After five days and nights, Lucius knew. Pale, tired and enlightened,
he sought out his followers, Thrasyllus, Caleb and Tarrar, who were
staying in the great, cavernous rooms of the temple. And he was calm,
peaceful and dignified. He bathed and ate and slept. And at night, in
the silence of the temple-grounds, which wove itself into one mystic
atmosphere with the golden gleam of the stars, he woke Tarrar and said:
"Take this sycamore box."
It was a small casket of delicate workmanship, which had always
accompanied him wherever he went.
Tarrar, heavy with sleep, took up the little box.
"Follow me," said Lucius.
The little slave, in astonishment, followed his master. Lucius
passed through the shadow-haunted temple-precincts, which stretched
endlessly in every direction. He went through the parks, which were
haunted with sphinxes and obelisks and thick with the sultry heat
of datura-scent. He went through the whole oasis, under the grove of
palm-trees and past the huts of the natives.
Tarrar followed him. The little slave felt, inquisitively, that the
sycamore casket was not locked. He opened it for an instant; and by
the flickering starlight Tarrar saw a small woman's sandal, which
he knew. The little slave wondered and wondered. But he continued to
follow his master, faithfully; he would have followed him to the death.
They came to the desert. The master entered the desert; and Tarrar
continued to wonder. The starry night now spread its dome over their
heads; the silvery sands lay outstretched before him.
"Dig," Lucius commanded, suddenly turning round.
Tarrar gave a start. He put down the casket in the sand and dug a
hole with his hands.
"Deeper," Lucius commanded. "Dig deeper."
The little slave dug; quickly, like a little monkey, he dug the hole
deep with his two hands.
"Put the casket in the hole," Lucius commanded.
Tarrar did so and looked at his master.
"Cover the casket up with sand."
Tarrar did as his master commanded. Then Lucius said:
"Now come back."
And he went back to the oasis; but Tarrar, before following him,
stamped down the sand under which the casket lay buried and overwhelmed
it, amid violent gestures of delight, with native curses, curses not
to be averted, in the Libyan tongue.