cleopatra-第55章

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ay；　free　to　fly　and　face　the　last　vengeance　of　the　Holy　Gods！　Alas！

and　alas！　I　did　not　dare　to　die。　Better　the　earth　with　all　its　woes

than　the　quick　approach　of　those　unimagined　terrors　that；　hovering　in

dim　Amenti；　wait　the　advent　of　the　fallen。



I　grovelled　on　the　ground　and　wept　tears　of　agony　for　the　lost

unchanging　pastwept　till　I　could　weep　no　more；　but　no　answer　came

from　the　silenceno　answer　but　the　echoes　of　my　grief。　Not　a　ray　of

hope！　My　soul　wandered　in　a　darkness　more　utter　than　that　which　was

about　meI　was　forsaken　of　the　Gods　and　cast　out　of　men。　Terror　took

hold　upon　me　crouching　in　that　lonely　place　hard　by　the　majesty　of　the

awful　Dead。　I　rose　to　fly。　How　could　I　fly　in　this　gloom？And　where

should　I　fly　who　had　no　place　of　refuge？　Once　more　I　crouched　down；

and　the　great　fear　grew　on　me　till　the　cold　sweat　ran　from　my　brow　and

my　soul　was　faint　within　me。　Then；　in　my　last　despair；　I　prayed　aloud

to　Isis；　to　whom　I　had　not　dared　to　pray　for　many　days。



〃O　Isis！　Holy　Mother！〃　I　cried；　〃put　away　Thy　wrath；　and　of　Thine

infinite　pity；　O　Thou　all…pitiful；　hearken　to　the　voice　of　the　anguish

of　him　who　was　Thy　son　and　servant；　but　who　by　sin　hath　fallen　from

the　vision　of　Thy　love。　O　throned　Glory；　who；　being　in　all　things；

hast　of　all　things　understanding　and　of　all　griefs　knowledge；　cast　the

weight　of　Thy　mercy　against　the　scale　of　my　evil…doing；　and　make　the

balance　equal。　Look　down　upon　my　woe；　and　measure　it；　count　up　the　sum

of　my　repentance　and　take　Thou　note　of　the　flood　of　sorrow　that　sweeps

my　soul　away。　O　Thou　Holy；　whom　it　was　given　to　me　to　look　upon　face

to　face；　by　that　dread　hour　of　commune　I　summon　Thee；　I　summon　Thee　by

the　mystic　word。　Come；　then；　in　mercy；　to　save　me；　or；　in　anger；　to

make　an　end　of　that　which　can　no　more　be　borne。〃



And；　rising　from　my　knees；　I　stretched　out　my　arms　and　dared　to　cry

aloud　the　Word　of　Fear；　to　use　which　unworthily　is　death。



Swiftly　the　answer　came。　For　in　the　silence　I　heard　the　sound　of　the

shaken　sistra　heralding　the　coming　of　the　Glory。　Then；　at　the　far　end

of　the　chamber；　grew　the　semblance　of　the　horned　moon；　gleaming

faintly　in　the　darkness；　and　betwixt　the　golden　horns　rested　a　small

dark　cloud；　in　and　out　of　which　the　fiery　serpent　climbed。



My　knees　waxed　loose　in　the　presence　of　the　Glory；　and　I　sank　down

before　it。



Then　spake　the　small；　sweet　Voice　within　the　cloud：



〃Harmachis；　who　wast　my　servant　and　my　son；　I　have　heard　thy　prayer；

and　the　summons　that　thou　hast　dared　to　utter；　which　on　the　lips　of

one　with　whom　I　have　communed；　hath　power　to　draw　Me　from　the

Uttermost。　No　more；　Harmachis；　may　we　be　one　in　the　bond　of　Love

Divine；　for　thou　hast　put　Me　away　of　thine　own　act。　Therefore；　after

this　long　silence　I　come；　Harmachis；　clothed　in　terrors；　and；

perchance；　ready　for　vengeance；　for　not　lightly　can　Isis　be　drawn　from

the　halls　of　Her　Divinity。〃



〃Smite；　Goddess！〃　I　answered。　〃Smite；　and　give　me　over　to　those　who

wreak　Thy　vengeance；　for　I　can　no　longer　bear　the　burden　of　my　woe！〃



〃And　if　thou　canst　not　bear　thy　burden　here；　upon　this　upper　earth；〃

came　the　soft　reply；　〃how　then　shalt　thou　bear　the　greater　burden　that

shall　be　laid　upon　thee　there；　coming　defiled　and　yet　unpurified　into

my　dim　realm　of　Death；　that　is　Life　and　Change　unending？　Nay；

Harmachis；　I　smite　thee　not；　for　not　all　am　I　wroth　that　thou　hast

dared　to　utter　the　awful　Word　which　calls　Me　down　to　thee。　Hearken；

Harmachis；　I　praise　not；　and　I　reproach　not；　for　I　am　the　Minister　of

Reward　and　Punishment　and　the　Executrix　of　Decrees；　and　if　I　give；　I

give　in　silence；　and　if　I　smite；　in　silence　do　I　smite。　Therefore；　I

will　add　naught　to　thy　burden　by　the　weight　of　heavy　words；　though

through　thee　it　has　come　to　pass　that　soon　shall　Isis；　the　Mother…

Mystery；　be　but　a　memory　in　Egypt。　Thou　hast　sinned；　and　heavy　shall

be　thy　punishment；　as　I　did　warn　thee；　both　in　the　flesh　and　in　my

