goddess about her to fear very much the
ailments which are due to frail humanity.

The galley rowed swiftly across the calm waters of the
harbour, and made fast to the rings of gold on the royal quay, and

whilst we were waiting for litters to be brought, I watched a
lantern lit in the boat which stood guard over Phorenice's mammoth.

The huge red beast stood shoulder-deep in the harbour water, with
trunk up-turned. It was tamed now, and the light of the boat's

lantern fell on the little ripples sent out by its tremblings. But
I did not choose to intercede or ask mercy for it. If the mammoth

sank deeper in the harbour mud, and was swallowed, I could have
borne the loss with equanimity.

To tell the truth, that ride on the great beast's back had
impressed me unfavourably. In fact, it put into me a sense of

helplessness that was wellnigh intolerable. Perhaps circumstances
have made me unduly self-reliant: on that others must judge. But

I will own to having a preference for walking on my own proper
feet, as the Gods in fashioning our shapes most certainly intended.

On my own feet I am able to guard my own head and neck, and have
done on four continents, throughout a long and active life, and on

many a thousand occasions. But on the back of that detestable
mammoth, pah! I grew as nervous as a child or a dastard.

However, I had little enough leisure for personal megrims just
then. Whilst we waited, Phorenice asked the port-captain (who must

needs come up officiously to make his salutations) after the
disposal of Nais, and was told that she had been clapped into a

dungeon beneath the royal pyramid, and the officer of the guard
there had given his bond for her safe-keeping.

"It is to be hoped he understands his work," said the Empress.
"That pretty Nais knows the pyramid better than most, and it may be

he will be sent to the tormentors for putting her in a cell which
had a secret outlet. You would feel pleasure if the girl escaped,

Deucalion?"
"Assuredly," said I, knowing how useless it would be to make

a secret of the matter. "I have no enmity against Nais."
"But I have," said she viciously, "and I am still minded to

lock your faith to me by that wedding gift you know of."
"The thing shall be done," I said. "Before all, the Empress

of Atlantis."
"Poof! Deucalion, you are too stiff and formal. You ought to

be mightily honoured that I condescend to be jealous of your
favours. Your hand, sir, please, to help me into the litter. And

now come in beside me, and keep me warm against the night air. Ho!
you guards there with the torches! Keep farther back against the

street walls. The perfume you are burning stifles me."
Again there was a feast that night in the royal

banqueting-hall; again I sat beside Phorenice on the raised dais
which stands beneath the symbols of the snake and the out-stretched

hand. What had been taken for granted before about our forthcoming
relationship was this time proclaimed openly; the Empress herself

acknowledged me as her husband that was to be; and all that curled
and jewelled throng of courtiers hailed me as greater than

themselves, by reason of this woman's choice. There was method,
too, in their salutation. Some rumour must have got about of my

preference for the older and simpler habits, and there was no
drinking wine to my health after the new and (as I considered)

impertinent manner. Decorously, each lord and lady there came
forward, and each in turn spilt a goblet at my feet; and when I

called any up, whether man or woman, to receive tit-bits from my
platter, it was eaten simply and thankfully, and not kissed or

pocketed with any extravagant gesture.
The flaring jets of earth-breath showed me, too, so I thought,

a plainer habit of dress, and a more sober mien amongst this
thoughtless mob of banqueters. And, indeed, it must have been

plain to notice, for Phorenice, leaning over till the ruddy curls
on her shoulder brushed my face, chided me in a playfulwhisper as

having usurped her high authority already.
"Oh, sir," she pleaded mockingly, "do not make your rule over

us too ascetic. I have given no orders for this change, but
to-night there are no perfumes in the air; the food is so plain and

I have half a mind to burn the cook; and as for the clothes and
gauds of these diners, by my face! they might have come straight

from the old King's reign before I stepped in here to show how
tasteful could be colours on a robe, or how pretty the glint of a

jewel. It's done by no orders of mine, Deucalion. They have swung
round to this change by sheer courtierinstinct. Why, look at the

beards of the men! There is not half the curl about many of them
to-day that they showed with such exquisiteness yesterday. By my

face! I believe they'd reap their chins to-morrow as smooth as
yours, if you go on setting the fashions at this prodigious rate

and I do not interfere."
"Why hinder them if they feel more cleanly shaven?"

"No, sir. There shall be only one clean chin where a beard
can grow in all Atlantis, and that shall be carried by the man who

is husband to the Empress. Why, my Deucalion, would you have no
sumptuary laws? Would you have these good folk here and the common

people outside imitate us in every cut of the hair and every fold
of a garment which it pleases us to discover? Come, sir, if you

and I chose to say that our sovereignty was marked only by our
superior strength of arm and wit, they would hate us at once for

our arrogance; whereas, if we keep apart to ourselves a few mere
personal decorations, these become just objects to admire and

pleasantly envy."
"You show me that there is more in the office of a ruler than

meets the eye."
"And yet they tell me, and indeed show me, that you have ruled

with some success."
"I employed the older method. It requires a Phorenice to

invent these nicer flights."
"Flatterer!" said she, and smote me playfully with the back of

her little fingers on my arm. "You are becoming as great a
courtier as any of them. You make me blush with your fine

pleasantries, Deucalion, and there is no fan-girl here to-night to
cool my cheek. I must choose me another fan-girl. But it shall

not be Ylga. Ylga seems to have more of a kindness for you than I
like, and if she is wise she will go live in her palace at the

other side of the city, and there occupy herself with the ordering
of her slaves, and the makings of embroideries. I shall not be