The great apartment was very lofty. Innumerable openings pierced its
vaulted ceiling, through which the bright stars were visible. Upon the
walls of alabaster, half hidden by rich hangings of purple silk, were
portrayed winged priests or presiding deities standing before the sacred
trees, armed men and eunuchs following their queen, warriors laden with
spoil, leading prisoners, or bearing presents and offerings to their
gods. The pavement, highly polished, was encrusted with gold,
mother-of-pearl and glass; the ceiling was of ivory, and in the knots of
the gilded beams were set great turquoises and shining amethysts.
At every step in this wonderful temple and palace combined, an
increasing immensity had surrounded me, and now, as the veil was
withdrawn, revealing this most gorgeous and luxurious apartment, I knew
not how to act. An incertitude intimidated me.
With body still bent, like those of the crowd of courtiers and eunuchs
among whom I stood, I nevertheless raised my eyes. Beyond the pearl and
golden pavement before me rose twelve semi-circular steps of silver,
leading up to a great throne of glittering crystal, which, in the bright
white light shining upon it from four apertures in the ceiling, gleamed
with an iridescent fire. Upon this couch, the supports of which were
four winged bulls, fashioned from solid blocks of flawless crystal, the
back consisting of an enormous crystal representation of the winged
figure in the circle, the supreme deity, and adorned with the heads and
feet of the lion and the ram, a lion's skin was spread. Reclining upon
it in graceful abandon, the rings of her wavy hair tumbled about her in
such abundance that she appeared actually to lie on a mass of golden
sheen, was a woman of exquisite beauty. Attired in a loose, white robe,
sparkling with diamonds from neck to foot, her waist girt by a wide
girdle of wonderful emeralds, her bare neck, arms and ankles loaded with
magnificent jewels, the effect under the bright rays was absolutely
dazzling. The crystal throne shed all colours of the spectrum, but its
bejewelled occupant at every movement seemed to flash and gleam with a
thousand fires.
She was of amazing beauty, with white, delicately-moulded limbs, tiny
hands and feet, eyes half-closed, and as her dimpled chin rested upon
her bejewelled arm her clinging robe indistinctly defined the graceful
outlines of her form, and her breasts rose and fell slowly as she
breathed.
Two gorgeously-attired priests, on either side of the great crystal
throne, stood with crossed hands, silent as statues. In strange, high
head-dresses, surmounted by silver stars, and attired in robes of
silver, they gazed down upon us without moving a muscle. Near the
throne, three gigantic negro slaves in leopard-skins, cooled the
reclining beauty with great fans of flamingoes' wings, while, grouped
around, ready at any moment to execute their mistress's slightest wish,
stood a hundred waiting-women, eunuchs and slaves. The vapours of
exquisite perfumes floated everywhere.
As we halted, with bent heads, before the wonderful throne, its occupant
slowly stretched her white arm beyond her head, and, opening her eyes,
her gaze fell upon us. Two female attendants immediately advanced and
encased her tiny, bare feet in slippers of serpent skin.
When they had returned to their places she slowly raised herself upon
her elbow, and, with her chin upon her palm, raised her right hand,
pointing upward. Instantly there appeared, high upon the wall above the
crystal throne, where the signs of the deity were sculptured, in letters
of fire the height of a man, an inscription in the cuneiform character.
As it appeared, priests, eunuchs, slaves and attendants surrounding her
sank upon their knees, and, in awed silence, pressed their brows to the
pavement.
Lifting my bewildered eyes to the fiery lines, I gazed beyond the
wondrous medley of inshot colours and precious stones, and read,--
"_I am Istar, Supreme on Earth and in Heaven, Ruler of the Present and
the Hereafter, who holdeth the lives of all men in the hollow of my
hand. Every man is my slave: every woman shall sacrifice unto me in the
House of Lustre. Those who break my commandments Anu and Rimmon, the
gods great, shall destroy and devour. Thus I speak_."
Thrice the Queen of Ea raised her slim hand, and thrice the lines of
enormous arrowheads glowed red and fiery like living coals, each time
disappearing and leaving no trace upon the wall. The silence was
complete, broken only by the crackling of the herbs as they burned in
the great, golden perfuming-pans, but, as the letters of fire died away
for the last time, the beautiful woman, with tranquil eyes, slowly
placed her foot upon the bare backs of the two women who were lying upon
their faces, forming a footstool before the throne, and, with languorous
grace, rose and stood upon their prostrate bodies. Then, outstretching
her arms, she stood gazing upon us, as if giving us her blessing, and
next second my companions, raising themselves, shouted with one voice,
"_Istar sa-la-dhu yusapri. I la-tu nahdu nemicu banat sini makhri naku
ci nasu-sa-eni_!"
