shield of defence to him who wears it. Yes, and now I understand what
perplexed me somewhat, namely, how it came about that when you vexed me
into unveiling--but let that matter be. The wisdom was not your own, but
another's, that is all. Yes, the wisdom of one whose years have borne
him beyond the shafts that fly from woman's eyes, the ruinous shafts
which bring men down to doom and nothingness. Tell me, Allan, is this
the likeness of him who gave it to you?"

"Yes, Ayesha, the very picture, as I think, carved by himself, though he
said that it is ancient, and others tell that it has been known in the
land for centuries."

"So perchance has he," she answered drily, "since some of our company
live long. Now tell me this wizard's names. Nay, wait awhile for I would
prove that indeed you are his messenger with whom I may talk about the
dead, and other things, Allan. You can read Arabic, can you not?"

"A little," I answered.

Then from a stool at her side she took paper, or rather papyrus and a
reed pen, and on her knee wrote something on the sheet which she gave to
me folded up.

"Now tell me the names," she said, "and then let us see if they tally
with what I have written, for if so you are a true man, not a mere
wanderer or a spy."

"The principal names of this doctor are Zikali, the Opener-of-Roads, the
'_Thing-that-should-never-have-been-born_,'" I answered.

"Read the writing, Allan," she said.

I unfolded the sheet and read Arabic words which meant, "Weapons,
Cleaver-of-Rocks, One-at-whom-dogs-bark-and-children-wail."

"The last two are near enough," she said, "but the first is wrong."

"Nay, Ayesha, since in this man's tongue the word 'Zikali' means
'Weapons'"; intelligence at which she clapped her hands as a merry girl
might do. "The man," I went on, "is without doubt a great doctor, one
who sees and knows things that others do not, but I do not understand
why this token carved in his likeness should have power, as you say it
has."

"Because with it goes his spirit, Allan. Have you never heard of the
Egyptians, a very wise people who, as I remember, declared that man has
a _Ka_ or Double, a second self, that can either dwell in his statue or
be sent afar?"

I answered that I had heard this.

"Well the _Ka_ of this Zikali goes with that hideous image of him, which
is perhaps why you have come safe through many dangers and why also I
seemed to dream so much of him last night. Tell me now, what does