“Jeekie，“hesaid，“asktheAsikaifIammad，orifsheis。HowcansheknowwhatIusedtowear，seeingthatIwasneverinthisplacetillyesterday，andcertainlyIhavenotmetheranywhereelse。“
“Shemeanwhenyouyourreverenduncle，“saidJeekie，wagginghisgreathead，“shethinkyouidenticalman。“
“Whattroublesyou，Vernoon，“theAsikaaskedsoftly，thenaddedanythingbutsoftlytoJeekie，“Translate，youdog，andbeswift。“
SoJeekietranslatedinagreathurry，tellingherwhatAlanhadsaid，andaddingonhisownaccountthathe，sillywhitemanthathewas，couldnotunderstandhow，asshewasquiteayoungwoman，shecouldhaveseenhimbeforeshewasborn。Ifthatwereso，shewouldbeoldanduglynow，notbeautifulasshewas。
“Ineversawyoubefore，andyouneversawme，Lady，yetyoutalkasthoughwehadbeenfriends，“brokeinAlaninhishaltingAsiki。
“Sowewereinthespirit，Vernoon。Itwasshewhowentbeforemewholovedthatwhitemanwhosefacewasasyourfaceis，butherghostlivesoninmeandtellsmethetale。TherehavebeenmanyAsikas，forthousandsofyearstheyhaveruledinthisland，yetbutonespiritbelongstothemall；itisthestringuponwhichthebeadsoftheirlivesarethreaded。Whiteman，I，whomyouthinkyoung，knoweverythingbacktothebeginningoftheworld，backtothetimewhenI
wasamonkeywomansittinginthosecedartrees，andifyouwish，I
cantellityou。“
“Ishouldliketohearitverymuchindeed，“answeredAlan，whenhehadmasteredhermeaning，“thoughitisstrangethatnoneoftherestofusremembersuchthings。Meanwhile，OAsika，IwilltellyouthatI
desiretoreturntomyownland，takingwithmethatgiftofgoldthatyouhavegivenme。Whenwillitpleaseyoutoallowmetoreturn？“
“Notyetawhile，Ithink，“shesaid，smilingathimweirdly，fornootherwordwilldescribethatsmile。“Myspiritremembersthatitwasalwaysthus。Thosewandererswhocamehitheralwayswishedtoreturnagaintotheirowncountry，likethebirdsinspring。Oncetherewasawhitemanamongthem，thatwasmorethantwentyhundredyearsago；hewasanativeofacountrycalledRoma，andworeahelmet。Hewishedtoreturn，butmymotherofthatday，shekepthimandbyandbyIwillshowhimtoyouifyoulike。Beforethattherewasabrownmanwhocamefromalandwhereagreatriveroverflowsitsbankseveryyear。
Hewasaprinceofhisowncountry，whohadfledfromhiskingandthedesertfolkmadeaslaveofhim，andsohedriftedhither。Hewishedtoreturnalso，formymotherofthatday，ormyspiritthatdweltinher，showedtohimthatifhecouldbutbetheretheywouldmakehimkinginhisownland。Butmymotherofthatday，shewouldnotlethimgo，andbyandbyIwillshowhimtoyou，ifyouwish。“
Bewildered，amazed，Alanlistenedtoher。Evidentlythewomanwasmad，orelsesheplayedsomemysticalpartforreasonsofherown。
“Whenwillyouletmego，OAsika？“herepeated。
“Notyetawhile，Ithink，“shesaidagain。“YouaretoocomelyandI
likeyou，“andshesmiledathim。Therewasnothingcoarseinthesmile，indeedithadacertainspiritualqualitywhichthrilledhim。
“Ilikeyou，“shewentoninherdreamyvoice，“Iwouldkeepyouwithmeuntilyourspiritisdrawnupintomyspirit，makingitstrongandrichasallthespiritsthatwentbeforehavedone，thosespiritsthatmymotherslovedfromthebeginning，whichdwellinmeto-day。“
NowAlangrewalarmed，desperateeven。
“Queen，“hesaid，“butjustnowyourhusbandsathere，isitrightthenthatyoushouldtalktomethus？“
“Myhusband，“sheanswered，laughing。“Why，thatmanisbutaslavewhoplaysthepartofhusbandtosatisfyanancientlaw。Neverhashesomuchaskissedmyfingertips；mywomen——thosewhowaitedonyoulastnight——arehiswives，notI，——ormaybe，ifhewill。Soonhewilldieofloveforme，andthenwhenheisdead，thoughnotbefore，Imaytakeanotherhusband，anyhusbandthatIchoose，andIthinkthatnoblackmanshallbemylord，whohaveother，purerbloodinme。
Vernoon，fivecenturieshavegonebysinceanAsikawasreallywedtoaforeignmanwhoworeagreenturbanandcalledhimselfasonoftheProphet，amanwithahookednoseandflashingeyes，whoreviledourgodsuntiltheyslewhim，eventhoughhewasthebelovedoftheirpriestess。Shewhowentbeforemealsowouldhavemarriedthatwhitemanwhosefacewaslikeyourface，buthefledwithLittleBonsa，orratherLittleBonsafledwithhim。Soshepassedawayunwed，andinherplaceIcame。“
“Howdidyoucome，ifshewhomyoucallyourmotherwasnotyourmother？“askedAlan。
“Whatisthattoyou，whiteman？“sherepliedhaughtily。“Iamhere，asmyspirithasbeenherefromthefirst。Oh！IseeyouthinkIlietoyou，comethen，come，andIwillshowyouthosewhofromthebeginninghavebeenthehusbandsoftheAsika，“andrisingfromherchairshetookhimbythehand。
