ESCAPE
On the following jom I told everything to Almah. I told her that
Layelah was urging me to fly with her, and that I had found out all
about her plans. I described the athalebs, informed her about the
direction which we were to take, the island of fire, and the country
of the Orin. At this intelligence Almah was filled with delight, and
for the first time since we had come to the amir there were smiles
of joy upon her face. She needed no persuasion. She was ready to set
forth whenever it was fitting, and to risk everything upon this
enterprise. She felt as I did, and thought that the wildest attempt
was better than this dull inaction.
Death was before us here, and every jom as it passed only brought it
nearer. True, we were treated with the utmost kindness, we lived in
royal splendor, we had enormous retinues; but all this was a miserable
mockery, since it all served as the prelude to our inevitable doom.
For that doom it was hard indeed to wait. Anything was better. Far
better would it be to risk all the dangers of this unusual and amazing
flight, to brave the terrors of that drear isle of fire, Magones;
better to perish there of starvation, or to be killed by the hands
of hostile Gojin, than to wait here and be destroyed at last by
the sacrificial knife of these smiling, generous, kind-hearted,
self-sacrificing fiends; to be killed--ay, and afterward borne to the
tremendous Mista Kosek.
There was a difficulty with Layelah that had to be guarded against: in
the first place that she might not suspect, and again that we might
choose our time of escape when she would not be at all likely to find
us out. We resolved to make our attempt without any further delay.
Layelah was with us for the greater part of that jom, and the Kohen
Gadol also gave us much of his company. Layelah did not seem to have
any suspicions whatever of my secret purpose; for she was as bright,
as amiable, and as devoted to me as ever, while the Kohen Gadol sought
as before to make himself agreeable to Almah. I did not think fit
to tell her about Layelah's proposal, and therefore she was quite
ignorant of the secret plans of the Kohen Gadol, evidently attributing
his attention to the unfailing amiability of the Kosekin.
Layelah came again after Almah had retired, and spent the time in
trying to persuade me to fly with her. The beautiful girl was
certainly never more engaging, nor was she ever more tender. Had it
not been for Almah it would have been impossible to resist such sweet
persuasions; but as it was I did resist. Layelah, however, was not at
all discouraged, nor did she lose any of her amiability; but when she
took leave it was with a smile and sweet words of forgiveness on her
lips for what she called my cruelty. After she left I remained for a
time with a painful sense of helplessness. The fact is my European
training did not fit me for encountering such a state of things as
existed among the Kosekin. It's very easy to be faithful to one's own
true-love in England, when other fair ladies hold aloof and wait to
be sought; but here among the Kosekin, women have as much liberty in
making love as men, and there is no law or custom about it. If a woman
chooses she can pay the most desperate attentions, and play the part
of a distracted lover to her heart's content. In most cases the
women actually take the initiative, as they are more impressible and
impulsive than men; and so it was that Layelah made me the object of
her persistent assault--acting all the time, too, in accordance with
the custom of the country, and thus having no thought whatever of
indelicacy, since, according to the Kosekin, she was acting simply in
accordance with the rights of every woman. Now, where a woman is urged
by one ardent lover to dismiss her other lover, she may sometimes find
it difficult to play her part satisfactorily; but in my case I did not
play my part satisfactorily at all; the ordeal was too hard, and I was
utterly unable to show to Layelah that firmness and decision of
character which the occasion demanded.
Yet, after all, the ordeal at last ended. Layelah left, as I have
said, with sweet words of forgiveness on her lips, and I after a time
succeeded in regaining my presence of mind.
Almah was waiting, and she soon joined me. We gathered a few articles
for the journey, the chief of which were my rifle and pistol, which
I had not used here, and then we set forth. Leaving our apartments
we traversed the long passages, and at length came to the cavern of
the athalebs. We met several people on the way, who looked at us
with smiles, but made no other sign. It was evident that they had no
commission to watch us, and that thus far Layelah's information was
correct.
