fastened with ropes to its extreme top; but, once the ropes were
cut, the bridge would fall, and light upon whatever came within its

swing, and be held there by the spikes with which it was studded
beneath.

I saw, and inwardly felt myself conquered. The cleverness of
Phorenice had been too strong for my defence. No war-engine of

which we had command could overset the tower. The whole of its
massive timbers were hung with the wet new-stripped skins of

beasts, so that even the throwing-fire could not destroy it. What
puny means we had to impede those who pushed it forward would have

little effect. Presently it would come to the place appointed, and
the ropes would be cut, and the bridge would thunder down on the

rampart above our last gate, and the stormers would pour out to
their final success.

Well, life had loomed very pleasant for me these few days with
a warm and loving Nais once more in touch of my arms, but the High

Gods in Their infinitewisdom knew best always, and I was no rebel
to stay stiff-necked against their decision. But it is ever a

soldier's privilege, come what may, to warm over a fight, and the
most exquisitelyfierce joy of all is that final fight of a man who

knows that he must die, and who lusts only to make his bed of slain
high enough to carry a due memory of his powers with those who

afterwards come to gaze upon it. I gripped my axe, and the muscles
of my arms stood out in knots at the thought of it. Would Tatho

come to give me sport? I feared not. They would send only the
common soldiers first to the storm, and I must be content to do my

killing on those.
And Nais, what of her? I had a quiet mind there. When any

spoilers came to the house where she lay, she would know that
Deucalion had been taken up to the Gods, and she would not be long

in following him. She had her dagger. No, I had no fears of being
parted long from Nais now.

19. DESTRUCTION OF ATLANTIS
A tottering old Priest came up and touched me on the shoulder.

"Well?" I said sharply, having small taste for interruption
just now.

"News has been carried to the Three, my King, of what is
threatened."

"Then they will know that I stand here now, brother, to enjoy
the finest fight of my life. When it is finished I shall go to the

Gods, and be there standing behind the stars to welcome them when
presently they also arrive. They have my regrets that they are too

old and too feeble to die and look upon a fine killing themselves."
"I have commands from them, my King, to lay upon you, which I

fear you will like but slenderly. You are forbidden to find your
death here in the fighting. They have a further use for you yet."

I turned on the old man angrily enough. "I shall take no such
order, my brother. I am not going to believe it was ever given.

You must have misunderstood. If I am a man, if I am a Priest, if
I am a soldier, if I am a King, then it stands to my honour that no

enemy should pass this gate whilst yet I live. And you may go back
and throw that message at their teeth."

The old man smiled enviously. He, too, had been a keen soldier
in his day. "I told them you would not easily believe such a

message, and asked them for a sign, and they bore with me, and
gave me one. I was to give you this jewel, my King."

"How came they by that? It is a bracelet from the elbow of
Nais."

"They must have stripped her of it. I did not know it came
from Nais. The word I was to bring you said that the owner of the

jewel was inside the Ark of the Mysteries, and waited you there.
The use which the Three have for you further concerns her also."

Even when I heard that, I will freelyconfess that my obedience
was sorely tried, and I have the less shame in setting it

down on these sheets, because I know that all true soldiers will
feel a sympathy for my plight. Indeed, the promise of the battle

was very tempting. But in the end my love for Nais prevailed, and
I gave the salutation that was needful in token that I heard the

order and obeyed it.
To the knot of Priests who were left for the defence, I turned

and made my farewells. "You will have what I shall miss, my
brothers," I said. "I envy you that fight. But, though I am King

of Atlantis, still I am only one of the Seven, and so am the
servant of the Three and must obey their order. They speak in

words the will of the most High Gods, and we must do as they
command. You will stand behind the stars before I come, and I ask

of you that you will commend me to Those you meet there. It is not
my own will that I shall not appear there by your side."

They heard my words with smiles, and very courteously saluted
me with their weapons, and there we parted. I did not see the

fight, but I know it was good, from the time which passed before
Phorenice's hordes broke out on to the crest of the Mountain. They

died hard, that last remnant of the lesser Priests of Atlantis.
With a sour enough feeling I went up to the head of the pass,

and then through the groves, and between the temples and colleges
and houses which stood on the upper slopes of the Sacred Mountain,

till I reached that boundary, beyond which in milder days it was
death for any but the privileged few to pass. But the time, it

appeared to me, was past for conventions, and, moreover, my own
temper was hot; and it is likely that I should have strode on with

little scruple if I had not been interrupted. But in the temple
which marked the boundary, there was old Zaemon waiting; and he,

with due solemnity of words, and with the whole of some ancient
ritual ordained for that purpose, sought dispensation from the High

Gods for my trespass, and would not give me way till he was through
with his ceremony.

Already Phorenice's tower and bridge were in position, for the
clash and yelling of a fight told that the small handful of Priests

on the rampart of the last gate were bartering their lives for the
highest return in dead that they could earn. They were trained

fighting men all, but old and feeble, and the odds against them
were too enormous to be stemmed for over long. In a very short

time the place would be put to the storm, and the roof of the
Sacred Mountain would be at the open mercy of the invader. If

there was any further thing to be done, it was well that it should
be set about quickly whilst peace remained. It seemed to me that

the moment for prompt action, and the time for lengthy pompous
ceremonial was done for good.

But Zaemon was mindedotherwise. He led me up to the Ark of the
Mysteries, and chided my patience" target="_blank" title="n.不耐烦，急躁">impatience, and waited till I had given it

my reverential kiss, and then he called aloud, and another old man
came out of the opening which is in the top of the Ark, and climbed

painfully down by the battens which are fixed on its sides. He was
a man I had never seen before, hoary, frail, and emaciated, and he

and Zaemon were then the only two remaining Priests who had been
raised to the highest degree known to our Clan, and who alone had

knowledge of the highest secrets and powers and mysteries.
"Look!" cried Zaemon, in his shrill old voice, and swept a

trembling finger over the shattered city, and the great spread of
sea and country which lay in view of us below. I followed his

pointing and looked, and a chill began to crawl through me. All
was plainly shown. Our Lord the Sun burned high overhead in a sky

of cloudless blue, and day shimmered in His heat. All below seemed
from that distance peaceful and warm and still, save only that the

mountains smoked more than ordinary, and some spouted fires, and
that the sea boiled with some strange disorder.

But it was the significance of the sea that troubled me most.
Far out on the distant coast it surged against the rocks in

enormous rolls of surf; and up the great estuary, at the head of
which the city of Atlantis stands, it gushed in successive waves of

enormousheight which never returned. Already the lower lands on