Page:Wisdom's daughter; the life and love story of She-who-must-be-obeyed (IA wisdomsdaughterl00hagg 0).pdf/118

100 gods. Yet I restrained my soul and received him smiling and unveiled.

Hail, King Tenes, I said, Isis has been very merciful to you in answer to my prayer; for know that never again did I think to look upon you living.

You are great, Lady, he answered, staring at me with frightened yet devouring eyes. I think that you are as great as that Isis whom you serve, if indeed you are not that Isis come to earth, as they name you in Egypt. Isis I know not who worship Ashtoreth, she who is also styled Tanith and Baaltis, and like your Isis, is an acknowledged Queen of Heaven, but you I know, and your power, for did you not cause the terrible tempest to cease last night and save us all from death upon the rocks of Carmel?

Aye, I did this, Tenes, having strength given to me, whence it matters not. It is strange to think, is it not? —here I bent forward and stared him in the eyes— that on board this ship there are men so cowardly and so evil that they took counsel to cast me to the deep as a sacrifice to their gods, and that had they done so, though me, had they known it, they could not harm, they themselves, every one of them, would have been that sacrifice.

Now he writhed and turned colour beneath my glance, but answered,

Is it so, Lady? Name me those men and they shall be slain.

Aye, King Tenes, without doubt they shall be slain, every one of them, since Isis does not forget a threat of murder against her priestess. Yet I name them not. Where is the need when already those names are written on the tablets of Heaven? Let them be till Fate finds them, since I would not