er than in those of his own courage and of
the strength that wields it. Fools, every one of us, though perchance
I am the greatest fool among them. Now take me to the warrior,
Umslopogaas, whom I would thank, as I thank you, Allan, and the little
yellow man, although he jeers at me with his sharp tongue, not knowing
that if I were angered, with a breath I could cause him to cease to be."

"Then why did you not choose Rezu to cease to be, and his army also,
Ayesha?"

"It seems that I have done these things through the axe of Umslopogaas
and by the help of your generalship, Allan. Why then, waste my own
strength when yours lay to my hand?"

"Because you had no power over Rezu, Ayesha, or so you told me."

"Have I not said that my words are snowflakes, meant to melt and leave
no trace, hiding my thoughts as this veil hides my beauty? Yet as the
beauty is beneath the veil, perchance there is truth beneath the words,
though not that truth you think. So you are well answered, and for the
rest, I wonder whether Rezu thought I had no power over him when yonder
on the mountain spur he saw me float down upon his companies like a
spirit of the night. Well, perchance some day I shall learn this and
many other things."

I made no answer, since what was the use of arguing with a woman who
told me frankly that all she said was false. So, although I longed to
ask her why these Amahagger had such reverence for the talisman that
Hans called the Great Medicine, since now I guessed that her first
explanations concerning it were quite untrue, I held my tongue.

Yet as we went out of the house, by some coincidence she alluded to this
very matter.

"I wish to tell you, Allan," she said, "why it was those Amahagger would
not accept you as a General till their eyes had seen that which you wear
upon your breast. Their tale of a legend of this very thing seemed that
of savages or of their cunning priests, not to be believed by a wise man
such as you are, like some others that you have heard in Kor. Yet it has
in it a grain of truth, for as it chanced a little while ago, about a
hundred years ago, I think, the old wizard whose picture is cut upon
the wood, came to visit her who held my place before me as ruler of this
tribe--she was very like me and as I believe, my mother, Allan--because
of her repute for wisdom.

"At that time I have heard there was a question of war between the
worshippers of Lulala and the grandfather of Rezu. But thi