“Andhewentheavilyandstrickenwithfear。
“’Nay，’shesaid，gazingafterhim，’nomoreamIMeneptah’swife，butstillamIKhem’sdreadedQueen。Oh，thouoldpriest，Iamaweary。Seewhatalotismine，whohaveallthingsbutlove，andyetamsickofall！Ilongedforpower，andpowerismine，andwhatispower？Itisarodwherewithwebeattheairthatstraightwayclosesonthestroke。
Yes，Itireofmylovelessdaysandofthisdullroundofcommonthings。Oh，foronehourofloveandinthathourtodie！Ohthatthefuturewouldliftitsveilanddisclosethefaceoftimetobe！Say，Rei！Wiltthoubeboldanddareadeed？’Andsheclaspedmebythesleeveandwhisperedinmyear，inthedeadtongueknowntoherandme——’HerIslew——thousawest——’
“’Ay，Queen，Isaw——whatofher？’Twasilldone。’
“’Nay，’twasrightlydoneandwelldone。Butthouknowestsheisnotyetcold，norforawhilewillbe，andIhavethearttodragherspiritbackereshebecold，fromwheresheis，andtoforceknowledgefromherlips——forbeinganOsirisallthefutureisopentoherinthishour。’
“’Nay，nay，’Icried。’Itisunholy——notlightlymaywedisturbthedead，lesttheGuardianGodsbemovedtoanger。’
“’YetwillIdoit，Rei。Ifthoudostfear，comenot。ButIgo。Iamfainforknowledge，andthusonlymayIwinit。IfIdieinthedreadendeavour，writethisofMeriamuntheQueen:Thatinseekingtheto-be——shefoundit！’
“’Nay，RoyalLady，’Ianswered，’thoushaltnotgoalone。Itoohavesomeskillinmagic，andperchancecanwardevilfromthee。So，ifindeedthouwiltdarethisdreadfulthing，beholdnow，asever，Iamthyservant。’
“’Itiswell。See，now，thebodywillthisnightbelaidinthesanctuaryoftheTempleofOsiristhatisnearthegreatgates，asisthecustom，toawaitthecomingoftheembalmers。Comeereshebecolderthanmyheart，comewithme，Rei，tothehouseoftheLordoftheDead！’
“Shepassedtoherchamber，wrappedherselfaboutinadarkrobe，andhurriedwithmetotheTempledoors，wherewewerechallengedbytheguards。
“’Whopasses？InthenameoftheHolyOsirisspeak。’
“’Rei，theMasterBuilderandtheanointedPriest，andwithhimanother，’Imadeanswer。’Open。’
“’Nay，Iopennot。Thereisonewithinwhomaynotbewakened。’
“’Who，then，iswithin？’
“’ShewhomtheQueenslew。’
“’TheQueensendsonewhowouldlookonhersheslew。’
“Thenthepriestgazedonthehoodedformbesidemeandstartedback，crying，’Atoken，nobleRei。’
“IhelduptheRoyalsignet，and，bowing，heopened。BeingcomewithintheTempleIlitthetapersthathadbeenprepared。ThenbytheirfeeblelightwepassedthroughtheouterhalltillwecametothecurtainsthatveilthesanctuaryoftheHolyPlace，andhereI
quenchedthetapers；fornofiremustenterthere，savethatwhichburnsuponthealtarofthedead。Butthroughthecurtainscameraysoflight。
“’Open！’saidMeriamun，andIopened，andhandinhandwepassedin。
Onthealtarthatisintheplacetheflameburntbrightly。Thechamberisnotwideandgreat，forthisisthesmallestofthetemplesofTanis，butyetsolargethatthelightcouldnotreachitswallsnorpiercetheoverhanginggloom，andbymuchgazingscarcelycouldwediscovertheoutlineofthegravenshapesoftheHolyGodsthatareuponthewalls。ButthelightfellclearuponthegreatstatueoftheOsiristhatwasseatedbehindthealtarfashionedintheblackstoneofSyene，woundaboutwiththecorpse-cloths，wearingonhisheadthecrownoftheUpperLand，andholdinginhishandsthecrookofdivinityandtheawfulscourgeofpunishment。Thelightshoneallaboutthewhiteanddreadfulshapethatwasplaceduponhisholyknees，thenakedshapeoflostHataskawhothisnighthaddiedatthehandofMeriamun。Thereshebowedherheadagainstthesacredbreast，herlonghairstreamingdownoneitherside，herarmstiedacrossherheart，andhereyes，whencethehuesoflifehadscarcelyfaded，widelystaringatthedarknessoftheshrine。ForatTanistothisdayitisthecustomforanighttoplacethoseofhighbirthorofficewhodiesuddenlyuponthekneesofthestatueofOsiris。
“’See，’IsaidtotheQueen，speakinglow，fortheweightofthehauntedplacesankintomyheart，’seehowshewhoscarceanhouragowasbutalovelywantonhathbythineactbeencladinmajestygreaterthanallthegloryoftheearth。Bethinkthee，wiltthoudareindeedtosummonbackthespirittothebodywhencethouhastsetitfree？
Noteasily，OQueen，mayitbedoneforallthymagic，andifperchancesheanswereththee，itmaywellbethattheterrorofherwordsshallutterlyo’erwhelmus。’
