A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder

by James De Mille

  CHAPTER XXIV

  RECAPTURE

  How long I slept I do not know; but in the midst of my sleep theresounded voices, which at first intermingled themselves with my dreams,but gradually became separate and sounded from without, rousing mefrom my slumbers. I opened my eyes drowsily, but the sight that I sawwas so amazing that in an instant all sleep left me. I started to myfeet, and gazed in utter bewilderment upon the scene before me.

  The aurora light was shining with unusual brilliancy, and disclosedeverything--the sea, the shore, the athaleb, the jantannin, thepromontory, all--more plainly and more luminously than before; butit was not any of these things that now excited my attention andrendered me dumb. I saw Almah standing there at a little distance,with despairing face, surrounded by a band of armed Kosekin; whileimmediately before me, regarding me with a keen glance and an air oftriumph, was Layelah.

  "Ataesmzori alonla," said she, with a sweet smile, giving me theusual salutation of the Kosekin.

  I was too bewildered to say a word, and stood mute as before, lookingfirst at her and then at Almah.

  The sight of Almah a prisoner once more, surrounded by the Kosekin,excited me to madness. I seized my rifle, and raised it as if to takeaim; but Almah, who understood the movement, cried to me:

  "Put down your sepet-ram, Atam-or! you can do nothing for me. TheKosekin are too numerous."

  "Sepet-ram!" said Layelah; "what do you mean by that? If yoursepet-ram has any power, do not try to use it, Atam-or, or elseI shall have to order my followers to give to Almah the blessing ofdeath."

  At this my rifle was lowered: the whole truth flashed upon me, and Isaw, too, the madness of resistance. I might kill one or two, but therest would do as Layelah said, and I should speedily be disarmed. WellI knew how powerless were the thunders of my fire-arms to terrifythese Kosekin; for the prospect of death would only rouse them to amad enthusiasm, and they would all rush upon me as they would rushupon a jantannin--to slay and be slain. The odds were too great. Acrowd of Europeans could be held in check far more easily than thesedeath-loving Kosekin. The whole truth was thus plain: we wereprisoners, and were at their mercy.

  Layelah showed no excitement or anger whatever. She looked and spokein her usual gracious and amiable fashion, with a sweet smile on herface.

  "We knew," said she, "that you would be in distress in this desolateplace, and that you would not know where to go from Magones; and so wehave come, full of the most eager desire to relieve your wants. Wehave brought with us food and drink, and are ready to do everythingfor you that you may desire. We have had great trouble in finding you,and have coursed over the shores for vast distances, and far over theinterior, but our athalebs found you at last by their scent. And werejoice to have found you in time, and that you are both so well, forwe have been afraid that you had been suffering. Nay, Atam-or, do notthank us; thanks are distasteful to the Kosekin: these brave followersof mine will all be amply rewarded for this, for they will all be madepaupers; but as for myself, I want no higher reward than thedelightful thought that I have saved you from suffering."

  The beautiful, smiling Layelah, who addressed me in this way with hersweet voice, was certainly not to be treated as an enemy. Against hera rifle could not be levelled; she would have looked at me with thesame sweet smile, and that smile would have melted all my resolution.Nor could I even persist in my determination to remain. Remain! Forwhat? For utter despair! And yet where else could we go?

  "You do not know where lie the lands of the Orin," said Layelah. "Theathaleb does not know. You could not guide him if you did know. Youare helpless on his back. The art of driving an athaleb is difficult,and cannot be learned without long and severe practice. My fear wasthat the athaleb might break away from you and return, leaving you toperish here. Had you tried to leave this place he would have broughtyou back to the amir."

  To this I said nothing--partly because it was so true that I had noanswer to make, and partly also out of deep mortification anddejection. My pride was wounded at being thus so easily baffled by agirl like Layelah, and all my grief was stirred by the sadness ofAlmah. In her eyes there seemed even now the look of one who seesdeath inevitable, and the glance she gave to me was like an eternalfarewell.

  Almah now spoke, addressing herself to Layelah.

  "Death," said she, in a voice of indescribable mournfulness, "isbetter here than with you. We would rather die here than go back. Letus, I pray you, receive the blessing of death here. Let us be paupersand exiles, and die on Magones."

  Layelah heard this, and stood for a moment in deep thought.

