an, and I shall have no inwards
left, except to take my vengeance, and to see Atlantis piled up in ruins
as her funeral-stone."

Zaemon looked at me bitterly. "And you are the man the High Council
thought to trust as they would trust one of themselves? Truly we are in
an age of weak men and faithless now. But, my lord--nay, I must call you
brother still: we cannot be too nice in our choosing to-day--you are the
best there is, and we must have you. We little thought you would ask a
price for your generalship, having once taken oath on the walls of the
Ark of the Mysteries itself that always, come what might, you would be a
servant of the High Council of the Clan without fee and without hope of
advancement. But this is the age of broken vows, and you are going no
more than trim with the fashion. Indeed, brother, perhaps I should thank
you for being no more greedy in your demands."

"You may spare me your taunts. You, by self-denial and profound search
into the highest of the higher Mysteries, have made yourself something
wiser than human; I have preserved my humanity, and with it its powers
and frailties; and it seems that each of us has his proper uses, or
you would not be come now here to me. Rather you would have done the
generalling yourself."

"You make a warm defence, my brother. But I have no leisure now to stand
before you with argument. Come to the Sacred Mountain, fight me this
wanton, upstart Empress, and by my beard you shall have your Nais as you
left her as a reward."

"It is a command of the High Council which shall be obeyed. I will come
with my brother now, as soon as he is rested."

"Nay," said the old man, "I have no tiredness, and as for coming with
me, there you will not be able. But follow at what pace you may."

He turned and set off down the snowy slopes of the mountain and I
followed; but gradually he distanced me; and so he kept on, with speed
always increasing, till presently he passed out of my sight round the
spur of an ice-cliff, and I found myself alone on the mountain side.
Yes, truly alone. For his footmarks in the snow from being deep, grew
shallower, and less noticeable, so that I had to stoop to see them. And
presently they vanished entirely, and the great mountain's flank lay
before me trackless, and untrodden by the foot of man since time began.

I was not shaken by any great amazement. Though it was beyond my poor
art to compass this thing myself, having occupied my mind in ex