Page:Harper's New Monthly Magazine - v109.djvu/362

336 covered with faint designs by young Greek artisans,—a noble flight, beginning at the rim of the platform before the gate, and running thence down between two rails of stone, until it fell upon the garden sward and stopped between twin pillars of black marble. It was called the Athenian Stairway, and Ibrahim loved it, for it was the pride of Tyre, second only to the tomb King Hiram, living, builded for his corpse. And as Ahab stood facing Elissa and her lovers, the staircase lay three paces at his back; and well he knew it.

Elissa leaned back easily on the broad stone seat and clasped her hands behind her head. Her lids half closed, but a glitter was behind them. At last she was all cat; ever before she had been half a woman. She smiled languorously.

"Thou art very valiant, Ahab," said she, "and the lady's hair"—Jethro of the Bowmen crept one pace nearer on the right—"is very yellow, and thy sword seems worth the stealing. But these gentlemen may wish to try thee for thy valor and thy sword, whilst for the damsel—"

"Silence!" cried Ahab, sternly (and Bildad, son of Micah, came slyly closer on the left). "I am Ahab the Pilot, no soldier, but Baal gaveth me strong arms and a pure heart—and the love of a good woman, and a sword unconquerable."

Three men were moving in on them. Seven swords were part drawn. Elissa lay back as ever and smiled in conscious power of her hold on the folly in men's hearts. But Bertha whispered one quick word, and Ahab took her up in his big arms and in two leaps was on the great stone stair. The lovers halted, much amazed.

"Go to the gate," said Ahab then to Bertha, "and when thou hast slidden the bolt, hold it ready to swing open if thou needst to fly, for I will fight them here. If I fall, go thou to the King and tell him what thou art, and the story of the fight, for he has this day given me rank above the generals, and who takes or seeks my life in all the kingdom is a felon to be tortured. Hold thou the gate, then, and keep good heart, beloved—beloved!"

And Bertha, standing on a higher step, took his head in her two hands and kissed him twice upon the mouth, but only said, "My lord, my dear lord, the sword and I are with thee, and we love thee well," and went and unbarred the gate and held it. Then Ahab cast off his purple robe and turned about; and he was three stairs up, clad only in his shirt and long-laced sandals. His shirt was of red lamb's-wool weaved by the secret process of the Britons, and dyed with color from the sea-beach near the mouth of the sacred Abu-Ali. Around the neck-band was a strip of gold braid delicately worked by Bertha's needle, and at the waist a belt of leather, heavy overlaid with dark-gray silver and set with amethysts and with sapphires and with pearls and with amber and with ivory. The shirt reached to his knees, and about his bare legs the lacings of his sandals crossed and recrossed, in imitation of the style he saw among the distant sailors of the North. The lacings were tied at the knees with flowing strings, held by gold pins with serpents' heads, and the serpents' eyes were rubies.

Ahab took the sword in both hands, his left upon the scabbard and his right upon the hilt (so that the little finger of his right hand touched the ivory ball), and the splendid blade sprang out to greet the light, like a living thing, eager for its master's will. He swung it thrice at the length of his right arm, and as the wondrous gleam of it smote the eyes of the seven lovers they shrank from seeing it and looked at one another. And Elissa laughed aloud and said, "The fool!"

"Come!" cried Ahab, swinging the sword no more, "ye cowards, ye whelps! The sword is his who takes it."

"And I," answered Elissa, in a passion of hot anger, for the lovers hesitated, "am his who takes it."

Then Timon drew his sword and set out for the stair, for he was much in debt and desired Ibrahim's fortune. But Ahab met him on the lowest step and broke his blade at one blow of the sword.

"Go back, Timon," said Ahab, "for if thou comest up again I will kill thee." And Timon, cursing, went back.

Next Jethro came, moving slowly with guarded steel. Ahab held the lowest step, and met him with an easy stroke. Twice the Bowman would have lunged