“This。ItseemsthattheCopt，ashecalledhim，Magas，returnedfromalongjourney，asweknowhedid，andraisedaninsurrectionsomewhereinthesouthofEgypt，faruptheNile。Anexpeditionwassentagainsthim，underoneMusa，theGovernorofEgypt，andtherewasmuchfighting，inwhichthisprisonertookpart。TheendofitwasthattheCoptswhofoughtwithMagaswereconqueredwithslaughter，Magashimselfwasslain，forhewouldnotfly，andhisdaughter，theladyHeliodore，wastakenprisonerwithsomeotherCopticwomen。“
“Andthen？“Igasped。
“Then，General，shewasbroughtbeforetheEmirMusa，who，notingherbeauty，proposedtomakeherhisslave。Atherprayer，however，being，astheprisonersaid，amercifulman，hegaveheraweektomournherfatherbeforesheenteredhisharem。Still，theworst，“hewentonhurriedly，“didnothappen。Beforethatweekwasdone，astheMoslemforcewasmarchingdowntheNile，shestabbedtheeunuchwhowasinchargeofherandescaped。“
“IthankGod，“Isaid。“But，Jodd，howisthemansurethatshewasHeliodore？“
“Thus:AllknewhertobethedaughterofMagas，onewhomtheEgyptiansheldinhonour。Moreover，amongtheMoslemsoldiersshewasnamed’theLadyoftheShells，’becauseofacertainnecklaceshewore，whichyouwillremember。“
“Whatmore？“Iasked。
“OnlythattheEmirMusawasveryangryatherlossandbecauseofitcausedcertainsoldierstobebeatenonthefeet。Moreover，hehaltedhisarmyandofferedarewardforher。Fortwodaystheyhunted，evensearchingsometombswhereitwasthoughtshemighthavehidden，buttherefoundnothingbutthedead。ThentheEmirreturneddowntheNile，andthatistheendofthestory。“
“Sendthisprisonertomeatonce，Jodd，withaninterpreter。Iwouldquestionhimmyself。“
“Ifearheisnotfittocome，General。“
“ThenIwillgotohim。Leadme，Martina。“
“Ifso，youmustgofar，General，forhediedanhourago，andhiscompanionsaremakinghimreadyforburial。“
“Jodd，“Isaidangrily，“thosemenhavebeeninourhandsforweeks。
Howcomesitthatyoudidnotdiscoverthesethingsbefore？Youhadmyorders。“
“Because，General，untiltheyknewthattheyweretogofreenoneoftheseprisonerswouldtellusanything。Howevercloselytheywerequestioned，theysaidthatitwasagainsttheiroath，andthatfirsttheywoulddie。AlongwhileagoIaskedthisverymanofEgypt，andhevowedthathehadneverbeenthere。“
“Becomforted，Olaf，“brokeinMartina，“forwhatmorecouldhehavetoldyou？“
“Nothing，perchance，“Ianswered；“yetIshouldhavegainedmanydaysoftime。KnowthatIgotoEgypttosearchforHeliodore。“
“Becomfortedagain，“saidMartina。“Thisyoucouldnothavedoneuntilthepeacewassigned；itwouldhavebeenagainstyouroathandduty。“
“Thatisso，“Iansweredheavily。
“Olaf，“saidMartinatomethatnightafterJoddhadleftus，“yousaythatyouwillgotoEgypt。Howwillyougo？WilltheblindChristiangeneraloftheEmpire，whohasjustdealtsogreatadefeattothemightyCaliphoftheEast，bewelcomeinEgypt？Aboveall，willhebewelcomedbytheEmirMusa，whorulesthere，whenitisknownthathecomestoseekawomanwhohasescapedfromthatEmir’sharem？Why，withinanhourhe’dofferyouthechoicebetweendeathandtheKoran。
Olaf，thisthingismadness。“
“Itmaybe，Martina。Still，IgotoseekHeliodore。“
“IfHeliodorestilllivesyouwillnothelpherbydying，andifsheisdeadtimewillbelittletoherandshecanwaitforyouawhile。“
“YetIgo，Martina。“
“You，beingblind，gotoEgypttoseekonewhomthosewhoruletherehavesearchedforinvain。Sobeit。Buthowwillyougo？Itcannotbeasanopenenemy，sincethenyouwouldneedafleetandtenthousandswordstobackyou，whichyouhavenot。Totakeafewbravemen，unlesstheywereMoslems，whichisimpossible，wouldbebuttogivethemtodeath。Howdoyougo，Olaf？“
“Idonotknow，Martina。Yourbrainismorenimblethanmine；think，think，andtellme。“
IheardMartinariseandwalkupanddowntheroomforalongtime。Atlengthshereturnedandsatherselfbymeagain。
“Olaf，“shesaid，“youalwayshadatasteformusic。Youhavetoldmethatasaboyinyournorthernhomeyouusedtoplayupontheharpandsingsongstoitofyourownmaking，andnow，sinceyouhavebeenblind，youhavepractisedatthisarttillyouareitsmaster。Also，myvoiceisgood；indeed，itismyonlygift。ItwasmyvoicethatfirstbroughtmetoIrene’snotice，whenIwasbutthedaughterofapoorGreekgentlemanwhohadbeenherfather’sfriendandthereforewasgivenasmallplaceabouttheCourt。Oflatewehavesungmanysongstogether，havewenot，certainoftheminthatnortherntongue，ofwhichyouhavetaughtmesomething？“
“Yes，Martina；butwhatofit？“
