“How will you make him stay here, Kaku?  Not by——­” and she glanced towards the shrouded crystal.

“Nay, no blood if it can be helped.  He must not even seem to be a prisoner, it is too dangerous.  But there are other ways.”

“What ways?  Poison?”

“Too dangerous again.  Now, if he fell sick, and he has been sick before, and could not stir, it would give us time to bring about the marriage, would it not?  Oh!  I know that he is well at present—­for him, but look here, Merytra, I have something to show you.”

Then going to a chest Kaku took from it a plain box of cedar wood which was shaped like a mummy case, and, lifting off its lid, revealed within it a waxen figure of the length of a hand.  This figure was beautifully fashioned to the living likeness of Pharaoh, and crowned with the double crown of Egypt.

“What is it?” asked Merytra, shrinking back.  “An ushapti to be placed in his tomb?”

“No, woman, a magic Ka fashioned with many a spell out of yonder ancient roll, that can bring him to the tomb if it be rightly used, as you shall use it.”

“I!” she exclaimed, starting.  “How?”

“Thus:  You, as one of Pharaoh’s favourite ladies, have charge of the chamber where he sleeps.  Now you must make shift to enter there alone and lay this figure in his bed, that the breath of Pharaoh may enter into it.  Then take it from the bed and say these words, ’Figure, figure, I command thee by the power within thee and in the name of the Lord if Ill, that as thy limbs waste, so shall the limbs of him in whose likeness thou art fashioned waste also.’  Having spoken thus, hold the legs of the image over the flame of a lamp until it be half melted, and convey the rest of it away to your own sleeping-place and hide it there.  So it shall come about that during that night the nerves and muscles in the legs of Pharaoh will wither and grow useless to him, and he be paralysed and unable to stir.  Afterwards, if it be needful, I will tell you more.”

Now, bold though she was, Merytra grew afraid.

“I cannot do it,” she said, “it is black sorcery against one who is a god, and will bring my soul to hell.  Find some other instrument, or place the waxen imp in the bed of Pharaoh yourself, Kaku.”

The face of the magician grew fierce and cruel.

“Come with me, Merytra,” he said, and taking her by the wrist he led her to the open window-place whence he observed the stars.

So giddy was the height at the top of this lofty tower that the houses beneath looked small and far away, and the sky quite near.

“Behold Memphis and the Nile, and the wide lands of Egypt gleaming in the moonlight, and the Pyramids of the ancient kings.  You wish to rule over all these, like myself—­do you not, Merytra?—­and if you obey me you shall do so.”

“And if I do not obey?”