CHAPTER III
OF THE COMING OF HARMACHIS TO THE PALACE; OF HOW HE DREW PAULUS THROUGHTHE GATES; OF CLEOPATRA SLEEPING; AND OF THE MAGIC OF HARMACHIS WHICH HESHOWED HER
Thus it came to pass that on the next day I arrayed myself in a long andflowing robe, after the fashion of a magician or astrologer. I placed acap on my head, about which were broidered images of the stars, and inmy belt a scribe's palette and a roll of papyrus written over with magicspells and signs. In my hand I held a wand of ebony, tipped with ivory,such as is used by priests and masters of magic. Among these, indeed,I took high rank, filling my knowledge of their secrets which I hadlearned at Annu what I lacked in that skill which comes from use. And sowith no small shame, for I love not such play and hold this commonmagic in contempt, I set forth through the Bruchium to the palace on theLochias, being guided on my way by my uncle Sepa. At length, passingup the avenue of sphinxes, we came to the great marble gateway and thegates of bronze, within which is the guard-house. Here my uncle left me,breathing many prayers for my safety and success. But I advanced withan easy air to the gate, where I was roughly challenged by the Gallicsentries, and asked of my name, following, and business. I gave my name,Harmachis, the astrologer, saying that my business was with the LadyCharmion, the Queen's lady. Thereon the man made as though to let mepass in, when a captain of the guard, a Roman named Paulus, came forwardand forbade it. Now, this Paulus was a large limbed man, with a woman'sface, and a hand that shook from wine-bibbing. Still he knew me again.
"Why," he cried, in the Latin tongue, to one who came with him, "this isthe fellow who wrestled yesterday with the Nubian gladiator, that samewho now howls for his lost hand underneath my window. Curses on theblack brute! I had a bet upon him for the games! I have backed himagainst Caius, and now he'll never fight again, and I must lose mymoney, all through this astrologer. What is it thou sayest?--thou hastbusiness with the Lady Charmion? Nay, then, that settles it. I willnot let thee through. Fellow, I worship the Lady Charmion--ay, we allworship her, though she gives us more slaps than sighs. And dost thouthink that we will suffer an astrologer with such eyes and such a chestas thine to cut in the game?--by Bacchus, no! She must come out to keepthe tryst, for in thou shalt not go."
"Sir," I said humbly and yet with dignity, "I pray that a message may besent to the Lady Charmion, for my business will not brook delay."
"Ye Gods!" answered the fool, "whom have we here that he cannot wait? ACaesar in disguise? Nay, be off--be off! if thou wouldst not learn how aspear-prick feels behind."
"Nay," put in the other officer, "he is an astrologer; make himprophesy--make him play tricks."
"Ay," cried the others who had sauntered up, "let the fellow show hisart. If he is a magician he can pass the gates, Paulus or no Paulus."
"Right willingly, good Sirs," I answered; for I saw no other means ofentering. "Wilt thou, my young and noble Lord"--and I addressed him whowas with Paulus--"suffer that I look thee in the eyes; perhaps I mayread what is written there?"
"Right," answered the youth; "but I wish that the Lady Charmion was thesorceress. I would stare her out of countenance, I warrant."
I took him by the hand and gazed deep into his eyes. "I see," I said, "afield of battle at night, and about it bodies stretched--among them is_thy_ body, and a hyena tears its throat. Most noble Sir, thou shalt dieby sword-thrusts within a year."
"By Bacchus!" said the youth, turning white to the gills, "thou artan ill-omened sorcerer!" And he slunk off--shortly afterwards, as itchanced, to meet this very fate. For he was sent on service and slain inCyprus.
"Now for thee, great Captain!" I said, speaking to Paulus. "I will showthee how I will pass those gates without thy leave--ay, and draw theethrough them after me. Be pleased to fix thy princely gaze upon thepoint of this wand in my hand."
Being urged by his comrades he did this, unwillingly; and I let himgaze till I saw his eyes grow empty as an owl's eyes in the sun. Then Isuddenly withdrew the wand, and, shifting my countenance into the placeof it, I seized him with my will and stare, and, beginning to turn roundand round, drew him after me, his fierce face drawn fixed, as it were,almost to my own. Then I moved slowly backwards till I had passed thegates, still drawing him after me, and suddenly jerked my head away. Hefell to the ground, to rise wiping his brow and looking very foolish.
"Art thou content, most noble Captain?" I said. "Thou seest we havepassed the gates. Would any other noble Sir wish that I should show moreof my skill?"
