Ayesha, the Return of She Read online

  CHAPTER VI

  IN THE GATE

  Oh! that rush through space! Folk falling thus are supposed to loseconsciousness, but I can assert that this is not true. Never were mywits and perceptions more lively than while I travelled from that brokenglacier to the ground, and never did a short journey seem to take alonger time. I saw the white floor, like some living thing, leaping upthrough empty air to meet me, then--_finis!_

  Crash! Why, what was this? I still lived. I was in water, for I couldfeel its chill, and going down, down, till I thought I should never riseagain. But rise I did, though my lungs were nigh to bursting first. As Ifloated up towards the top I remembered the crash, which told me thatI had passed through ice. Therefore I should meet ice at the surfaceagain. Oh! to think that after surviving so much I must be drowned likea kitten and beneath a sheet of ice. My hands touched it. There it wasabove me shining white like glass. Heaven be praised! My head brokethrough; in this low and sheltered gorge it was but a film no thickerthan a penny formed by the light frost of the previous night. So I rosefrom the deep and stared about me, treading water with my feet.

  Then I saw the gladdest sight that ever my eyes beheld, for on theright, not ten yards away, the water running from his hair and beard,was Leo. Leo alive, for he broke the thin ice with his arms as hestruggled towards the shore from the deep river.[*] He saw me also, andhis grey eyes seemed to start out of his head.

  [*] Usually, as we learned afterwards, the river at this spot was quite shallow; only a foot or two in depth. It was the avalanche that by damming it with fallen heaps of snow had raised its level very many feet. Therefore, to this avalanche, which had threatened to destroy us, we in reality owed our lives, for had the stream stood only at its normal height we must have been dashed to pieces upon the stones. --L. H. H.

  "Still living, both of us, and the precipice passed!" he shouted in aringing, exultant voice. "I told you we were led."

  "Aye, but whither?" I answered as I too fought my way through the filmof ice.

  Then it was I became aware that we were no longer alone, for on thebank of the river, some thirty yards from us, stood two figures, a manleaning upon a long staff and a woman. He was a very old man, for hiseyes were horny, his snow-white hair and beard hung upon the bent breastand shoulders, and his sardonic, wrinkled features were yellow as wax.They might have been those of a death mask cut in marble. There, clad inan ample, monkish robe, and leaning upon the staff, he stood still asa statue and watched us. I noted it all, every detail, although at thetime I did not know that I was doing so, as we broke our way through theice towards them and afterwards the picture came back to me. Also I sawthat the woman, who was very tall, pointed to us.

  Nearer the bank, or rather to the rock edge of the river, its surfacewas free of ice, for here the stream ran very swiftly. Seeing this, wedrew close together and swam on side by side to help each other if needwere. There was much need, for in the fringe of the torrent the strengththat had served me so long seemed to desert me, and I became helpless;numbed, too, with the biting coldness of the water. Indeed, had not Leograsped my clothes I think that I should have been swept away by thecurrent to perish. Thus aided I fought on a while, till he said--"I amgoing under. Hold to the rope end."

  So I gripped the strip of yak's hide that was still fast about him, and,his hand thus freed, Leo made a last splendid effort to keep us both,cumbered as we were with the thick, soaked garments that dragged us downlike lead, from being sucked beneath the surface. Moreover, he succeededwhere any other swimmer of less strength must have failed. Still, Ibelieve that we should have drowned, since here the water ran like amill-race, had not the man upon the shore, seeing our plight and urgedthereto by the woman, run with surprising swiftness in one so aged, to apoint of rock that jutted some yards into the stream, past which we werebeing swept, and seating himself, stretched out his long stick towardsus.

  With a desperate endeavour, Leo grasped it as we went by, rolling overand over each other, and held on. Round we swung into the eddy, foundour feet, were knocked down again, rubbed and pounded on the rocks. Butstill gripping that staff of salvation, to his end of which the oldman clung like a limpet to a stone, while the woman clung to him, werecovered ourselves, and, sheltered somewhat by the rock, flounderedtowards the shore. Lying on his face--for we were still in greatdanger--the man extended his arm. We could not reach it; and worse,suddenly the staff was torn from him; we were being swept away.

  Then it was that the woman did a noble thing, for springing into thewater--yes, up to her armpits--and holding fast to the old man byher left hand, with the right she seized Leo's hair and dragged himshorewards. Now he found his feet for a moment, and throwing one armabout her slender form, steadied himself thus, while with the other hesupported me. Next followed a long confused struggle, but the end of itwas that three of us, the old man, Leo and I, rolled in a heap upon thebank and lay there gasping.