These words, in the ancient language of Babylon, I was able to
understand. Outside the palace a corrupted tongue was spoken, but here,
before the Queen, worshipped as goddess, only the original tongue was
heard. The words uttered by my companions were,--
"Lo! Istar, the Ruler, is revealed! Thou art the glorious Lady of
Wisdom, beauteous daughter of the Moon-god, Sin. Before thee our wives
and our daughters make sacrifice, and to thee we, thy suppliant slaves,
raise our eyes. Thou art our deity!"
As their echoing voices died away, the Queen, fanned by her sphinx-like
attendants, slowly re-seated herself upon the crystal throne. A languid
expression settled upon her features, and, with her foot upon the neck
of one of the women before her, she lounged, one hand thrown carelessly
over the crystal, human-headed monster that formed the arm of the
gorgeous seat of royalty, and the other toying with the emeralds in her
girdle.
From the crowd surrounding me, there stepped forward upon the pavement
of pearl and gold, a tall, white-bearded man in a breastplate of green
serpent skin, denoting that he was a high-priest, on either side of him
standing a trumpeter. Thrice their loud blasts awakened the echoes of
the chambers around, then Istar, casting an inquiring glance towards the
man, commanded him to speak.
He hesitated, his trembling hand resting upon the bejewelled hilt of his
sword, and the little gold bells, sewn at the hem of his robe, tinkling
musically.
"Speak! O Rab-bani, son of Nabu-ahe-iddina. Why demandest thou an
audience in this my dwelling-place? Why goest thou not unto the temple
to make sacrifice before the golden image?"
"Let not anger consume thee, O Queen of All the Gods," cried Rab-bani,
lifting his hand in supplication, and falling upon his knees. "We have
ventured into this Everlasting House, passed the Gate of Glory, and
entered into the House of the Raising of the Head, because there is one
evil-doer among us, with whom thou alone in thy majesty and power canst
deal."
A smile crossed the face of the living goddess, and at the same moment a
tame lioness, walking past the silent priests of Istar, halted before
its royal mistress, who, with her soft hand, patted its sleek back, as a
woman caresses a spaniel.
"I am in no mood to decide what punishment shall be meted out to
evil-doers. I leave that to my judges," she answered, with a quick
gesture of impatience.
"Lend us thine ear, O Queen, whose name we dare not utter beyond these
walls, whose tongue is unknown, save to thy priests, eunuchs and
courtiers, and to whom every woman maketh sacrifice. Cast us not forth
from thy presence, for assuredly thy slaves are faithful and bear the
information which, though it be of amazing character, yet, nevertheless,
the truth must be told, and that quickly."
"Then utter it, and be gone," Istar said, glancing at him sharply.
"Know then, O Queen of Earth and Heaven, O Peerless among Women, the
dreaded day hath dawned! The Great Destroyer is in our midst!"
Istar, pale and startled, sprang to her feet, clutching her jewel-laden
breasts frantically, as if to stay the beating of her heart.
"The Devourer!" she gasped, white to the lips. "Speak! I command thee!
Speak quickly, son of Nabu-ahe-iddina, or thou shalt be cast for ever
into the realm of Niffer, lord of the Ghost Land."
"I speak, O Mighty One," he answered. "Would that my tongue had been
torn from its roots, and my lips sealed by the seal of the Death-god,
ere it should have been my duty to make this my announcement. The
Devourer from the outer world hath been discovered wandering upon the
mountains. How he gained this land, which is without entrance and
without exit, no man knoweth. The wise men believe that he came hither
like a fowl of the air."
Istar, trembling, clutched the glittering arm of her crystal throne for
support, while a dark, sinister expression settled upon her flawless
countenance. The crowd about me, awestricken and hushed in expectation,
awaited her words breathlessly.
"Lo!" cried the high priest of the Temple of the Seven Lights, suddenly
stepping back and dragging me roughly forward, "Lo! O Beauteous Queen
of all the Gods, he is here, in thine holy presence!"