  "No one but a stranger," said she at length, "would ask such a favoras that. Do you not know that what you ask is among the very highesthonors of the Kosekin? Who am I that I can venture to grant such arequest as that? Ask for anything in my power, and I will be glad togrant it. I have already arranged that you shall be separated fromAtam-or; and that, surely, is a high privilege. I might consent tobind you hand and foot, after the manner of the more distinguishedAsirin; you may also be blindfolded if you wish it. I might evenpromise, after we return to the amir, to keep you confined in utterdarkness, with barely sufficient food to keep you alive until thetime of the sacrifice; in short, there is no blessing known amongthe Kosekin that I will not give so long as it is in my power. Andso, beloved Almah," continued Layelah, "you have every reason forhappiness; you have all the highest blessings known among the Kosekin:separation from your lover, poverty, want, darkness; and, finally, theprospect of inevitable death ever before you as the crowning glory ofyour lot."

  These words seemed to the Kosekin the very excess of magnanimity, andinvoluntary murmurs of admiration escaped them; although it is justpossible that they murmured at the greatness of the favor that wasoffered. But to me it sounded like fiendish mockery, and to Almah itsounded the same; for a groan escaped her, her fortitude gave way, shesank on her knees, buried her head in her hands, and wept.

  "Almah," cried I, in a fury, "we will not go back--we will not beseparated! I will destroy all the athalebs, and we shall all perishhere together. At least, you and I will not be separated."

  At this Almah started up.

  "No, no," said she--"no; let us go back. Here we have nothing butdeath."

  "But we have death also at the amir, and a more terrible one," said I.

  "If you kill the athalebs," said Layelah, "I will give Almah theblessing of death."

  At this I recoiled in horror, and my resolution again gave way.

  "You have some mysterious power of conferring death," continuedLayelah, "with what Almah calls your sepet-ram; but do not kill theathalebs, for it will do you no good. Almah would then receive theblessing of death. My followers, these noble Kosekin, would rejoice inthus gaining exile and death on Magones. As for myself, it would be myhighest happiness to be here alone with you. With you I should livefor a few sweet joms, and with you I should die; so go on--kill theathalebs if you wish."

  "Do not!" cried Almah--"do not! There is no hope. We are theirprisoners, and our only hope is in submission."

  Upon this all further thought of resistance left me, and I stood insilence, stolidly waiting for their action. As I looked around Inoticed a movement near the jantannin, and saw several athalebsthere, which were devouring its flesh. I now went over to Almah andspoke with her. We were both full of despair. It seemed as though wemight never meet again. We were to be separated now; but who could saywhether we should be permitted to see each other after leaving thisplace? We had but little to say. I held her in my arms, regardless ofthe presence of others; and these, seeing our emotion, at once movedaway, with the usual delicacy of the Kosekin, and followed Layelah tothe jantannin to see about the athalebs.

  At last our interview was terminated. Layelah came and informed usthat all was ready for our departure. We walked sadly to the place,and found the athalebs crouched to receive their riders. There werefour beside ours. Layelah informed me that I was to go with her, andAlmah was to go on another athaleb. I e
ntreated her to let Almah gowith me; but she declined, saying that our athaleb could only carrytwo, as he seemed fatigued, and it would not be safe to overload himfor so long a flight. I told her that Almah and I could go together onthe same athaleb; but she objected on the ground of my ignorance ofdriving. And so, remonstrances and objections being alike useless, Iwas compelled to yield to the arrangements that had been made. Almahmounted on another athaleb. I mounted with Layelah, and then the greatmonsters expanded their mighty wings, rose into the air, and soon werespeeding over the waters.

  We went on in silence for some time. I was too despondent to say aword, and all my thoughts turned toward Almah, who was now separatedfrom me--perhaps forever. The other athalebs went ahead, at longintervals apart, flying in a straight line, while ours was last.Layelah said nothing. She sat in front of me; her back was turnedtoward me; she held in her hands the reins, which hung quite loose atfirst, but after a while she drew them up, and seemed to be directingour course. For some time I did not notice anything in particular, formy eyes were fixed upon the athaleb immediately before us, upon whichwas seated the loved form of Almah, which I could easily recognize.But our athaleb flew slowly, and I noticed that we were fallingbehind. I said this to Layelah, but she only remarked that it wasfatigued with its long journey. To this I objected that the others hadmade as long a journey, and insisted that she should draw nearer. Thisshe at first refused to do; but at length, as I grew persistent, shecomplied, or pretended to do so. In spite of this, however, we againfell behind, and I noticed that this always happened when the reinswere drawn tight. On making this discovery I suddenly seized bothreins and let them trail loose, whereupon the athaleb at once showed aperceptible increase of speed, which proved that there was no fatiguein him whatever. This I said to Layelah.

