est her, thou wouldst slay her. Is it not so,
Odysseus?"

"She lives no more, O Queen!" he answered.

"Nay, she lives no more, Odysseus. Now tell me; yesterday thou wentest
up to the Temple of the Hathor; tell me what thou didst see in the
temple."

"I saw a fair woman, or, perchance, an immortal Goddess, stand upon the
pylon brow, and as she stood and sang those who looked were bereft of
reason. And thereafter some tried to pass the ghosts who guarded the
woman, and were slain of invisible swords. It was a strange sight to
see."

"A strange sight, surely. But thou didst not lose thy craft, Odysseus,
nor try to break through the ghosts?"

"Nay, Meriamun. In my youth I looked upon the beauty of Argive Helen,
who was fairer than she who stood upon the pylon tower. None who have
looked upon the Helen would seek to win the Hathor."

"But, perchance, those who have looked upon the Hathor may seek to win
the Helen," she answered slowly, and he knew not what to say, for he
felt the power of her magic on him.

So for awhile they spoke, and Meriamun, knowing all, wondered much at
the guile of the Wanderer, but she showed no wonder in her face. At
length he rose and, bowing before her, said that he must visit the guard
that watched the Palace gates. She looked upon him strangely and bade
him go. Then he went, and right glad he was thus to be free of her.

But when the curtains had swung behind him, Meriamun the Queen sprang to
her feet, and a dreadful light of daring burned in her eyes. She clapped
her hands, and bade those who came to her seek their rest, as she would
also, for she was weary and needed none to wait upon her. So the women
went, leaving her alone, and she passed into her sleeping chamber.

"Now must the bride deck herself for the bridal," she said, and
straightway, pausing not, drew forth the Ancient Evil from its
hiding-place and warmed it on her breast, breathing the breath of life
into its nostrils. Now, as before, it grew and wound itself about her,
and whispered in her ear, bidding her clothe herself in bridal white
and clasp the Evil around her; then think upon the beauty she had seen
gather on the face of dead Hataska in the Temple of Osiris, and on the
face of the Bai, and the face of the Ka. She did its command, fearing
nothing, for her heart was alight with love, and torn with jealous hate,
and little did she reck of the sorrows which her sin should bring forth.
So she bathed herself in perfum