Upon entering the cavern of the athalebs my first feeling was one of
helplessness; for I had no confidence whatever in my own powers of
managing these awful monsters, nor did I feel sure that I could
harness them; but the emergency was a pressing one, and there was no
help for it. I had seen where Layelah had left the harness, and now my
chief desire was to secure one of the athalebs. The faint light served
to disclose nothing but gloom; and I waited for a while, hoping that
one of them would come forward as before. But waiting did no good,
for no movement was made, and I had to try what I could do myself to
rouse them. So I walked farther in toward the back part of the cavern,
peering through the gloom, while Almah remained near the entrance.
As I advanced I heard a slight noise, as of someone moving. I thought
it was one of the athalebs, and walked on farther, peering through the
gloom, when suddenly I came full upon a man who was busy at some work
which I could not make out. For a moment I stood in amazement and
despair, for it seemed as though all was lost, and as if this man
would at once divine my intent. While I stood thus he turned and gave
me a very courteous greeting, after which, in the usual manner of the
Kosekin, he asked me with much amiability what he could do for me. I
muttered something about seeing the athalebs, upon which he informed
me that he would show them to me with pleasure.
He went on to say that he had recently been raised from the low
position of Athon to that of Feeder of the Athalebs, a post involving
duties like those of ostlers or grooms among us, but which here
indicated high rank and honor. He was proud of his title of "Epet,"
which means servant, and more than usually obliging. I at once took
advantage of his complaisance, and requested him to show me the
athalebs. Upon this he led the way farther on, where I could see
through the gloom the shadowy outlines of four monsters, all of which
were resting in an upright posture against the wall, with their claws
fixed on a shelf of rock. They looked more than ever like dragons, or
rather like enormous bats, for their wings were disclosed hanging in
loose leathern folds.
"Can they be roused," I asked, "and made to move?"
"Oh yes," said the Epet, and without waiting for any further request
he proceeded to pull at the loose fan-like wing of the nearest one.
The monster drew himself together, gave a flutter with his wings, and
then moved back from the wall.
"Make him walk," said I, eagerly.
The Epet at this pulled upon his wing once more, and the athaleb moved
forward.
"Bring him to the portal, so that I may see him," said I.
The Epet, still holding the athaleb's wing, pulled at him, and thus
guided him toward the portal. I was amazed at the docility of this
terrific monster; yet, after all, I thought that it was no more
astonishing than the docility of the elephant, which in like manner
allows itself to be guided by the slightest pressure. A child may lead
a vast elephant with ease, and here with equal ease the Epet led the
athaleb. He led him up near to the portal, where the aurora light
beamed through far brighter than the brightest moon, and disclosed all
the vast proportions of the monster. I stood and looked on for some
time in silence, quite at a loss what to do next.
And now Layelah's words occurred to me as to the perfect willingness
of the Kosekin to do anything which one might wish. She had insisted
on it that they would not prevent our flight, and had given me to
understand that they would even assist me if I should ask them. This
is what now occurred to me, and I determined to make a trial. So I
said:
"I should like to fly in the air on the athaleb. Will you harness
him?"
I confess it was with some trepidation that I said this, but the
feeling was soon dissipated. The Epet heard my words with perfect
coolness, as though they conveyed the most natural request in the
world, and then proceeded to obey me, just as at home a servant might
hear and obey his master, who might say, "I should like to take a
ride; will you harness the bay mare?"
So the Epet proceeded to harness the athaleb, and I watched him in
silence; but it was the silence of deep suspense, and my heart
throbbed painfully. There was yet much to be risked. The gates had
to be opened. Others might interfere. Layelah might come. All these
thoughts occurred to me as I watched the Epet; and though the labor of
harnessing the athaleb was simple and soon performed, still the time
seemed long. So the collar was secured around the neck of the athaleb,
with the grapple attached, and the lines were fastened to the wings,
and then Almah and I mounted.
The Epet now stood waiting for further orders.
"Open the gates," said I.
The Epet did so.
Almah was seated on the back of the athaleb before me, holding on to
the coarse mane; I, just behind, held the reins in my hand. The gates
were opened wide. A few people outside, roused by the noise of the
opening gates, stood and looked on. They had evidently no other
feeling but curiosity.
All was now ready and the way was open, but there was an unexpected
difficulty--the athaleb would not start, and I did not know how to
make him. I had once more to apply for help to the Epet.
"How am I to make him start?" I asked.
