A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder

by James De Mille

  CHAPTER XXII

  ESCAPE

  On the following jom I told everything to Almah. I told her thatLayelah was urging me to fly with her, and that I had found out allabout her plans. I described the athalebs, informed her about thedirection which we were to take, the island of fire, and the countryof the Orin. At this intelligence Almah was filled with delight, andfor the first time since we had come to the amir there were smilesof joy upon her face. She needed no persuasion. She was ready to setforth whenever it was fitting, and to risk everything upon thisenterprise. She felt as I did, and thought that the wildest attemptwas better than this dull inaction.

  Death was before us here, and every jom as it passed only brought itnearer. True, we were treated with the utmost kindness, we lived inroyal splendor, we had enormous retinues; but all this was a miserablemockery, since it all served as the prelude to our inevitable doom.For that doom it was hard indeed to wait. Anything was better. Farbetter would it be to risk all the dangers of this unusual and amazingflight, to brave the terrors of that drear isle of fire, Magones;better to perish there of starvation, or to be killed by the handsof hostile Gojin, than to wait here and be destroyed at last bythe sacrificial knife of these smiling, generous, kind-hearted,self-sacrificing fiends; to be killed--ay, and afterward borne to thetremendous Mista Kosek.

  There was a difficulty with Layelah that had to be guarded against: inthe first place that she might not suspect, and again that we mightchoose our time of escape when she would not be at all likely to findus out. We resolved to make our attempt without any further delay.Layelah was with us for the greater part of that jom, and the KohenGadol also gave us much of his company. Layelah did not seem to haveany suspicions whatever of my secret purpose; for she was as bright,as amiable, and as devoted to me as ever, while the Kohen Gadol soughtas before to make himself agreeable to Almah. I did not think fitto tell her about Layelah's proposal, and therefore she was quiteignorant of the secret plans of the Kohen Gadol, evidently attributinghis attention to the unfailing amiability of the Kosekin.

  Layelah came again after Almah had retired, and spent the time intrying to persuade me to fly with her. The beautiful girl wascertainly never more engaging, nor was she ever more tender. Had itnot been for Almah it would have been impossible to resist such sweetpersuasions; but as it was I did resist. Layelah, however, was not atall discouraged, nor did she lose any of her amiability; but when shetook leave it was with a smile and sweet words of forgiveness on herlips for what she called my cruelty. After she left I remained for atime with a painful sense of helplessness. The fact is my Europeantraining did not fit me for encountering such a state of things asexisted among the Kosekin. It's very easy to be faithful to one's owntrue-love in England, when other fair ladies hold aloof and wait tobe sought; but here among the Kosekin, women have as much liberty inmaking love as men, and there is no law or custom about it. If a womanchooses she can pay the most desperate attentions, and play the partof a distracted lover to her heart's content. In most cases thewomen actually take the initiative, as they are more impressible andimpulsive than men; and so it was that Layelah made me the object ofher persistent assault--acting all the time, too, in accordance withthe custom of the country, and thus having no thought whatever ofindelicacy, since, according to the Kosekin, she was acting simply inaccordance with the rights of every woman. Now, where a woman is urgedby one ardent lover to dismiss her other lover, she may sometimes findit difficult to play her part satisfactorily; but in my case I did notplay my part satisfactorily at all; the ordeal was too hard, and I wasutterly unable to show to Layelah that firmness and decision ofcharacter which the occasion demanded.

  Yet, after all, the ordeal at last ended. Layelah left, as I havesaid, with sweet words of forgiveness on her lips, and I after a timesucceeded in regaining my presence of mind.

  Almah was waiting, and she soon joined me. We gathered a few articlesfor the journey, the chief of which were my rifle and pistol, whichI had not used here, and then we set forth. Leaving our apartmentswe traversed the long passages, and at length came to the cavern ofthe athalebs. We met several people on the way, who looked at uswith smiles, but made no other sign. It was evident that they had nocommission to watch us, and that thus far Layelah's information wascorrect.

  Upon entering the cavern of the athalebs my first feeling was one ofhelplessness; for I had no confidence whatever in my own powers ofmanaging these awful monsters, nor did I feel sure that I couldharness them; but the emergency was a pressing one, and there was nohelp for it. I had seen where Layelah had left the harness, and now mychief desire was to secure one of the athalebs. The faint light servedto disclose nothing but gloom; and I waited for a while, hoping thatone 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 torouse 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 thoughtit was one of the athalebs, and walked on farther, peering through thegloom, when suddenly I came full upon a man who was busy at some workwhich I could not make out. For a moment I stood in amazement anddespair, for it seemed as though all was lost, and as if this manwould at once divine my intent. While I stood thus he turned and gaveme a very courteous greeting, after which, in the usual manner of theKosekin, he asked me with much amiability what he could do for me. Imuttered something about seeing the athalebs, upon which he informedme that he would show them to me with pleasure.

  He went on to say that he had recently been raised from the lowposition of Athon to that of Feeder of the Athalebs, a post involvingduties like those of ostlers or grooms among us, but which hereindicated high rank and honor. He was proud of his title of "Epet,"which means servant, and more than usually obliging. I at once tookadvantage of his complaisance, and requested him to show me theathalebs. Upon this he led the way farther on, where I could seethrough the gloom the shadowy outlines of four monsters, all of whichwere resting in an upright posture against the wall, with their clawsfixed on a shelf of rock. They looked more than ever like dragons, orrather like enormous bats, for their wings were disclosed hanging inloose leathern folds.

  "Can they be roused," I asked, "and made to move?"

