and recollections of my last meal partaken on Earth in the London hotel
rose greedily to my mind, as I began to guess how many weeks must have
passed since I had eaten. "Your King is hungry and faint for need of
food," I remarked in my best Ciceronian Latin to the Arch-priest, who,
so I had observed, was now treating me with a degree of deference and
even of obsequiousness that he had not shown in the chamber of the
fountain. The old man bowed low and long, gave some instructions to
Hiridia, whereupon he and I, followed by the two equerries, proceeded
to leave the room. Before departing however, the Arch-priest hung a
heavy chain of gold round Hiridia's neck, and presented similar chains,
but of silver, to his two companions. One of these latter now bore the
umbrella of state over my head and the other upheld the cloak, as with
Hiridia beside me I prepared to quit the chamber, after I had returned
with as much dignity as I could muster the sweeping obeisances of
the three priests, who did not offer to accompany us. More corridors
were traversed thus, before we finally entered a lofty pillared hall,
which I at once rightly conjectured to be the banqueting chamber of
the palace. Here were gathered many men, both young and middle-aged,
all wearing clothes similar to those of my three companions, as also
a considerable crowd of individuals dressed in short blue tunics and
obviously of an inferior social caste. The first were, of course,
the members of my Court, all eagerly expecting their new sovereign,
whilst the latter were the servants of the household. On my appearance
there were deep bows and genuflexions from the nobles assembled, and
still lower bows from the menials, the latter raising their left arms
to cover their faces, as though the sight of myself were almost too
precious or sacred for humbler eyes such as theirs to dwell upon.
I seated myself at a solitary table on a dais, slightly raised above
the pavement. The board before me was covered with a coarse linen cloth
heavily fringed with blue, whilst the viands were served in a number
of glazed white earthenware platters of elegant form, the appointments
in general reminding me of meals eaten years ago in old-fashioned
hostelries of the Romagna. Of the dinner itself I need not say more
than that the meats, though unfamiliar, were quite palatable, as was
also the rough red wine which was served abundantly throughout the
meal. To my relief I found that knives, spoons and forks were in use,
and that the drinking vessels and some of the dishes were of glass.
After a dessert of strange but delicious fruits, and many species of
nuts, a crystal goblet of the most elaborate workmanship was set before
me and filled with a rather thick sweet red wine, apparently a kind
of muscadel. I had sat down ravenous, and in due course I rose from
table satisfied, at which movement on my part every person in the room
likewise stood erect and remained so standing till I had passed through
the doorway.
From the banqueting hall, guided by Hiridia, I proceeded to my sleeping
apartment, wherein I found a low square bed of some richly carved
dark-coloured wood. A long open gallery occupied one side of this room,
and thither I hastened to obtain a glimpse of the outer world. It was a
lovely warm starry night, but without moonlight, so that I could only
discern my surroundings very dimly. I was able, however, to perceive
that this gallery was situated at a considerable height above the sea,
whose expanse I could just distinguish in the far distance, and that
below me and around me there lay a large city built on steep hillsides
descending to the shore. Falling waters made a pleasant murmur in my
ears; a faint hum of human activity arose from the city beneath; the
shrill cries and chirrups of insects and night birds were clearly
audible at intervals. There was nothing unearthly in these darkened
surroundings, and yet I knew I stood alone in a fresh world of mystery
and wonder, and how vehemently I longed, as I paced that colonnade,
for the sun to rise so as to make manifest the scene that was now
all but hidden from my impatient gaze! Hiridia stood beside me, and I
think he tried to participate in and sympathise with the thoughts that
were agitating my mind, for he often pointed into the gloom and made
remarks which were of course, as yet, unintelligible to me. Long did
I continue thus to stare and speculate, and indeed it was only out of
consideration for poor Hiridia's many yawns and signs of weariness,
vainly suppressed, that I finally turned with reluctance from the
balcony and prepared for a night's sleep.
IV
I slept soundly, and was only awakened on hearing, as one does whilst
wandering in the misty caverns of dreamland, a strange prolonged noise
of peculiar timbre, the last reverberation of which had scarcely died
away by the time I was fully conscious and had raised myself in bed.