"By Taranis, Lord of Thunder, and all the Gods of Olympus thrown in,no!" growled an old Centurion, a Gaul named Brennus, "I like thee not,I say. The man who could drag our Paulus through those gates by the eye,as it were, is not a man to play with. Paulus, too, who always goes theway you don't want him--backwards, like an ass--Paulus! Why, sirrah,thou needst must have a woman in one eye and a wine-cup in the other todraw our Paulus thus."
At this moment the talk was broken, for Charmion herself came down themarble path, followed by an armed slave. She walked calm and carelessly,her hands folded behind her, and her eyes gazing at nothingness, as itwere. But it was when Charmion thus looked upon nothing that she sawmost. And as she came the officers and men of the guard made way forher bowing, for, as I learned afterwards, this girl, next to Cleopatra'sself, wielded more power than anyone about the palace.
"What is this tumult, Brennus?" she said, speaking to the Centurion, andmaking as if she saw me not; "knowest thou not that the Queen sleeps atthis hour, and if she be awakened it is thou who must answer for it, andthat dearly?"
"Nay, Lady," said the Centurion, humbly; "but it is thus. We havehere"--and he jerked his thumb towards me--"a magician of the mostpestilent--um, I crave his pardon--of the very best sort, for he hathbut just now, only by placing his eyes close to the nose of the worthyCaptain Paulus, dragged him, the said Paulus, through the gates thatPaulus swore the magician should not pass. By the same token, lady, themagician says that he has business with you--which grieves me for yoursake."
Charmion turned and looked at me carelessly. "Ay, I remember," she said;"and so he has--at least, the Queen would see his tricks; but if he cando none better than cause a sot"--here she cast a glance of scorn at thewondering Paulus--"to follow his nose through the gates he guards, hehad better go whence he came. Follow me, Sir Magician; and for thee,Brennus, I say, keep thy riotous crew more quiet. For thee, mosthonourable Paulus, get thee sober, and next time I am asked for at thegates give him who asks a hearing." And, with a queenly nod of her smallhead, she turned and led the way, followed at a distance by myself andthe armed slave.
We passed up the marble walk which runs through the garden grounds, andis set on either side with marble statues, for the most part of heathenGods and Goddesses, with which these Lagidae were not ashamed to defiletheir royal dwellings. At length we came to a beautiful portico withfluted columns of the Grecian style of art, where we found more guards,who made way for the Lady Charmion. Crossing the portico we reached amarble vestibule where a fountain splashed softly, and thence by a lowdoorway a second chamber, known as the Alabaster Hall, most beautiful tosee. Its roof was upheld by light columns of black marble, but allits walls were panelled with alabaster, on which Grecian legends wereengraved. Its floor was of rich and many-hued mosaic that told the taleof the passion of Psyche for the Grecian God of Love, and about it wereset chairs of ivory and gold. Charmion bade the armed slave stay at thedoorway of this chamber, so that we passed in alone, for the place wasempty except for two eunuchs who stood with drawn swords before thecurtain at the further end.
"I am vexed, my Lord," she said, speaking very low and shyly, "that thoushouldst have met with such affronts at the gate; but the guard thereserved a double watch, and I had given my commands to the officer ofthe company that should have relieved it. Those Roman officers are everinsolent, who, though they seem to serve, know well that Egypt istheir plaything. But it is not amiss, for these rough soldiers aresuperstitious, and will fear thee. Now bide thou here w
hile I go intoCleopatra's chamber, where she sleeps. I have but just sung her tosleep, and if she be awake I will call thee, for she waits thy coming."And without more words she glided from my side.
In a little time she returned, and coming to me spoke:
"Wouldst see the fairest woman in all the world, asleep?" she whispered;"if so, follow me. Nay, fear not; when she awakes she will but laugh,for she bade me be sure to bring thee instantly, whether she slept orwoke. See, I have her signet."
So we passed up the beautiful chamber till we came to where the eunuchsstood with drawn swords, and these would have barred my entry. ButCharmion frowned, and drawing the signet from her bosom held it beforetheir eyes. Having examined the writing that was on the ring, theybowed, dropping their sword points and we passed through the heavycurtains broidered with gold into the resting-place of Cleopatra. It wasbeautiful beyond imagining--beautiful with many coloured marbles, withgold and ivory, gems and flowers--all art can furnish and all luxurycan dream of were here. Here were pictures so real that birds mighthave pecked the painted fruits; here were statues of woman's lovelinessfrozen into stone; here were draperies fine as softest silk, but wovenof a web of gold; here were couches and carpets such as I never saw. Theair, too, was sweet with perfume, while through the open window placescame the far murmur of the sea. And at the further end of the chamber,on a couch of gleaming silk and sheltered by a net of finest gauze,Cleopatra lay asleep. There she lay--the fairest thing that man eversaw--fairer than a dream, and the web of her dark hair flowed all abouther. One white, rounded arm made a pillow for her head, and one hungdown towards the ground. Her rich lips were parted in a smile, showingthe ivory lines of teeth; and her rosy limbs were draped in so thin arobe of the silk of Cos, held about her by a jewelled girdle, that thewhite gleam of flesh shone through it. I stood astonished, and thoughmy thoughts had little bent that way, the sight of her beauty struck melike a blow, so that for a moment I lost myself as it were in the visionof its power, and was grieved at heart because I must slay so fair athing.