  Presently I looked up. The woman stood over us, water streaming from hergarments, staring like one in a dream at Leo's face, smothered as it waswith blood running from a deep cut in his head. Even then I noticed howstately and beautiful she was. Now she seemed to awake and, glancingat the robes that clung to her splendid shape, said something to hercompanion, then turned and ran towards the cliff.

  As we lay before him, utterly exhausted, the old man, who had risen,contemplated us solemnly with his dim eyes. He spoke, but we did notunderstand. Again he tried another language and without success. A thirdtime and our ears were opened, for the tongue he used was Greek; yes,there in Central Asia he addressed us in Greek, not very pure, it istrue, but still Greek.

  "Are you wizards," he said, "that you have lived to reach this land?"

  "Nay," I answered in the same tongue, though in broken words--since ofGreek I had thought little for many a year--"for then we should havecome otherwise," and I pointed to our hurts and the precipice behind us.

  "They know the ancient speech; it is as we were told from the Mountain,"he muttered to himself. Then he asked--"Strangers, what seek you?"

  Now I grew cunning and did not answer, fearing lest, should he learnthe truth, he would thrust us back into the river. But Leo had no suchcaution, or rather all reason had left him; he was light-headed.

  "We seek," he stuttered out--his Greek, which had always been feeble,now was simply barbarous and mixed with various Thibetan dialects--"weseek the land of the Fire Mountain that is crowned with the Sign ofLife."

  The man stared at us. "So you know," he said, then broke off and added,"and _whom_ do you seek?"

  "Her," answered Leo wildly, "the Queen." I think that he meant to saythe priestess, or the goddess, but could only think of the Greek forQueen, or rather something resembling it. Or perhaps it was because thewoman who had gone looked like a queen.

  "Oh!" said the man, "you seek a queen--then you _are_ those for whom wewere bidden to watch. Nay, how can I be sure?"

  "Is this a time to put questions?" I gasped angrily. "Answer me onerather: who are you?"

  "I? Strangers, my title is Guardian of the Gate, and the lady who waswith me is the Khania of Kaloon."

  At this point Leo began to faint.

  "That man is sick," said the Guardian, "and now that you have got yourbreath again, you must have shelter, both of you, and at once. Come,help me."

  So, supporting Leo on either side, we dragged ourselves away from thataccursed cliff and Styx-like river up a narrow, winding gorge. Presentlyit opened out, and there, stretching across the glade, we saw the Gate.Of this all I observed then, for my memory of the details of this sceneand of the conversation that passed is very weak and blurred, wasthat it seemed to be a mighty wall of rock in which a pathway had beenhollowed where doubtless once passed the road. On one side of thispassage was a stair, which we began to ascend with great difficulty, forLeo was now almost senseless and scarcely moved his legs. Indeed at thehead of the first flight he sank down in a heap, nor did our strengthsuffice t
o lift him.

  While I wondered feebly what was to be done, I heard footsteps, andlooking up, saw the woman who had saved him descending the stair,and after her two robed men with a Tartar cast of countenance, veryimpassive; small eyes and yellowish skin. Even the sight of us didnot appear to move them to astonishment. She spoke some words to them,whereon they lifted Leo's heavy frame, apparently with ease, and carriedhim up the steps.

  We followed, and reached a room that seemed to be hewn from the rockabove the gateway, where the woman called Khania left us. From it wepassed through other rooms, one of them a kind of kitchen, in whicha fire burned, till we came to a large chamber, evidently a sleepingplace, for in it were wooden bedsteads, mattresses and rugs. Here Leowas laid down, and with the assistance of one of his servants, the oldGuardian undressed him, at the same time motioning me to take off my owngarments. This I did gladly enough for the first time during many days,though with great pain and difficulty, to find that I was a mass ofwounds and bruises.

  Presently our host blew upon a whistle, and the other servant appearedbringing hot water in a jar, with which we were washed over. Then theGuardian dressed our hurts with some soothing ointment, and wrapped usround with blankets. After this broth was brought, into which he mixedmedicine, and giving me a portion to drink where I lay upon one of thebeds, he took Leo's head upon his knee and poured the rest of it downhis throat. Instantly a wonderful warmth ran through me, and my achingbrain began to swim. Then I remembered no more.