The room was filled with the early light of dawn, and from my pillow
I could see beyond the open gallery the splendid disk of the sun's
majesty emerge from the distant watery horizon. Hiridia was on his
knees muttering prayers with arms extended and face turned towards the
sunrise, whilst a servant of the palace, wearing the short blue tunic
and blue trousers and blue scarf that constitute the royal livery, was
also lying prone on the floor with his head towards the east. Their
orisons, if praying they were, were extremely short, for in a trice
both men were on their feet and all attention to my wants. I mean to
speak later of the minutiæ of my daily life, but at this point I wish
to hasten my reader and not to weary or detain him with petty diurnal
details that I have settled to describe in another place. Let it
suffice to say that I bathed, dressed and breakfasted to my complete
satisfaction, and that having duly performed these matutinal duties I
was glad to find myself at leisure to contemplate by the brilliant
light of morning the veiled scene of the previous night.
From the vantage ground of my exterior gallery I obtained a superb
and intimate view of the great city of Tamarida and its surroundings.
Imagine a compound of Naples, Algiers and Amalfi, each of these
Mediterranean cities being built on steep slopes descending to the
sea-shore, and yet such compound resulting in something totally
dissimilar from any earthly town of my acquaintance. In size and
arrangement Tamarida somewhat resembled the older portions of Naples
that stretch from Sant' Elmo to the Monte di Dio; in setting I was
reminded of Amalfi with its craggy headlands, though here on a grander
scale; whilst in general character the cascade of dazzling white
flat-roofed square houses of the Arab native town in Algiers suggested
many points of comparison in this case. But though it was evident that
my capital was very extensive, and that much of its area was thickly
populated, nevertheless there seemed to be abundance of parks and
gardens in all directions, forming oases of vivid greenery amongst
the dense masses of small low squat dwellings. Roughly speaking, the
city was divided into three portions, that were formed by two deep
valleys, down each of which flowed a rapid clear torrent fed from the
mountainous regions above. The two outer sections of this curving
site were wholly occupied, as I have said, by houses and gardens of
the citizens, apparently both rich and poor intermingled; whilst the
central slope between the two streams was reserved for the palace and
the main temple and other official buildings. Of these the palace took
up a considerable space about half-way up the hillside, and below it,
stretching to the harbour, was a large tract of tilth and orchard,
well sprinkled with tiny white cottages and long low barns that were
presumably used by the labourers and other servants of the palace.
The royal residence itself was an immense rambling structure, built
without plan and at various periods, though it was hard to classify
its many architectural features or to guess which were the older or
more recent portions of the fabric. Above the palace and its adjacent
enclosures could be seen hanging-gardens traversed by immense flights
of broad shallow steps, beyond which was another conspicuous group of
buildings situated at different levels. This pile I rightly concluded
to be the chief--it was the only--temple of the city, both from its
more ornate style of architecture and from a circular tower which
crowned the main edifice. On this tower upreared a tall column whereon
rested a gilded copper representation of the sun in splendour, making
a brilliant mass of golden light under the fierce rays of its great
original, and offering a prominent landmark for many miles around. Of
the residential districts of Tamarida on the two flanking slopes I have
omitted to mention that two main streets or arteries for traffic could
be distinctly traced by me, running irregularly through the crowded
quarters and parks alike, and ending in the broad quays alongside the
waters of the harbour. Many ships of various shapes and sizes, but
mostly appearing to be fishing vessels, lined these quays and were
also visible in numbers on the placid surface of the circular harbour
itself, which was contained by two outlying rocky promontories crowned
on either tip by a low light-house.