Turning suddenly from the sight, I found Charmion watching me with herquick eyes--watching as though she would search my heart. And, indeed,something of my thought must have been written on my face in a languagethat she could read, for she whispered in my ear:
"Ay, it is pity, is it not? Harmachis, being but a man, methinks thatthou wilt need all thy ghostly strength to nerve thee to the deed!"
I frowned, but before I could frame an answer she touched me lightly onthe arm and pointed to the Queen. A change had come upon her: her handswere clenched, and about her face, all rosy with the hue of sleep,gathered a cloud of fear. Her breath came quick, she raised her arms asthough to ward away a blow, then with a stifled moan sat up and openedthe windows of her eyes. They were dark, dark as night; but whenthe light found them they grew blue as the sky grows blue before theblushing of the dawn.
"Caesarion?" she said; "where is my son Caesarion?--Was it then a dream?I dreamed that Julius--Julius who is dead--came to me, a bloody togawrapped about his face, and having thrown his arms about his child ledhim away. Then I dreamed I died--died in blood and agony; and one Imight not see mocked me as I died. _Ah!_ who is that man?"
"Peace, Madam! peace!" said Charmion. "It is but the magician Harmachis,whom thou didst bid me bring to thee at this hour."
"Ah! the magician--that Harmachis who overthrew the giant? I remembernow. He is welcome. Tell me, Sir Magician, can thy magic mirror callforth an answer to this dream? Nay, how strange a thing is Sleep, thatwrapping the mind in a web of darkness, straightly compels it to itswill! Whence, then, come those images of fear rising on the horizonof the soul like some untimely moon upon a midday sky? Who grants thempower to stalk so lifelike from Memory's halls, and, pointing totheir wounds, thus confront the Present with the Past? Are they, then,messengers? Does the half-death of sleep give them foothold in ourbrains, and thus upknit the cut thread of human kinship? That wasCaesar's self, I tell thee, who but now stood at my side and murmuredthrough his muffled robe warning words of which the memory is lost tome. Read me this riddle, thou Egyptian Sphinx,[*] and I'll show thee arosier path to fortune than all thy stars can point. Thou hast broughtthe omen, solve thou its problem."
[*] Alluding to his name. Harmachis was the Grecian title of the divinity of the Sphinx, as Horemkhu was the Egyptian.-- Editor.
"I come in a good hour, most mighty Queen," I answered, "for I have someskill in the mysteries of Sleep, that is, as thou hast rightly guessed,a stair by which those who are gathered to Osiris may from time to timeenter at the gateways of our living sense, and, by signs and words thatcan be read of instructed mortals, repeat the echoes of that Hall ofTruth which is their habitation. Yes, Sleep is a stair by which themessengers of the guardian Gods may descend in many shapes upon thespirit of their choice. For, O Queen, to those who hold the key,the madness of our dreams can show a clearer purpose and speak morecertainly than all the acted wisdom of our waking life, which is a dreamindeed. Thou didst see great Caesar in his bloody robe, and he threw hisarms about the Prince Caesarion and led him hence. Hearken now to thesecret of thy vision. It was Caesar's self thou sawest coming to thy sidefrom Amenti in such a guise as might not be mistaken. When he embracedthe child Caesarion he did it for a sign that to him, and him alone, hadpassed his greatness and his love. When he seemed to lead him hencehe led him forth from Egypt to be crowned in the Capitol, crowned theEmperor of Rome and Lord of all the Lands. For the rest, I know not. Itis hid from me."
Thus, then, I read the vision, though to my sense it had a darkermeaning. But it is not well to prophesy evil unto Kings.
Meanwhile Cleopatra had risen, and, having thrown back the gnat gauze,was seated upon the edge of her couch, her eyes fixed upon my face,while her fingers played with her girdle's jewelled ends.
"Of a truth," she cried, "thou art the best of all magicians, for thoureadest my heart, and drawest a hidden sweet out of the rough shell ofevil omen!"
"Ay, O Queen," said Charmion, who stood by with downcast eyes, and Ithought that there was bitter meaning in her soft tones; "may no rougherwords ever affront thy ears, and no evil presage tread less closely uponits happy sense."