“Youaredull，Olaf。IhaveheardthattheseEasternslovemusic，especiallyifitbeofasorttheydonotknow。Why，therefore，shouldnotablindmanandhisdaughter——no，hisorphanedniece——earnanhonestlivingastravellingmusiciansinEgypt？TheseProphetworshippers，Iamtold，thinkitagreatsintoharmonewhoismaimed——apoornortherntraderinamberwhohasbeenrobbedbyChristianthieves。Renderedsightlessalsothathemightnotbeabletosweartothembeforethejudges，andnow，withhissister’schild，winninghisbreadasbesthemay。Likeyou，Olaf，Ihaveskillinlanguages，andevenknowenoughofArabictobeginit，formymother，whowasaSyrian，taughtittomeasachild，andsincewehavebeenhereIhavepractised。Whatsayyou？“
“Isaythatwemighttravelassafelythusasinanyotherway。Yet，Martina，howcanIaskyoutotiesuchaburdenonyourback？“
“Oh！noneedtoask，Olaf，sinceFateboundittherewhenitmademeyour——god-mother。WhereyougoIneedsmustgoalso，untilyouaremarried，“sheaddedwithalaugh。“Afterwards，perhaps，youwillneedmenomore。Well，there’saplan，forwhatitisworth，andnowwe’llsleeponit，hopingtofindabetter。PraytoSt。Michaelto-night，Olaf。“
Asitchanced，St。Michaelgavemenolight，sotheendofitwasthatIdeterminedtoplaythispartofablindharper。InthosedaystherewasatradebetweenLesbosandEgyptincedarwood，wool，winefortheCopts，fortheMoslemsdranknone，andothergoods。PeacehavingbeendeclaredbetweentheislandandtheCaliph，asmallvesselwasladenwithsuchmerchandiseatmycost，andaGreekofLesbos，Menasbyname，putincommandofitastheowner，withacrewofsailorswhomI
couldtrusttothedeath。
Tothesemen，whowereChristians，Itoldmybusiness，swearingthemtosecrecybythemostholyofalloaths。But，alas！asIshallshow，althoughIcouldtrustthesesailorswhentheyweremastersofthemselves，Icouldnottrustthem，or，rather，oneofthem，whenwinewashismaster。Inournorthernlandwehadasayingthat“Aleisanotherman，“andnowitstruthwastobeprovedtome，notforthefirsttime。
WhenallwasreadyImadeknownmyplanstoJoddalone，inwhosehandsIleftawritingtosaywhatmustbedoneifIreturnednomore。TotheotherofficersandthesoldiersIsaidonlythatIproposedtomakeajourneyinthistradingshipdisguisedasamerchant，bothformyhealth’ssakeandtodiscoverformyselfthestateofthesurroundingcountries，andespeciallyoftheChristiansinEgypt。
Whenhehadheardall，Jodd，althoughhewasahopeful-mindedman，grewsadoverthisjourney，whichIcouldseehethoughtwouldbemylast。
“Iexpectednoless，“hesaid；“andyet，General，Itrustedthatyoursaintmightkeepyourfeetonsomesaferpath。DoubtlessthisladyHeliodoreisdead，orfled，orwed；atleast，youwillneverfindher。“
“Still，Imustsearchforher，Jodd。“
“Youareablindman。Howcanyousearch？“
Thenanideacametohim，andheadded，“Listen，General。IandtherestofussworetoprotecttheladyHeliodoreandtobeasherfatherorherbrothers。Doyoubidehere。I
willgotosearchforher，eitherwithavesselfullofarmedmen，oralone，disguised。“
NowIlaughedoutrightandasked，“WhatdisguiseistherethatwouldhidethegiantJodd，whosefametheMoslemspieshavespreadthroughouttheEast？Why，onthedarkestnightyourvoicewouldbetrayyoutoallwithinahundredpaces。AndwhatusewouldoneshiploadofarmedmenbeagainsttheforcesoftheEmirofEgypt？No，no，Jodd，whateverthedangerImustgoandI
alone。IfIamkilled，ordonotreturnwithineightmonths，IhavenamedyoutobeGovernorofLesbos，asalreadyyouhavebeennamedmydeputybyConstantine，whichappointmentwillprobablybeconfirmed。“
“IdonotwanttobeGovernorofLesbos，“saidJodd。“Moreover，Olaf，“
headdedslowly，“ablindbeggarmusthavehisdogtoleadhim，hisbrowndog。Youcannotgoalone，Olaf。Thosedangersofwhichyouspeakmustbesharedbyanother。“
“Thatisso，andittroublesmemuch。Indeed，itisinmymindtoseeksomeotherguide，forIthinkthisonewouldbesafesthereinyourcharge。Youmustreasonwithher，Jodd。Onecanasktoomuch，evenofagod-mother。“
“Ofagod-mother！Whynotsayofagrandmother？ByThor！Olaf，youareblindindeed。Still，I’lltry。Hush！hereshecomestosaythatoursupperisready。“
Atourmealseveralotherswerepresent，besidestheservingfolk，andthetalkwasgeneral。AfteritwasdoneIhadaninterviewwithsomeofficers。Theseleft，andIsatmyselfdownuponacushionedcouch，and，beingtired，therefellasleep，tillIwasawakened，or，rather，halfawakenedbyvoicestalkinginthegardenwithout。TheywerethoseofJoddandMartina，andMartinawassaying，“Ceaseyourwords。IandnooneelsewillgoonthisEgyptianquestwithOlaf。Ifwedie，asIdaresayweshall，whatdoesitmatter？Atleastheshallnotdiealone。“
“Andifthequestshouldfail，Martina？ImeanifheshouldnotfindtheladyHeliodoreandyoushouldhappenbothtoreturnsafe，whatthen？“
“Why，then——nothing，exceptthatasithasbeen，soitwillbe。I
shallcontinuetoplaymypart，asismydutyandmywish。DoyounotrememberthatIamOlaf’sgod-mother？“
