you shall fall at last, dying by a death of shame, and
the evil gods shall seize upon you, O Traitor, and drag you to the maw
of the Eater-up of Souls, and therein you shall vanish for ever for
aye, you and all your House, and all those who cling to you. Thus saith
Neter-Tua, speaking with the voice of Amen who created her, her father
and the god of gods."

Now when the soldiers heard these dreadful words, one by one they turned
and crept down the stairs, till at last there were left upon the pylon
roof only the Queen, Asti crouching at her feet, and the monstrous Abi,
her uncle.

He looked at her, and thrice he tried to speak but failed, for the words
choked in his throat. A fourth time he tried, and they came hoarsely:

"Take off your curse, O mighty Queen," he said, "and I will let you go.
I am old, to-night all my lawful sons are dead; take off your curse,
leave me in my Government, and though I desire you more than the throne
of Egypt, O Beautiful, still I will let you go."

"Nay," answered the Queen, "I cannot if I would. It is not I who spoke,
but a Spirit in my mouth. Do your worst, O son of Set. The curse remains
upon you."

Now Abi shook in the fury of his fear, and answered:

"So be it, Star of Amen, having nothing more to dread I will do my
worst. Pharaoh my enemy is dead, and you, his daughter, shall be my wife
of your own free will, or since no man will lay a finger upon you, here
in this tower you shall starve. Death is not yet; I shall have my day,
it is sworn to me. Reign with me if you will, or starve without me if
you will--I tell you, Daughter of Amen, that I shall have my day."

"And I tell you, Son of Set, that after the day comes the long terror of
that night which knows no morrow."

Then finding no answer, he too turned and went.

When he was gone Neter-Tua stood a while looking down upon the thousands
of people gathered in the great square where the battle had been fought,
who stared up at her in a deadly silence. Then she descended from the
coping-stone, and, taking Asti by the arm, led her from the roof to the
little chamber where she had slept.

Six days had gone by, and Queen Neter-Tua starved in the pylon tower.
Till now the water had held out for there was a good supply of it
in jars, but at last it was done, while, as for food, they had eaten
nothing except a store of honey which Asti took at night from the bees
that hived among the topmost pylon stones. That day the honey