Indeed they
troubled him much with gifts of flowers and messages sent by servants or
soldiers, making assignations with him, which of course he did not keep.
If we went out into the streets, matters were as bad, for then the
people ceased from their business, such as it was, and followed us
about, staring at us till we took refuge again in the palace gardens.
There remained, therefore, only our rides in the country with the
Khania, but after three or four of them, these came to an end owing to
the jealousy of the Khan, who vowed that if we went out together any
more he would follow with the death-hounds. So we must ride alone, if at
all, in the centre of a large guard of soldiers sent to see that we did
not attempt to escape, and accompanied very often by a mob of peasants,
who with threats and entreaties demanded that we should give back the
rain which they said we had taken from them. For now the great drought
had begun in earnest.
Thus it came about that at length our only resource was making pretence
to fish in the river, where the water was so clear and low that we could
catch nothing, watching the while the Fire-mountain, that loomed in the
distance mysterious and unreachable, and vainly racking our brains for
plans to escape thither, or at least to communicate with its priestess,
of whom we could learn no more.
For two great burdens lay upon our souls.
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