kingdom　of　Amenti。　But　I　told　thee　that　there　is　a　road　of　repentance；

and　surely　thy　feet　are　set　thereon；　and　therein　must　thou　walk　with　a

humble　heart；　eating　of　the　bread　of　bitterness；　till　such　time　as　thy

doom　be　measured。〃



〃Have　I；　then；　no　hope；　O　holy？〃



〃That　which　is　done；　Harmachis；　is　done；　nor　can　its　issues　be

altered。　Khem　shall　no　more　be　free　till　all　its　temples　are　as　the

desert　dust；　strange　Peoples　shall；　from　age　to　age；　hold　her　hostage

and　in　bonds；　new　Religions　shall　arise　and　wither　within　the　shadow

of　her　pyramids；　for　to　every　World；　Race；　and　Age　the　countenances　of

the　Gods　are　changed。　This　is　the　tree　that　shall　spring　from　thy　seed

of　sin；　Harmachis；　and　from　the　sin　of　those　who　tempted　thee！〃



〃Alas！　I　am　undone！〃　I　cried。



〃Yea；　thou　art　undone；　and　yet　shall　this　be　given　to　thee：　thy

Destroyer　thou　shalt　destroyfor　so；　in　the　purpose　of　my　justice；　it

is　ordained。　When　the　sign　comes　to　thee；　arise；　go　to　Cleopatra；　and

in　such　manner　as　I　shall　put　into　thy　heart　do　Heaven's　vengeance

upon　her！　And　now　for　thyself　one　word；　for　thou　hast　put　Me　from

thee；　Harmachis；　and　no　more　shall　I　come　face　to　face　with　thee　till；

cycles　hence；　the　last　fruit　of　thy　sin　hath　ceased　to　be　upon　this

earth！　Yet；　through　the　vastness　of　the　unnumbered　years；　remember

thou　this：　the　Love　Divine　is　Love　Eternal；　which　cannot　be

extinguished；　though　it　be　everlastingly　estranged。　Repent；　my　son；

repent　and　do　well　while　there　is　yet　time；　that　at　the　dim　end　of

ages　thou　mayest　once　more　be　gathered　unto　Me。　Still；　Harmachis；

though　thou　seest　Me　not；　still；　when　the　very　name　by　which　thou

knowest　Me　has　become　a　meaningless　mystery　to　those　who　shall　be

after　thee；　still　I；　whose　hours　are　eternalI；　who　have　watched

Universes　wither；　wane；　and；　beneath　the　breath　of　Time；　melt　into

nothingness；　again　to　gather；　and；　re…born；　thread　the　maze　of　space

still；　I　say；　I　shall　companion　thee。　Wherever　thou　goest；　in　whatever

form　of　life　thou　livest；　there　I　shall　be！　Art　thou　wafted　to　the

farthest　star；　art　thou　buried　in　Amenti's　lowest　deepin　lives；　in

deaths；　in　sleeps；　in　wakings；　in　remembrances；　in　oblivions；　in　all

the　fevers　of　the　outer　Life；　in　all　the　changes　of　the　Spiritstill；

if　thou　wilt　but　atone　and　forget　Me　no　more；　I　shall　be　with　thee；

waiting　thine　hour　of　redemption。　For　this　is　the　nature　of　Love

Divine；　wherewith　it　loves　that　which　partakes　of　its　divinity　and　by

the　holy　tie　hath　once　been　bound　to　it。　Judge　then；　Harmachis：　was　it

well　to　put　this　from　thee　to　win　the　dust　of　earthly　woman？　And；　now；

dare　not　again　to　utter　the　Word　of　Power　till　these　things　are　done！

Harmachis；　for　this　season；　fare　thee　well！〃







As　the　last　note　of　the　sweet　Voice　died　away；　the　fiery　snake　climbed

into　the　heart　of　the　cloud。　Now　the　cloud　rolled　from　the　horns　of

light；　and　was　gathered　into　the　blackness。　The　vision　of　the　crescent

moon　grew　dim　and　vanished。　Then；　as　the　Goddess　passed；　once　more

came　the　faint　and　dreadful　music　of　the　shaken　sistra；　and　all　was

still。



I　hid　my　face　in　my　robe；　and　even　then；　though　my　outstretched　hand

could　touch　the　chill　corpse　of　that　father　who　had　died　cursing　me；　I

felt　hope　come　back　into　my　heart；　knowing　that　I　was　not　altogether

lost　nor　utterly　rejected　of　Her　whom　I　had　forsaken；　but　whom　I　yet

loved。　And　then　weariness　overpowered　me；　and　I　slept。







I　woke；　the　faint　lights　of　dawn　were　creeping　from　the　opening　in　the

roof。　Ghastly　they　lay　upon　the　shadowy　sculptured　walls　and　ghastly

upon　the　dead　face　and　white　beard　of　my　father；　the　gathered　to

Osiris。　I　started　up；　remembering　all　things；　and　wondering　in　my

heart　what　I　should　do；　and　as　I　rose　I　heard　a　faint　footfall

creeping　down　the　passage　of　the　names　of　the　Pharaohs。



〃/La！　La！　La！/〃　mumbled　a　voice　that　I　knew　for　the　voice　of　the　old

wife；　Atoua。　〃Why；　'tis　dark　as　the　House　of　the　Dead！　The　Holy　Ones

who　built　this　Temple　l