Then Amenartas spoke and said--"'Lo! to my sight,
Kallikrates, the wine in thy cup is turned to blood, and that knife in
thy hand, O daughter of Yarab'--for so she named me--'drips red blood.
Aye, and this place is a sepulchre, and thou, O Kallikrates, sleepest
here, nor can she, thy murderess, kiss back the breath of life into
those cold lips of thine.'
"So indeed it came about as was ordained," added Ayesha reflectively,
"for I slew thee in yonder Place of Life, yes, in my madness I slew thee
because thou wouldst not or couldst not understand the change that had
come over me, and shrankest from my loveliness like a blind bat from
the splendour of flame, hiding thy face in the tresses of her dusky
hair--Why, what is it now, thou Oros? Can I never be rid of thee for an
hour?"
"O Hes, a writing from the Khania Atene," the priest said with his
deprecating bow.
"Break the seal and read," she answered carelessly. "Perchance she has
repented of her folly and makes submission."
So he read--
"To the Hesea of the College on the Mountain, known as Ayesha upon
earth, and in the household of the Over-world whence she has been
permitted to wander, as 'Star-that-hath-fallen--'"
"A pretty sounding name, forsooth," broke in Ayesha; "ah! but, Atene,
set stars rise again--even from the Under-world. Read on, thou Oros."
"Greetings, O Ayesha.
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