  After this we were very, very ill. What may be the exact medicaldefinition of our sickness I do not know, but in effect it was such asfollows loss of blood, extreme exhaustion of body, paralysing shockto the nerves and extensive cuts and contusions. These taken togetherproduced a long period of semi-unconsciousness, followed by anotherperiod of fever and delirium. All that I can recall of those weeks whilewe remained the guests of the Guardian of the Gate, may be summed up inone word--dreams, that is until at last I recovered my senses.

  The dreams themselves are forgotten, which is perhaps as well, sincethey were very confused, and for the most part awful; a hotch-potch ofnightmares, reflected without doubt from vivid memories of our recentand fearsome sufferings. At times I would wake up from them a little,I suppose when food was administered to me, and receive impressionsof whatever was passing in the place. Thus I can recollect thatyellow-faced old Guardian standing over me like a ghost in themoonlight, stroking his long beard, his eyes fixed upon my face, asthough he would search out the secrets of my soul.

  "They are the men," he muttered to himself, "without doubt they are themen," then walked to the window and looked up long and earnestly, likeone who studies the stars.

  After this I remember a disturbance in the room, and dominating it, asit were, the rich sound of a woman's voice and the rustle of a woman'ssilks sweeping the stone floor. I opened my eyes and saw that it was shewho had helped to rescue us, who _had_ rescued us in fact, a tall andnoble-looking lady with a beauteous, weary face and liquid eyes whichseemed to burn. From the heavy cloak she wore I thought that she musthave just returned from a journey.

  She stood above me and looked at me, then turned away with a gestureof indifference, if not of disgust, speaking to the Guardian in a lowvoice. By way of answer he bowed, pointing to the other bed where Leolay, asleep, and thither she passed with slow, imperious movements. Isaw her bend down and lift the corner of a wrapping which covered hiswounded head, and heard her utter some smothered words before she turnedround to the Guardian as though to question him further.

  But he had gone, and being alone, for she thought me senseless, she drewa rough stool to the side of the bed, and seating herself studied Leo,who lay thereon, with an earnestness that was almost terrible, forher soul seemed to be concentrated in her eyes, and to find expressionthrough them. Long she gazed thus, then rose and began to walk swiftlyup and down the chamber, pressing her hands now to her bosom and nowto her brow, a certain passionate perplexity stamped upon her face, asthough she struggled to remember something and could not.

  "Where and when?" she whispered. "Oh! where and when?"

  Of the end of that scene I know nothing, for although I fought hardagainst it, oblivion mastered me. After this I became aware that theregal-looking woman called Khania, was always in the room, and that sheseemed to be nursing Leo with great care and tenderness. Sometimes evenshe nursed me when Leo did not need attention, and she had nothing elseto do, or so her manner seemed to suggest. It was as though I excitedher curiosity, and she wished me to recover that it might be satisfied.

  Again I awoke, how long afterwards I cannot say. It was night, andthe room was lighted by the moon only, now shining in a clear sky. Itssteady rays entering at the window-place fell on Leo's bed, and by themI saw that the dark, imperial woman was watching at his side. Some senseof her presence must have communicated itself to him, for he began tomutter in his sleep, now in English, now in Arabic. She became intenselyinterested; as her every movement showed. Then rising suddenly sheglided across the room on tiptoe to look at me. Seeing her coming Ifeigned to be asleep, and so well that she was deceived.

  For I was also interested. Who was this lady whom the Guardian hadcalled the Khania of Kaloon? Could it be she whom we sought? Why not?And yet if I saw Ayesha, surely I should know her, surely there would beno room for doubt.

  Back she went again to the bed, kneeling down beside Leo, and in theintense silence which followed--for he had ceased his mutterings--Ithought that I could hear the beating of her heart. Now she began tospeak, very low and in that same bastard Greek tongue, mixed here andthere with Mongolian words such as are common to the dialects of CentralAsia. I could not hear or understand all she said, but some sentences Idid understand, and they frightened me not a little.

  "Man of my dreams," she murmured, "whence come you? Who are you? Why didthe Hesea bid me to meet you?" Then some sentences I could not catch."You sleep; in sleep the eyes are opened. Answer, I bid you; say whatis the bond between you and me? Why have I dreamt of you? Why do I knowyou? Why----?" and the sweet, rich voice died slowly from a whisper intosilence, as though she were ashamed to utter what was on her tongue.

