.

When the Queen went to her own house she took with her no servant but the
Captive, and he slept outside her door and brought her food after she had
fasted. The Queen had a jewel of great value, a turquoise that had fallen
from the sun, and had the image of the sun upon it. And when she desired
a young man whom she had seen in the army or among the slaves, she sent
the Captive to him with the jewel, for a sign that he should come to her
secretly at the Queen's House upon business concerning the welfare of
all. And some, after she had talked with them, she sent away with
rewards; and some she took into her chamber and kept them by her for one
night or two. Afterward she called the Captive and bade him conduct the
youth by the secret way he had come, underneath the chambers of the
fortress. But for the going away of the Queen's lovers the Captive took
out the bar that was beneath a stone in the floor of the passage, and put
in its stead a rush-reed, and the youth stepped upon it and fell through
into a cavern that was the bed of an underground river, and whatever was
thrown into it was not seen again. In this service nor in any other did
the Captive fail the Queen.

But when the Queen sent for the Captain of the Archers, she detained him
four days in her chamber, calling often for food and wine, and was
greatly content with him. On the fourth day she went to the Captive
outside her door and said: "Tomorrow take this man up by the sure way, by
which the King comes, and let him live."

In the Queen's door were arrows, purple and white. When she desired the
King to come to her publicly, with his guard, she sent him a white arrow;
but when she sent the purple, he came secretly, and covered himself with
his mantle to be hidden from the stone gods at the gate. On the fifth
night that the Queen was with her lover, the Captive took a purple arrow
to the King, and the King came secretly and found them together. He
killed the Captain with his own hand, but the Queen he brought to public
trial. The Captive, when he was put to the question, told on his fingers
forty men that he had let through the underground passage into the river.
The Captive and the Queen were put to death by fire, both on the same
day, and afterward there was scarcity of rain.

* * * * *

Eden Bower sat shivering a little as she listened. Hedger was not trying
to please her, she thought, but to antagonize and frighten her by h