"Pull at the collar to make him start, and pull at both reins to make
him stop," said the Epet.
Upon this I pulled at the collar.
The athaleb obeyed at once. He rose almost erect, and moved out
through the gate. It was difficult to hold on, but we did so. On
reaching the terrace outside, the athaleb expanded his vast wings,
which spread out over a space of full fifty feet, and then with
vigorous motions raised himself in the air.
It was a moment full of terror to both of us; the strange sensation of
rising in the air, the quivering muscles of the athaleb at the working
of the enormous pinions, the tremendous display of strength, all
combined to overwhelm me with a sense of utter helplessness. With one
hand I clung to the stiff mane of the monster; with the other I held
Almah, who was also grasping the athaleb's hair; and thus for some
time all thought was taken up in the one purpose of holding on. But at
length the athaleb lay in the air in a perfectly horizontal position;
the beat of the wings grew more slow and even, the muscular exertion
more steady and sustained. We both began to regain some degree of
confidence, and at length I raised myself up and looked around.
It did not seem long since we had left; but already the city was far
behind, rising with its long, crescent terraces, sparkling and
twinkling with innumerable lights. We had passed beyond the bay; the
harbor was behind us, the open sea before us, the deep water beneath.
The athaleb flew low, not more than a hundred feet above the water,
and maintained that distance all the time. It seemed, indeed, as if he
might drop into the water at any time; but this was only fancy, for he
was perfect master of all his movement and his flight was swift and
well sustained.
Overhead the sky was filled with the glory of the aurora beams, which
spread everywhere, flashing out from the zenith and illuminating the
earth with a glow brighter than that of the brightest moon; beneath,
the dark waters of the sea extended, with the waves breaking into
foam, and traversed by galleys, by merchant-ships, and by the navies
of the Kosekin. Far away the surface of the sea spread, with that
marvellous appearance of an endless ascent, as though for a thousand
miles, rising thus until it terminated half-way up the sky; and so
it rose up on every side, so that I seemed to be at the bottom of
a basin-shaped world--an immense and immeasurable hollow--a world
unparalleled and unintelligible. Far away, at almost infinite
distances, arose the long lines of mountains, which, crowned with ice,
gleamed in the aurora light, and seemed like a barrier that made
forever impossible all ingress and egress.
On and on we sped. At length we grew perfectly accustomed to the
situation, the motion was so easy and our seats were so secure. There
were no obstacles in our way, no roughness along our path; for that
pathway was the smooth air, and in such a path there could be no
interruption, no jerk or jar. After the first terror had passed there
remained no longer any necessity for holding on--we could sit and look
around with perfect freedom; and at length I rose to my feet, and
Almah stood beside me, and thus we stood for a long time, with all
our souls kindled into glowing enthusiasm by the excitement of that
adventurous flight, and the splendors of that unequalled scene.
At length the aurora light grew dim. Then came forth the stars,
glowing and burning in the black sky. Beneath there was nothing
visible but the darkness of the water, spotted with phosphorescent
points, while all around a wall of gloom arose which shut out from
view the distant shores.
Suddenly I was aware of a noise like the beat of vast wings, and these
wings were not those of our athaleb. At first I thought it was the
fluttering of a sail, but it was too regular and too long continued
for that. At length I saw through the gloom a vast shadowy form in the
air behind us, and at once the knowledge of the truth flashed upon me.
It was another monster flying in pursuit!
Were we pursued? Were there men on his back? Should I resist? I held
my rifle poised, and was resolved to resist at all hazards. Almah saw
it all, and said nothing. She perceived the danger, and in her eyes I
saw that she, like me, would prefer death to surrender. The monster
came nearer and nearer, until at last I could see that he was alone,
and that none were on his back. But now another fear arose. He might
attack our athaleb, and in that way endanger us. He must be prevented
from coming nearer; yet to fire the rifle was a serious matter. I had
once before I learned the danger of firing under such circumstances,
when my opmahera had fled in terror at the report, and did not wish to
experience the danger which might arise from a panic-stricken athaleb;
and so as I stood there I waved my arms and gesticulated violently.
The pursuing athaleb seemed frightened at such an unusual occurrence,
for he veered off, and soon was lost in the darkness.