  She acquiesced with a sweet smile, and taking the reins again, she sataround so as to face me, and said:

  "You are very quick. It is no use to try to deceive you, Atam-or: Iwish to fall behind."

  "Why?"

  "To save you."

  "To save me?"

  "Yes. I can take you to the land of the Orin. Now is the time toescape from death. If you go back you must surely die; but now, if youwill be guided by me, I can take you to the land of the Orin. Therethey all hate death, they love life, they live in the light. There youwill find those who are like yourself; there you can love and behappy."

  "But what of Almah?" I asked.

  Layelah made a pretty gesture of despair.

  "You are always talking of Almah," said she. "What is Almah to you?She is cold, dull, sad! She never will speak. Let her go."

  "Never!" said I. "Almah is worth more than all the world to me."

  Layelah sighed.

  "I can never, never, never," said she, "get from you the least littlebit of a kind word--even after all that I have done for you, and whenyou know that I would lie down and let you trample me under your feetif it gave you any pleasure."

  "Oh, that is not the question at all," said I. "You are asking me toleave Almah--to be false to her--and I cannot."

  "Among the Kosekin," said Layelah, "it is the highest happiness forlovers to give one another up."

  "I am not one of the Kosekin," said I. "I cannot let her go away--Icannot let her go back to the amir--to meet death alone. If she diesshe shall see me by her side, ready to die with her."

  At this Layelah laughed merrily.

  "Is it possible," said she, "that you believe that? Do you not knowthat if Almah goes back alone she will not die?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Why, she can only die when you are in her company. She has lived foryears among us, and we have waited for someone to appear whom shemight love, so that we might give them both the blessing of death. Ifthat one should leave her, Almah could not receive the blessing. Shewould be compelled to live longer, until some other lover shouldappear. Now, by going with me to the land of the Orin, you will saveAlmah's life--and as for Almah, why, she will be happy--and dear papais quite willing to marry her. You must see, therefore, dear Atam-or,that my plan is the very best that can be thought of for all of us,and above all for Almah."

  This, however, was intolerable; and I could not consent to desertAlmah, even if by doing so I should save her life. My own naturerevolted from it. Still it was not a thing which I could dismiss onthe instant. The safety of Almah's life, indeed, requiredconsideration; but then the thought came of her wonder at mydesertion. Would she not think me false? Would not the thought of myfalsity be worse than death?

  "No," said I, "I will not leave her--not even to save her life. Evenamong us there are things worse than death. Almah would rather die bythe sacrificial knife than linger on with a broken heart."

  "Oh no," said Layelah, sweetly; "she will rejoice that you are safe.Do you not see that while you are together death is inevitable, but ifyou separate you may both live and be happy?"

  "But she will think me dead," said I, as a new idea occurred. "Shewill think that some accident has befallen me."

  "Oh no, she won't," said Layelah; "she will think that you have goneoff with me."

  "Then that will be worse, and I would rather die, and have her diewith me, than live and have her think me false."

  "You are very, very obstinate," said Layelah, sweetly.

  I made no reply. During this conversation I had been too intent uponLayelah's words to notice the athalebs before me; but now as I lookedup I saw that we had fallen far behind, and that Layelah had headedour athaleb in a new direction. Upon this I once more snatched thereins from her, and tried to return to our former course. This,however, I was utterly unable to do.

  Layelah laughed.

  "You will have to let me guide our course," said she. "You can donothing. The athaleb will now go in a straight line to the land of theOrin."

  Upon this I started up in wild excitement.

  "Never, never, never!" I cried, in a fury. "I will not; I will destroythis athaleb and perish in the water!"

  As I said this I raised my rifle.

  "What are you going to do?" cried Layelah, in accents of fear.

  "Turn back," I cried, "or I will kill this athaleb!"

  Upon this Layelah dropped the reins, stood up, and looked at me with asmile.

  "Oh, Atam-or," said she, "what a thing to ask! How can I go back now,when we have started for the land of the Orin?"