  "Oh yes," said the Epet, and without waiting for any further requesthe proceeded to pull at the loose fan-like wing of the nearest one.The monster drew himself together, gave a flutter with his wings, andthen moved back from the wall.

  "Make him walk," said I, eagerly.

  The Epet at this pulled upon his wing once more, and the athaleb movedforward.

  "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 thusguided him toward the portal. I was amazed at the docility of thisterrific monster; yet, after all, I thought that it was no moreastonishing than the docility of the elephant, which in like mannerallows itself to be guided by the slightest pressure. A child may leada vast elephant with ease, and here with equal ease the Epet led theathaleb. He led him up near to the portal, where the aurora lightbeamed through far brighter than the brightest moon, and disclosed allthe vast proportions of the monster. I stood and looked on for sometime in silence, quite at a loss what to do next.

  And now Layelah's words occurred to me as to the perfect willingnessof the Kosekin to do anything which one might wish. She had insistedon it that they would not prevent our flight, and had given me tounderstand that they would even assist me if I should ask them. Thisis what now occurred to me, and I determined to make a trial. So Isaid:

  "I should like to fly in the air on the athaleb. Will you harnesshim?"

  I confess it was with some trepidation that I said this, but thefeeling was soon dissipated. The Epet heard my words with perfectcoolness, as though they conveyed the most natural request in theworld, and then proceeded to obey me, just as at home a servant mighthear and obey hi
s master, who might say, "I should like to take aride; will you harness the bay mare?"

  So the Epet proceeded to harness the athaleb, and I watched him insilence; but it was the silence of deep suspense, and my heartthrobbed painfully. There was yet much to be risked. The gates hadto be opened. Others might interfere. Layelah might come. All thesethoughts occurred to me as I watched the Epet; and though the labor ofharnessing the athaleb was simple and soon performed, still the timeseemed 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 tothe coarse mane; I, just behind, held the reins in my hand. The gateswere opened wide. A few people outside, roused by the noise of theopening gates, stood and looked on. They had evidently no otherfeeling but curiosity.

  All was now ready and the way was open, but there was an unexpecteddifficulty--the athaleb would not start, and I did not know how tomake 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 makehim stop," said the Epet.

  Upon this I pulled at the collar.

  The athaleb obeyed at once. He rose almost erect, and moved outthrough the gate. It was difficult to hold on, but we did so. Onreaching the terrace outside, the athaleb expanded his vast wings,which spread out over a space of full fifty feet, and then withvigorous motions raised himself in the air.

  It was a moment full of terror to both of us; the strange sensation ofrising in the air, the quivering muscles of the athaleb at the workingof the enormous pinions, the tremendous display of strength, allcombined to overwhelm me with a sense of utter helplessness. With onehand I clung to the stiff mane of the monster; with the other I heldAlmah, who was also grasping the athaleb's hair; and thus for sometime all thought was taken up in the one purpose of holding on. But atlength the athaleb lay in the air in a perfectly horizontal position;the beat of the wings grew more slow and even, the muscular exertionmore steady and sustained. We both began to regain some degree ofconfidence, and at length I raised myself up and looked around.

  It did not seem long since we had left; but already the city was farbehind, rising with its long, crescent terraces, sparkling andtwinkling with innumerable lights. We had passed beyond the bay; theharbor 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 hemight drop into the water at any time; but this was only fancy, for hewas perfect master of all his movement and his flight was swift andwell sustained.

  Overhead the sky was filled with the glory of the aurora beams, whichspread everywhere, flashing out from the zenith and illuminating theearth with a glow brighter than that of the brightest moon; beneath,the dark waters of the sea extended, with the waves breaking intofoam, and traversed by galleys, by merchant-ships, and by the naviesof the Kosekin. Far away the surface of the sea spread, with thatmarvellous appearance of an endless ascent, as though for a thousandmiles, rising thus until it terminated half-way up the sky; and soit rose up on every side, so that I seemed to be at the bottom ofa basin-shaped world--an immense and immeasurable hollow--a worldunparalleled and unintelligible. Far away, at almost infinitedistances, arose the long lines of mountains, which, crowned with ice,gleamed in the aurora light, and seemed like a barrier that madeforever impossible all ingress and egress.

  On and on we sped. At length we grew perfectly accustomed to thesituation, the motion was so easy and our seats were so secure. Therewere no obstacles in our way, no roughness along our path; for thatpathway was the smooth air, and in such a path there could be nointerruption, no jerk or jar. After the first terror had passed thereremained no longer any necessity for holding on--we could sit and lookaround with perfect freedom; and at length I rose to my feet, andAlmah stood beside me, and thus we stood for a long time, with allour souls kindled into glowing enthusiasm by the excitement of thatadventurous 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 nothingvisible but the darkness of the water, spotted with phosphorescentpoints, while all around a wall of gloom arose which shut out fromview the distant shores.

  Suddenly I was aware of a noise like the beat of vast wings, and thesewings were not those of our athaleb. At first I thought it was thefluttering of a sail, but it was too regular and too long continuedfor that. At length I saw through the gloom a vast shadowy form in theair 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 heldmy rifle poised, and was resolved to resist at all hazards. Almah sawit all, and said nothing. She perceived the danger, and in her eyes Isaw that she, like me, would prefer death to surrender. The monstercame 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 mightattack our athaleb, and in that way endanger us. He must be preventedfrom coming nearer; yet to fire the rifle was a serious matter. I hadonce before I learned the danger of firing under such circumstances,when my opmahera had fled in terror at the report, and did not wish toexperience 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.