  As she bent over him a lock of her hair broke loose from its jewelledfillet and fell across his face. At its touch Leo seemed to wake, forhe lifted his gaunt, white hand and touched the hair, then said inEnglish--"Where am I? Oh! I remember;" and their eyes met as he stroveto lift himself and could not. Then he spoke again in his broken,stumbling Greek, "You are the lady who saved me from the water. Say, areyou also that queen whom I have sought so long and endured so much tofind?"

  "I know not," she answered in a voice as sweet as honey, a low,trembling voice; "but true it is I am a queen--if a Khania be a queen."

  "Say, then, Queen, do you remember me?"

  "We have met in dreams," she answered, "I think that we have met in apast that is far away. Yes; I knew it when first I saw you there by theriver. Stranger with the well remembered face, tell me, I pray you, howyou are named?"

  "Leo Vincey."

  She shook her head, whispering--"I know not the name, yet you I know."

  "You know me! How do you know me?" he said heavily, and seemed to sinkagain into slumber or swoon.

  She watched him for a while very intently. Then as though some forcethat she could not resist drew her, I saw her bend down her head overhis sleeping face. Yes; and I saw her kiss him swiftly on the lips, thenspring back crimson to the hair, as though overwhelmed with shame atthis victory of her mad passion.

  Now it was that she discovered me.

  Bewildered, fascinated, amazed, I had raised myself upon my bed, notknowing it; I suppose that I might see and hear the better. It waswrong, doubtless, but no common curiosity over-mastered me, who had myshare in all this story. More, it was foolish, but illness and wonderhad killed my reason.

  Yes, she saw me watching them, and such fury seemed to take hold of herthat I thought my hour had come.

  "Man, have you dare
d----?" she said in an intense whisper, and snatchingat her girdle. Now in her hand shone a knife, and I knew that it wasdestined for my heart. Then in this sore danger my wit came back to meand as she advanced I stretched out my shaking hand, saying--"Oh! ofyour pity, give me to drink. The fever burns me, it burns," and I lookedround like one bewildered who sees not, repeating, "Give me drink, youwho are called Guardian," and I fell back exhausted.

  She stopped like a hawk in its stoop, and swiftly sheathed the dagger.Then taking a bowl of milk that stood on a table near her, she heldit to my lips, searching my face the while with her flaming eyes, forindeed passion, rage, and fear had lit them till they seemed to flame.I drank the milk in great gulps, though never in my life did I find itmore hard to swallow.

  "You tremble," she said; "have dreams haunted you?"

  "Aye, friend," I answered, "dreams of that fearsome precipice and of thelast leap."

  "Aught else?" she asked.

  "Nay; is it not enough? Oh! what a journey to have taken to befriend aqueen."

  "To befriend a queen," she repeated puzzled. "What means the man? Youswear you have had no other dreams?"

  "Aye, I swear by the Symbol of Life and the Mount of the Wavering Flame,and by yourself, O Queen from the ancient days."

  Then I sighed and pretended to swoon, for I could think of nothing elseto do. As I closed my eyes I saw her face that had been red as dawn turnpale as eve, for my words and all which might lie behind them, had gonehome. Moreover, she was in doubt, for I could hear her fingering thehandle of the dagger. Then she spoke aloud, words for my ears if theystill were open.

  "I am glad," she said, "that he dreamed no other dreams, since had hedone so and babbled of them it would have been ill-omened, and I do notwish that one who has travelled far to visit us should be hurled tothe death-dogs for burial; one, moreover, who although old and hideous,still has the air of a wise and silent man."

  Now while I shivered at these unpleasant hints--though what the"death-dogs" in which people were buried might be, I could notconceive--to my intense joy I heard the foot of the Guardian on thestairs, heard him too enter the room and saw him bow before the lady.

  "How go these sick men, niece?"[*] he said in his cold voice.

  [*] I found later that the Khania, Atene, was not Simbri's niece but his great-niece, on the mother's side.--L. H. H.

  "They swoon, both of them," she answered.

  "Indeed, is it so? I thought otherwise. I thought they woke."

  "What have you heard, Shaman (i.e. wizard)?" she asked angrily.

  "I? Oh! I heard the grating of a dagger in its sheath and the distantbaying of the death-hounds."

  "And what have you seen, Shaman?" she asked again, "looking through theGate you guard?"

  "Strange sight, Khania, my niece. But--men awake from swoons."

  "Aye," she answered, "so while this one sleeps, bear him to anotherchamber, for he needs change, and the lord yonder needs more space anduntainted air."