[Illustration: CITY & HARBOUR OF TAMARIDA]
I was interrupted in the midst of my many interesting discoveries
and observations by the sudden entrance of one of my equerries, who
was followed by the Arch-priest demanding an audience. Left alone
together, I instinctively put myself on my guard, assuming as well as
I could an air of naive simplicity. Despite his deferential words and
attitude, I could not fail to detect the deep-set twinkle in his eye
as he proceeded to inform me of the object of his mission. At the same
time, however, I felt certain that I must have produced a favourable
impression on the previous day, and from my deportment both now and in
the future I warmly hoped to be able to hold the old man's approval,
for something in my inner consciousness, a species of sixth sense,
assured me he was ready to show himself my friend, though doubtless a
friend within certain limits that I had yet to learn. The Arch-priest
opened our talk with an apology for thus invading the privacy of my
apartments without previous warning, excusing himself for his intrusion
by the urgent necessity of the occasion. He then informed me that on
the next day the ceremony of my coronation was fixed to take place in
the temple, which he pointed out to me from the balcony. "You are in
the eyes of your subjects, as you know, the Child of the Sun, whom
alone we worship in Meleager, and who sends you as a king to rule
over his favoured people. You will therefore be presented in public
by myself and my colleagues of the Sacred College to the populace;
you will be robed and crowned; you will extend your formal blessing
to them; you will offer incense at the crystal altar of your Father
the Sun, in the great courtyard of the temple; and after that you will
mount the sacred white horse so as to ride in full majesty through the
streets of the city in the presence of your subjects. It will be a
long and tedious series of ceremonies, yet I flatter myself that each
one of these rites will not be without interest to you, seeing the
lengthy spell of authority amongst us that lies ahead of you. I myself
shall be at your side throughout, and you may rely with safety on my
tutelage in any event."
Other advice and suggestions the Arch-priest likewise imparted to me,
amongst the rest that Hiridia would in course of time teach me the
spoken language of Meleager. "Ever since your immersion in the mystical
well," so my companion proceeded, "you will experience an acceleration
of all the faculties, which in your case were already highly developed
when on Earth. Moreover, the tongue of the Meleagrians, which under
Hiridia's teaching you will soon acquire, is not a written language,
and none outside our hierarchy of the Temple of the Sun can read
or write at all. Indeed, our only archives are in Latin, since for
reasons which it is not expedient for me to mention at this point
we have always vigorously opposed the casting of the popular speech
into a literary form." This last statement the old man made in a very
solemn manner, looking me full in the face as though to catch any
motion or expression of surprise or disapproval. But I had set my
countenance unflinchingly, and received his confidences with perfect
outward composure, whereupon the Arch-priest leaned back in his chair
with a faint sigh of relief which by no means escaped my watchful
notice. Having received this minor secret of Meleagrian state craft
so calmly and suitably, I was hoping to glean yet more information on
the traditional polity of the governing cabal of my kingdom, but on
this occasion I was doomed to be disappointed. For the Arch-priest
arose abruptly, and leading me to the balustrade of the gallery began
to point out and explain to me the various buildings and salient
features that were discernible from this spot. In most cases I found
I had already guessed correctly, my intelligence and perspicacity
evidently serving to strengthen the favourable impression I had already
created. The Arch-priest then led me to the other side of the building
and introduced me to the private gardens of the palace, a delightful
pleasance, full of subtropical verdure and flowers and overshadowed by
tall palms and cypresses. Fountains with marble basins were frequent,
and their constant plashing made an agreeable sound in the intense
quiet of this retreat. I noted too that every fountain was circular
in shape, and that everywhere were to be seen endless representations
of the sun, whilst the many lackeys or slaves attached to the royal
service bore the same design woven in gold and blue on their breasts.
Returning to the gallery overlooking the town and harbour, my companion
bade me listen to the hum of voices and the din of traffic that rose
from below into the warm air, striking on my ears with the mingled
sounds of a teeming city.