Theywentthroughdoorsandbylong，half-litpassagestilltheycametogreatgatesguardedbyoldpriestsarmedwithspears。AstheydrewneartotheseprieststheAsikaloosedascarfthatsheworeoverherbreast-plateofgoldfishscales，andthrewthestar-spangledthingoverAlan’shead，thateventhesepriestsshouldnotseehisface。
Thenshespokeawordtothemandtheyopenedthegates。HereJeekieevincedadispositiontoremain，remarkingtohismasterthathethoughtthatplace，intowhichhehadneverentered，“muchtooholyforpoorniggerlikehim。“
TheAsikaaskedhimwhathehadsaidandheexplainedhissenseofunworthinessinherowntongue。
“Come，fellow，“sheexclaimed，“totranslatemywordsandtobearwitnessthatnotrickisplayeduponyourlord。“
StillJeekielingeredbashfully，whereonatasignfromheroneofthepriestsprickedhimbehindwithhisgreatspear，andutteringalowhowlhesprangforward。
TheAsikaledthewaydownapassage，whichtheysawendedinabighalllitwithlamps。NowtheywereinitandAlanbecameawarethattheyhadenteredthetreasurehouseoftheAsiki，sinceherewerepiledupgreatheapsofgold，goldiningots，goldinnuggets，instonejarsfilledwithdust，invesselsplainorembossedwithmonstrousshapesinfetishesandinlittlesquaresanddiscsthatlookedasthoughtheyhadservedascoins。Neverhadheseensomuchgoldbefore。
“Youarerichhere，Lady，“hesaid，gazingatthepilesastonished。
Sheshruggedhershoulders。“Yes，asIhaveheardthatsomepeoplecountwealth。Thesearetheofferingsbroughttoourgodsfromthebeginning；alsoallthegoldfoundinthemountainsbelongstothegods，andthereismuchofitthere。ThegiftIsenttoyouwastakenfromthisheap，butintruthitisbutapoorgift，seeingthatalthoughthisstuffisbrightandservesforcupsandotherthings，ithasnouseatallandisonlyofferedtothegodsbecauseitishardertocomebythanothermetals。Look，theseareprettierthanthegold，“
andfromastonetableshepickedupathazardalongnecklaceoflarge，uncutstones，redandwhiteincolourandsetalternatively，thatAlanjudgedtobecrystalsandspinels。
“Takeit，“shesaid，“andexamineitatyourleisure。Itisveryold。
Forhundredsofyearsnomoreofthesenecklaceshavebeenmade，“andwithacarelessmovementshethrewthechainoverhisheadsothatithunguponhisshoulders。
Alanthankedher，thenrememberedthatthemancalledMungana，whowasthehusband，realorofficial，ofthispriestess，hadbeensomewhatsimilarlyadorned，andshiveredalittleasthoughatapresageofadvancingfate。Stillhedidnotreturnthething，fearinglestheshouldgiveoffence。
Atthismomenthisattentionwastakenfromthetreasurebythesoundofagroanbehindhim。TurningroundheperceivedJeekie，hisgreateyesrollingasthoughinanextremityoffear。
“Ohmygolly！Major，“heejaculated，pointingtothewall，“lookthere。“
Alanlooked，butatfirstinthatdimlightcouldonlydiscoverlongrowsofgleamingobjectswhichreachedfromthefloortotheroof。
“Comeandsee，“saidtheAsika，andtakingalampfromthattableonwhichlaythegems，sheledhimpastthepilesofgoldtoonesideofthevaultorhall。Thenhesaw，andalthoughhedidnotshowit，likeJeekiehewasafraid。
Forthere，eachinhisownnicheandstandingoneabovetheother，werewhatlookedlikehundredsofgoldenmenwithgleamingeyes。Atfirstuntiltheutterstillnessundeceivedhim，hethoughtthatthey/must/bemen。Thenheunderstoodthatthiswaswhattheyhadbeen；
nowtheywerecorpseswrappedinsheetsofthingoldandwearinggoldenmaskswitheyesofcrystal，eachmaskbeingbeatenouttoahideousrepresentationofthemaninlife。
“Allthesearethehusbandsofmyspirit，“saidthepriestess，wavingthelampinfrontofthelowestrowofthem，“MunganaswhoweremarriedtotheAsikasinthepast。Look，hereishewhosaidthatheoughttobekingofthatrichlandwhereyearafteryeartheriveroverflowsitsbanks，“andgoingtooneofthefirstofthefiguresinthebottomrow，shedrewoutafasteningandsufferedthegoldmasktofallforwardonahinge，exposingthefacewithin。
Althoughithadevidentlybeentreatedwithsomepreservative，thisheadnowwaslittlemorethanaskullstillcoveredwithdarkhair，butsetuponitsbrowappearedanobjectthatAlanrecognizedatonce，asimplebandofplaingold，andrisingfromittheheadofanasp。
Withoutdoubtitwasthe/uraeus/，thatsymbolwhichonlytheroyaltiesofOldEgyptdaredtowear。WithoutdoubtalsoeitherthismanhadbroughtitwithhimfromtheNile，orinmemoryofhisrankandhomehehadfashioneditofthegoldthatwassoplentifulintheplaceofhiscaptivity。Sothiswoman’sstorywastrue，anancientEgyptianhadoncebeenhusbandtotheAsikaofhisday。
