“If your dull wit can invent no death to satisfy your cruelty, the blood-hound Zminis can aid you.  You are a worthy couple.  Curses on you!....

“At him!” yelled the emperor to Macrinus and the legate, for no substitute had appeared for the centurion he had dismissed.

But while the nobles advanced warily upon the madman, and Macrinus called to the Germanic body-guard in the anteroom, Philip had turned like lightning and disappeared through the window.

The legates and Caesar came too late to hold him back, and from below came cries of:  “Crushed!—­dead! . .  What crime has he committed? .  They cast him down! . . .  He can not have done it himself . . .  Impossible! . . .  His arms are bound. . .  A new manner of death invented specially for the Alexandrians!”

Then another whistle sounded, and the shout, “Down with the tyrant!”

But no second cry followed.  The place was too full of soldiers and lictors.

“Caracalla heard it all.  He turned back into the room, wiped the perspiration from his brow, and said in a voice of studied unconcern, yet with horrible harshness: 

“He deserved his death-ten times over.  However, I have to thank him for a good suggestion.  I had forgotten the Egyptian Zminis.  If he is still alive, Macrinus, take him from his dungeon and bring him here.  But quickly—­in a chariot!  Let him come just as he is.  I can make use of him now.”

The prefect bowed assent, and by the rapidity with which he departed he betrayed how willingly he carried out this order of his master’s.

ETEXT EDITOR’S BOOKMARKS: 

Possess little and require nothing

*** End of the project gutenberg EBOOK A THRONY path, by Ebers, V10 ***

******** This file should be named g100v10.txt or g100v10.zip *********

Corrected editions of our eBooks get a new number, g100v11.txt versions based on separate sources get new letter, g100v10a.txt

This eBook was produced by David Widger widger@cecomet.net

Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the us unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we usually do not keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

We are now trying to release all our eBooks one year in advance of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing.  Please be encouraged to tell us about any error or corrections, even years after the official publication date.

Please note neither this listing nor its contents are final til midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement.  The official release date of all Project Gutenberg eBooks is at Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month.  A preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment and editing by those who wish to do so.