"Tamarida is filled to overflowing with your loyal subjects,"
commented the Arch-priest; "who are all agog to behold to-morrow's
function; and even now the town is hourly receiving innumerable
visitors from the country districts and from your Majesty's second city
of Zapyro, which is ever jealous of the capital for its possession of
the person of the Child of the Sun." He paused for a moment to give
me another of those arch glances from his kindly, humorous old eyes;
but I only nodded and smiled amiably. "Thousands of faithful citizens
too from your Majesty's colonies on the wild rocky coasts of Barbaria
yonder to the north (and he waved his arm to indicate some distant
land beyond the enclosing hills) are hastening hither to behold the
reincarnation of the Child of the Sun, concerning whom their parents
have doubtless told them wonderful tales. See those boats with bellying
sails that are even now entering the harbour's mouth; they are all
freighted with excited pilgrims, men, women and children, drawn hither
to assist at a spectacle of outward splendour and interior sanctity
that your Earth, notwithstanding its illimitable wealth and its
superior population, cannot produce. They tell me (and here the old
man's eyes again twinkled mischievously) that one of your own many
religious cults is ruled by a priest who claims and receives divine
honours. He is said to be elected by a college of saintly and venerable
brother priests, and to be borne aloft with pomp and acclamation on
the shoulders of men of noble birth. I have, of course, never seen
the ceremonies of modern Rome (which city I hold in especial esteem
as having been in ancient times the origin of our official written
language), but in this one crucial instance this consecration of an
earthly high priest must yield to ours. For there is (so I am informed)
no unanimity of opinion, no universal acceptance of the chosen pontiff;
whilst here the King who is provided by our hierarchy is acknowledged
by all without hesitation or limit as the connecting link between the
divine and the human, whose presence is absolutely essential to the
welfare of his subjects. Our King is the peculiar guerdon of our sole
Deity the Sun to his favoured people, on whom from time to time he
deigns to bestow a member of his own family for guidance and example."
At length the Arch-priest took his departure, and I spent the remainder
of the day agreeably enough in the society of Hiridia, whom I set to
teach me the names of every object in sight. I had already requested
the Arch-priest for pen and ink and paper, and after a visible
tendency to demur he had yielded to my demand, a plentiful supply
of beautifully prepared rolls of vellum, an ink-horn and some quill
pens being brought me. I now wrote down phonetically the name of each
thing supplied me by Hiridia, placing its English equivalent opposite.
I was quite astonished at my progress in the course of a few hours'
application of this nature, and the sun was low in the western sky
when my patient tutor made respectful signs to me to rise and follow
him. I soon grasped his intention, for he led me through the gardens
to an open court where two young nobles were playing at some sort of
hand-ball. A slave now removed my mantle and tunic, to exchange them
for a short linen garment, whilst a pair of hard leather gloves were
likewise supplied me. We four now fell to play with zest a game that
was so reminiscent of the hand-fives of my school-days that I learned
the science, the rules and the method of scoring in a very short space.
I thoroughly enjoyed the healthy exercise, which in due course produced
a copious perspiration, and thus we amused ourselves till the final
sinking of the sun brought our game to a close for lack of light. At
this moment I heard the prolonged blare of a distant trumpet, and
straightway perceived my three companions sink to their knees for a
short but silent prayer. Then they rose and led me to the thermal baths
attached to the palace, where I indulged in a further bout of sweating
followed by a plunge in cool water. After resting I dressed myself
again, and with an excellent appetite made my way to the banqueting
hall, where I partook of the last meal of the day. On this occasion a
band of professional players with unfamiliar instruments provided us
with music, which I found neither better nor worse than many of the
concerts I had been obliged to attend at various times upon Earth.
Pleasantly fatigued, at last I sought my bed-chamber to ponder over my
late experiences of the first twenty-four conscious hours I had spent
on the planet of Meleager.
* * * * *
Early on the following morning there were abundant signs to warn me
of the great impending event. All was bustle and animation within the
palace, and at an early hour the Arch-priest himself was announced
to give me some final instructions. Soon afterwards a litter was
brought, borne by a number of servants dressed in what was evidently
their gala livery, and in this equipage I was placed, behind carefully
closed curtains, and was thus conveyed up many long flights of steps
to the precincts of the temple above. Here on my arrival I found the
Arch-priest and several members of the hierarchy awaiting me, and was
informed that first of all it was necessary for me to hold a levée of
the whole of the ruling Council of the Seventy. I cannot say that this
prospect afforded me any pleasure; still, I prepared to comport myself
with the necessary amount of calm dignity I deemed fitting for the
occasion. I was next ushered into a large hall, where in a semicircle
were seated a large number of these all-powerful patriarchs clad in
their robes of flowing white. I was directed to a throne opposite
them, and at once began to hold my formal reception, each member of
the Council being presented to me in turn by the Arch-priest. In every
case, mindful of our royal Court procedure on Earth, I proffered my
right hand for a kiss of salutation, and at the same time set my face
to exhibit no sign of anxiety or self-consciousness, for I realised
that I was amongst the keenest and most critical intellects of the
kingdom, who regarded me not in the light of a true monarch, but rather
as their own creature, a thing raised by their choice and efforts from
mere nothingness to a position of extreme though false magnificence.
