He peered at her inquiringly, echoing ‘Why?’

And she repeated, as a child might repeat it, ‘Why that?’

Then the Vizier smote his forehead in the madness of utter perplexity, changing his eye from Bhanavar to the tomb of Almeryl, doubting her truth, yet dreading to disbelieve it.  So she saw him fast enmeshed in her subtleties, and clapped her hands crying, ’Come again with me to the tomb, and note if there be aught I am to blame in, O Aswarak, and plight thyself to me beside it.’

He did nothing save to widen his eye at her somewhat; and she said, ’The two are yonside the tomb, and they hear us not, and see us not by this light of the Jewel; so come up to it boldly with me; free thy mind of its doubt, and for a reconcilement kiss me on the way.’

Aswarak moved not forward; but as Bhanavar laid the Jewel in her bosom he tore the veil from her darkened head, and caught her to him and kissed her.  Then Bhanavar laughed and shouted, ’How is it with thee, Vizier Aswarak?’

He was tottering, and muttered, ’’Tis a death-chill hath struck me even to my marrow.’

So she drew the Jewel forth once more, and rubbed it ablaze, and the noise of the Serpents neared; and they streamed into the vault and under it in fiery jets, surrounding Bhanavar, and whizzing about her till in their velocity they were indivisible; and she stood as a fountain of fire clothed in flashes of the underworld, the new loveliness of her face growing vivid violet like an incessant lightning above them.  Then stretched she her two hands, and sang to the Serpents:—­

        Hither, hither, to the feast! 
        Hither to the sacrifice! 
        Virtue for my sake hath ceased: 
        Now to make an end of Vice!

        Twisted-tail and treble-tongue,
        Swelling length and greedy maw! 
        I have had a horrid wrong;
        Retribution is the law!

        Ye that suck’d my youthful lord,
        Now shall make another meal: 
        Seize the black Vizier abhorr’d;
        Seize him! seize him throat and heel!

        Set your serpent wits to find
        Tortures of a new device: 
        Have him! have him heart and mind! 
        Hither to the sacrifice’

Then she whirled with them round and round as a tempest whirls; and when she had wound them to a fury, lo, she burst from the hissing circle and dragged Ukleet from the vault into the passage, and blocked the entrance to the vault.  So was Queen Bhanavar avenged.

Now, she said to Ukleet, ’Ransom presently the broker,—­him they will not harm,’ and hastened to the King that he might see her in her beauty.  The King reclined on cushions in the harem with a fair slave-girl, newly from the mountains, toying with the pearls in her locks.  Then thought Bhanavar, ‘Let him not slight me!’ So she drew a rose-coloured veil over her face and sat beside Mashalleed.  The King continued his fondling with the girl, saying to her, ’Was there no destiny foretold of thy coming to the palace of the King to rule it, O Nashta, starbeam in the waters! and hadst thou no dream of it?’