“’Nay，’shemadeanswer，’Iaminstructed。Ifearnot。IknowbywhatnametocalltheKhouthathoversonthethresholdoftheDoubleHallofTruth，andhowtosenditbacktoitsownplace。Ifearnot，butifperchancethoufearest，Rei，departhenceandleavemetothetaskalone。’
“’Nay，’Isaid。’Ialsoaminstructed，andIgonot。ButIsaytotheethatthisisunholy。’
“ThenMeriamunspokenomore——butliftingupherhandssheheldthemheavenwards，andsoforawhileshestood，herfacefixed，aswasthefaceofdeadHataska。Then，asmustbedone，IdrewthecircleroundusandroundthealtarandthestatueofOsiris，andthatwhichsatuponhisknee。WithmystaffIdrewit，andstandingthereinIsaidtheholywordswhichshouldwardawaytheevilthingsthatcomenearinsuchanhour。
“NowMeriamunthrewacertainpowderintotheflameuponthealtar。
Thriceshethrewthepowder，andasshethrewitaballofflamerosefromthealtarandfloatedaway，eachtimethatshethrewdidtheballoffirerise；andthisitwasneedfultodo，forbyfireonlymaythedeadbemanifest，andthereforewasaglobeoffiregiventoeachofthethreeshapesthattogethermakethethreefoldspiritofthedead。
Andwhenthethreeglobesoffirehadmeltedintoair，passingovertheheadofthestatueofOsiris，thricedidMeriamuncryaloud:
“’/Hataska！Hataska！Hataska！/
“’BythedreadfulNameIsummonthee。
“’IsummontheefromthethresholdoftheDoubleHall。
“’IsummontheefromtheGatesofJudgment。
“’IsummontheefromthedoorofDoom。
“’Bythelinkoflifeanddeaththatisbetweentheeandme，IbidtheecomefromwherethouartandmakeanswertothatwhichIshallaskofthee。’
“Sheceased，butnoanswercame。StillthecoldOsirissmiled，andstillthebodyonhiskneesatwithopeneyesgazingintonothingness。
“’Notthuseasily，’Iwhispered，’maythisdreadfulthingbedone。
ThouartinstructedintheWordofFear。Ifthoudarest，letitpassthylips，orletusbegone。’
“’Nay，itshallbespoken，’shesaid——andthusshewrought。PassingtothestatueshehidherheadwithinhercloakandwithbothhandsgraspedthefeetoftheslainHataska。
“SeeingthisIalsocroucheduponthefloorandhidmyface，foritisdeathtohearthatWordwithanuncoveredface。
“Theninsosoftawhisperthatscarcehaditsbreathstirredafeatheronherlips，MeriamunspoketheWordofFearwhichmaynotbewritten，whosesoundhaspowertopassallspaceandopentheearsofthedeadwhodwellinAmenti。Softlyshesaidit，forinashoutofthunderitwascaughtupandechoedfromherlips，anddowntheeternalhallsitseemedtorushonthefeetofstormandthewingsofwind，sothattheroofrockedandthedeepfoundationsoftheTemplequiveredlikeawind-stirredtree。
“’Unveil，yemortals！’criedadreadfulvoice，’andlookuponthesightoffearthatyehavedaredtosummon。’
“AndIroseandcastmycloakfromaboutmyfaceandgazed，thensankdowninterror。ForroundaboutthecirclethatIhaddrawnpressedallthemultitudeofthedead；countlessasthedesertsandstheypressed，gazingwithawfuleyesuponustwain。Andthefirethatwasonthealtardiedaway，butyetwastherelight，foritshonefromthosedeadeyes，andintheeyesoflostHataskatherewaslight。
“Andeverthefaceschanged，neverforonebeatoftimedidtheyceasetochange。Foraswegazeduponafaceitwouldmelt，eventotheeyes，androundthesesameeyesagainwouldgatherbutnomorethesame。AndliketheslopingsidesofpyramidswerethefacessetaboutusfromthegroundtotheTempleroof——andonuswerefixedtheirglowingeyes。
“AndI，Rei，beinginstructed，knewthattosuffermyselftobeovercomewithterrorwasdeath，asitwasdeathtopasswithoutthecircle。SoinmyheartIcalleduponOsiris，LordoftheDead，toprotectus，andevenasInamedtheineffablename，lo！allthethousandthousandfacesbentthemselvesinadorationandthen，turning，lookedeachupontheotherevenasthougheachspaketoeach，andchanged，andswiftlychanged。
“’Meriamun，’Isaid，gatheringupmystrength，’fearnot，butbeware！’
“’Nay，whereforeshouldIfear，’sheanswered，’becausetheveilofsenseistorn，andforanhourweseethosewhoareeveraboutourpathandwhoseeyeswatchourmostsecretthoughtcontinually？Ifearnot。’Andshesteppedboldly，eventotheedgeofthecircle，andcried:
“’Allhail，yeSahus，spiritsoftheawfuldead，amongwhomIalsoshallbenumbered。’
“Andasshecamethechangingfacesshrunkaway，leavingaspacebeforeher。Andinthespacetheregrewtwoarms，mightyandblack，thatstretchedthemselvestowardsher，untiltherewasnotthelengthofthreegrainsofwheatbetwixttheclutchingfingersandherbreast。