Nevertheless, I was not so much preoccupied with the mastery of my
feelings that I failed to note carefully the face and expression of
each individual member as the councillors filed before me in a long
moving stream that seemed to flow interminably past the throne, so
prolix and lengthy was the Arch-priest in his style of presentation.
Vainly did I look for the appearance of my Herthian friend Signor
Arrigo d'Aragno amongst their number, but either he was absent or else
was so skilfully disguised that I failed to detect his presence. One
little circumstance I observed was that whereas all the Meleagrian men
I had hitherto seen wore moustaches, these grandees of the governing
caste were all either clean-shaven or else owned beards of an imposing
length. Nearly two hours were consumed in this fatiguing occupation,
and thankful I was when the last sharp-eyed senator had returned to his
seat.
I now arose of my own motion, and expressed a desire to quit the
chamber of the councillors, whose atmosphere somehow oppressed and
irritated me. The Arch-priest accordingly led me into a closet
adjoining, where I sat down on the pretence of fatigue. Ere long
however to my relief I saw Hiridia approach, followed by my two
equerries and by some servants of the palace bearing large bundles,
which I perceived contained the regal robes of state. A priest
certainly stood beside me, but he made no attempt to interfere with
Hiridia's arrangements. First of all, I was stripped to my inner
vesture, after which gorgeous blue leather buskins with heavy gold
tassels and laces were fitted to my feet. Next a tunic far more
elaborate than my usual one was donned; then a mantle of an appalling
weight but of a surpassing splendour was hung from my yielding
shoulders. On the mantle itself was embroidered a device of the blazing
sun in heavy gold thread, whilst the rest of the surface of the cloak
was thickly patined with golden stars. The mantle was fastened by a
clasp composed of a huge cabochon sapphire of perfect water set in a
circle of flashing diamonds. At this moment the Arch-priest returned,
resplendent in festal robes of white silk fringed with gold and with a
tall golden mitre on his head. Thus habited, he appeared a striking and
venerable figure, for his superior height, his flowing white beard, his
pleasant brown eyes and his delicate complexion all combined to make
a most favourable impression on the beholder. On a cushion he carried
the regal crown, of the type known to heraldry as "palisaded," and
not unlike the diadem worn by the Medicean Grand Dukes of Tuscany, as
shown in their pictures and effigies. My crown was all of gold with the
exception of one large oval sapphire surrounded by brilliants for its
central ornament. This object the Arch-priest now carefully placed on
my head, not a little to my trepidation until I realised that, whether
by accident or as the result of forethought, the heavy circle fitted my
cranium to a nicety. The finishing touch consisted in fastening solid
gold _armillæ_, or bracelets, set with sapphires on my wrists.
Thus gloriously apparelled, I must on standing up have presented a
truly noble and imposing appearance, and I say so without shame of
conceit or vanity. I was many inches taller than the tallest of my
companions; thanks to my bath in the Fountain of Rejuvenation I had a
clear white skin, a sparkling eye, and an elegance of carriage that
have rarely been seen by mortal man; whilst the extreme fairness of
my complexion and the sheen of my long locks in contrast with so many
dusky skins and black heads of hair seemed to attract to themselves
some kind of shadowy semi-divine aureole, such as Benvenuto Cellini
describes as investing his person after his colloquy with the Blessed
Virgin and St Peter in his cell of the castle of Sant'Angelo. I was
well aware of the sensation I aroused in all present, even in the
Arch-priest; and a thrill of elation, of confidence in the future,
possessed me through and through. Whether or no these saturnine
priests of the Temple of the Sun chose to regard me as their puppet,
their slave, what was that to me? I realised that my marvellous beauty
at this moment was an asset whereof nothing they could say or do would
lessen my influence in the eyes of the mass of the people I was about
to face. All misgivings and tremors left me, as I prepared boldly to
move forward and take my part in the coming pageant.