Cleopatra placed her hands behind her head and, leaning back, looked atme with half-shut eyes.
"Come, show us of thy magic, Egyptian," she said. "It is yet hot abroad,and I am weary of those Hebrew Ambassadors and their talk of Herod andJerusalem. I hate that Herod, as he shall find--and will have none ofthe Ambassadors to-day, though I yearn a little to try my Hebrew onthem. What canst thou do? Hast thou no new trick? By Serapis! if thoucanst conjure as well as thou canst prophesy, thou shalt have a placeat Court, with pay and perquisites to boot, if thy lofty soul does notscorn perquisites."
"Nay," I answered, "all tricks are old; but there are some forms ofmagic to be rarely used, and with discretion, that may be new to thee, OQueen! Art thou afraid to venture on the charm?"
"I fear nothing; go on and do thy worst. Come, Charmion, and sit by me.But, stay, where are all the girls?--Iras and Merira?--they, too, lovemagic."
"Not so," I said; "the charms work ill before so many. Now behold!"and, gazing at the twain, I cast my wand upon the marble and murmureda spell. For a moment it was still, and then, as I muttered, the rodslowly began to writhe. It bent itself, it stood on end, and moved ofits own motion. Next it put on scales, and behold it was a serpent thatcrawled and fiercely hissed.
"Fie on thee!" cried Cleopatra, clapping her hands; "callest thou thatmagic? Why, it is an old trick that any wayside conjurer can do. I haveseen it a score of times."
"Wait, O Queen," I answered, "thou hast not seen all." And, as I spoke,the serpent seemed to break in fragments, and from each fragment grew anew serpent. And these, too, broke in fragments and bred others, till ina little while the place, to their glamoured sight, was a seething seaof snakes, that crawled, hissed, and knotted themselves in knots. ThenI made a sign, and the serpents gathered themselves r
ound me, and seemedslowly to twine themselves about my body and my limbs, till, save myface, I was wreathed thick with hissing snakes.
"Oh, horrible! horrible!" cried Charmion, hiding her countenance in theskirt of the Queen's garment.
"Nay, enough, Magician, enough!" said the Queen: "thy magic overwhelmsus."
I waved my snake-wrapped arms, and all was gone. There at my feet laythe black wand tipped with ivory, and naught beside.
The two women looked upon each other and gasped with wonder. But I tookup the wand and stood with folded arms before them.
"Is the Queen content with my poor art?" I asked most humbly.
"Ay, that I am, Egyptian; never did I see its like! Thou art Courtastronomer from this day forward, with right of access to the Queen'spresence. Hast thou more of such magic at thy call?"
"Yea, royal Egypt; suffer that the chamber be a little darkened, and Iwill show thee one more thing."
"Half am I afraid," she answered; "nevertheless do thou as thisHarmachis says, Charmion."
So the curtains were drawn and the chamber made as though the twilightwere at hand. I came forward, and stood beside Cleopatra. "Gaze thouthere!" I said sternly, pointing with my wand to the empty space where Ihad been, "and thou shalt behold that which is in thy mind."
Then for a little space was silence, while the two women gazed fixedlyand half fearful at the spot.
And as they gazed a cloud gathered before them. Very slowly it tookshape and form, and the form it took was the form of a man, though asyet he was but vaguely mapped upon the twilight, and seemed now to growand now to melt away.
Then I cried with a loud voice:
"Spirit, I conjure thee, _appear!_"
And as I cried the Thing, perfect in every part, leapt into form beforeus, suddenly as the flash of day. His shape was the shape of royalCaesar, the toga thrown about his face, and on his form a vestment bloodyfrom a hundred wounds. An instant so he stood, then I waved my wand andhe was gone.
I turned to the two women on the couch, and saw Cleopatra's lovely faceall clothed in terror. Her lips were ashy white, her eyes stared wide,and all the flesh was shaking on her bones.
"Man!" she gasped; "man! who and what art thou who canst bring the deadbefore our eyes?"
"I am the Queen's astronomer, magician, servant--what the Queen wills,"I answered, laughing. "Was this the form that was on the Queen's mind?"
She made no answer, but, rising, left the chamber by another door.
Then Charmion rose also and took her hands from her face, for she, too,had been stricken with dread.
"How dost thou these things, royal Harmachis?" she said. "Tell me; forof a truth I fear thee."
"Be not afraid," I answered. "Perchance thou didst see nothing but whatwas in my mind. All things are shadows. How canst thou, then, know theirnature, or what is and what only seems to be? But how goes it? Remember,Charmion, this sport is played to an end."
"It goes well," she said. "By to-morrow morning's dawn these taleswill have gone round, and thou wilt be more feared than any man inAlexandria. Follow me, I pray thee."