  The Guardian, whom she called "Shaman" or Magician, held a lamp in hishand, and by its light it was easy to see his face, which I watchedout of the corner of my eye. I thought that it wore a very strangeexpression, one moreover that alarmed me somewhat. From the beginningI had misdoubted me of this old man, whose cast of countenance wasvindictive as it was able; now I was afraid of him.

  "To which chamber, Khania?" he said with meaning.

  "I think," she answered slowly, "to one that is healthful, where hewill recover. The man has wisdom," she added as though in explanation,"moreover, having the word from the Mountain, to harm him would bedangerous. But why do you ask?"

  He shrugged his shoulders.

  "I tell you I heard the death-hounds bay, that is all. Yes, with you Ithink that he has wisdom, and the bee which seeks honey should suck theflower--before it fades! Also, as you say, there are commands with whichit is ill to trifle, even if we cannot guess their meaning."

  Then going to the door he blew upon his whistle, and instantly I heardthe feet of his servants upon the stairs. He gave them an order, andgently enough they lifted the mattress on which I lay and followed himdown sundry passages and past some stairs into another chamber shapedlike that we had left, but not so large, where they placed me upon abed.

  The Guardian watched me awhile to see that I did not wake. Next hestretched out his hand and felt my heart and pulse; an examinationthe results of which seemed to _puzzle_ him, for he uttered a littleexclamation and shook his head. After this he left the room, and I heardhim bolt the door behind him. Then, being still very weak, I fell asleepin earnest.

  When I awoke it was broad daylight. My mind was clear and I felt betterthan I had done for many a day, signs by which I knew that the fever hadleft me and that I was on the high road to recovery. Now I rememberedall the events of the previous night and was able to weigh themcarefully. This, to be sure, I did for many reasons, among them that Iknew I had been and still was, in great danger.

  I had seen and heard too much, and this woman called Khania guessed thatI had seen and heard. Indeed, had it not been for my hints about theSymbol of Life and the Mount of Flame, after I had disarmed her firstrage by my artifice, I felt sure that she would have ordered the oldGuardian or Shaman to do me to death in this way or the other; sure alsothat he would not have hesitated to obey her. I had been spared partlybecause, for some unknown reason, she was afraid to kill me, and partlythat she might learn how much I knew, although the "death-hounds hadbayed," whatever that might mean. Well, up to the present I was safe,and for the rest I must take my chance. Moreover it was necessary tobe cautious, and, if need were, to feign ignorance. So, dismissing thematter of my own fate from my mind, I fell to considering the scenewhich I had witnessed and what might be its purport.

  Was our quest at an end? Was this woman Ayesha? Leo had so dreamed, buthe was still delirious, therefore here was little on which to lean.What seemed more to the point was that she herself evidently appeared tothink that there existed some tie between her and this sick man. Whyhad she embraced him? I was sure that she could be no wanton, nor indeedwould any woman indulge for its own sake in such folly with a strangerwho hung between life and death. What she had done was done becauseirresistible impulse, born of knowledge, or at least of memories, droveher on, though mayhap the knowledge was imperfect and the memories wereundefined. Who save Ayesha could have known anything of Leo in the past?None who lived upon the earth to-day.

  And yet, why not, if what Kou-en the abbot and tens of millions of hisfellow-worshippers believed were true? If the souls of human beings werein fact strictly limited in number, and became the tenants of an endlesssuccession of physical bodies which they change from time to time as wechange our worn-out garments, why should not others have known him? Forinstance that daughter of the Pharaohs who "caused him through love tobreak the vows that he had vowed" knew a certain Kallikrates, a priestof "Isis whom the gods cherish and the demons obey;" even Amenartas, themistress of magic.

  Oh! now a light seemed to break upon me, a wonderful light. What ifAmenartas and this Khania, this woman with royalty stamped on everyfeature, should be the same? Would not that "magic of my own peoplethat I have" of which she wrote upon the Sherd, enable her to pierce thedarkness of the Past and recognize the priest whom she had bewitched tolove her, snatching him out of the very hand of the goddess? What if itwere not Ayesha, but Amenartas re-incarnate who ruled this hidden landand once more sought to make the man she loved break through his vows?If so, knowing the evil that must come, I shook even at its shadow. Thetruth must be learned, but how?

  Whilst I wondered the door opened, and the sardonic,inscrutable-old-faced man, whom this Khania had called Magician, and whocalled the Khania, niece, entered and stood before me.