  "We shall never reach the land of the Orin," I cried; "we shall perishin the sea!"

  "Oh no," said Layelah; "you cannot kill the athaleb. You are no morethan an insect; your rod is a weak thing, and will break on his ironframe."

  It was evident that Layelah had not the slightest idea of the powersof my rifle. There was no hesitation on my part. I took aim with therifle. At that moment I was desperate. I thought of nothing but theswift flight of the athaleb, which was bearing me away forever fromAlmah. I could not endure that thought, and still less could I endurethe thought that she should believe me false. It was therefore in awild passion of rage and despair that I levelled my rifle, taking aimas well as I could at what seemed a vital part under the wing. Themotion of the wing rendered this difficult, however, and I hesitateda moment, so as to make sure. All this time Layelah stood lookingat me with a smile on her rosy lips and a merry twinkle in hereyes--evidently regarding my words as empty threats and my act asa vain pretence, and utterly unprepared for what was to follow.

  Suddenly I fired both barrels in quick succession. The reports rangout in thunder over the sea. The athaleb gave a wild, appallingshriek, and fell straight down into the water, fluttering vainly withone wing, while the other hung down useless. A shriek of horror burstfrom Layelah. She started back, and fell from her standing-place intothe waves beneath. The next instant we were all in the watertogether--the athaleb writhing and lashing the water into foam, whileI involuntarily clung to his coarse mane, and expected death everymoment.

  But death did not come; for the athaleb did not sink, but floated withhis back out of the water, the rig
ht pinion being sunk underneath anduseless, and the left struggling vainly with the sea. But after a timehe folded up the left wing and drew it close in to his side, andpropelled himself with his long hind-legs. His right wing was broken,but he did not seem to have suffered any other injury.

  Suddenly I heard a cry behind me:

  "Atam-or! oh, Atam-or!"

  I looked around and saw Layelah. She was swimming in the water, andseemed exhausted. In the agitation of the past few moments I had lostsight of her, and had thought that she was drowned; but now the sightof her roused me from my stupor and brought me back to myself. She wasswimming, yet her strokes were weak and her face was full of despair.In an instant I had flung off my coat, rolled up the rifle and pistolin its folds, and sprung into the water. A few strokes brought me toLayelah. A moment more and I should have been too late. I held herhead out of water, told her not to struggle, and then struck out to goback. It would have been impossible for me to do this, encumbered withsuch a load, had I not fortunately perceived the floating wing of theathaleb close beside me. This I seized, and by means of it drew myselfwith Layelah alongside; after which I succeeded in putting her on theback of the animal, and soon followed myself.

  The terror of the rifle had overwhelmed her, and the suddenness of thecatastrophe had almost killed her. She had struggled in the water fora long time, and had called to me in vain. Now she was quiteexhausted, and lay in my arms trembling and sobbing. I spoke to herencouragingly, and wrapped her in my coat, and rubbed her hands andfeet, until at last she began to recover. Then she wept quietly for along time; then the weeping fit passed away. She looked up with asmile, and in her face there was unutterable gratitude.

  "Atam-or," said she, "I never loved death like the rest of theKosekin; but now--but now--I feel that death with you would be sweet."

  Then tears came to her eyes, and I found tears coming to my own, sothat I had to stoop down and kiss away the tears of Layelah. As I didso she twined both her arms around my neck, held me close to her, andsighed.

  "Oh, Atam-or, death with you is sweet! And now you cannot reproachme-- You have done this yourself, with your terrible power; and youhave saved my life to let me die with you. You do not hate me, then,Atam-or, do you? Just speak once to a poor little girl, and say thatyou do not hate her!"

  All this was very pitiable. What man that had a heart in his breastcould listen unmoved to words like these, or look without emotion uponone so beautiful, so gentle, and so tender? It was no longer Layelahin triumph with whom I had to do, but Layelah in distress: the lightbanter, the teasing, mocking smile, the kindling eye, the readylaugh--all were gone. There was nothing now but mournfultenderness--the timid appeal of one who dreaded a repulse, the glanceof deep affection, the abandonment of love.

  I held Layelah in my arms, and I thought of nothing now but words ofconsolation for her. Life seemed over; death seemed inevitable; andthere, on the back of the athaleb, we floated on the waters and waitedfor our doom.