“Yes，Iremember。Still，IhaveheardsomewherethattheChristianChurchnevertiesaknotwhichitcannotunloose——foraproperfee，andformypartIdonotknowwhyamanshouldnotmarryoneofdifferentbloodbecauseshehasbeennamedhisgod-motherbeforeastonevesselbyamaninabroideredrobe。YousayIdonotunderstandsuchmatters。Perhaps，soletthembe。But，Martina，letussupposethatthisstrangesearchweretosucceed，andOlafhasawayofsucceedingwhereotherswouldfail。Forinstance，whoelsecouldhaveescapedaliveoutofthehandofIreneandbecomegovernorofLesbos，and，beingblind，yethaveplannedagreatvictory？Well，supposingthatbythehelpofgodsormen——orwomen——heshouldfindthisbeautifulHeliodore，unwedandstillwilling，andthattheyshouldmarry。Whatthen，Martina？“
“Then，CaptainJodd，“sheansweredslowly，“ifyouareyetofthesamemindwemaytalkagain。OnlyrememberthatIasknopromisesandmakenone。“
“SoyougotoEgyptwithOlaf？“
“Aye，certainly，unlessIshoulddiefirst，andperhapseventhen。Youdonotunderstand？Oh！ofcourseyoudonotunderstand，norcanIstoptoexplaintoyou。CaptainJodd，IamgoingtoEgyptwithacertainblindbeggar，whosenameIforgetatthemoment，butwhoismyuncle，wherenodoubtIshallseemanystrangethings。IfeverIcomebackI
willtellyouaboutthem，and，meanwhile，goodnight。“
ThefirstthingthatIrememberofthisjourneytoEgyptisthatIwassittinginthewarmmorningsunshineonthedeckofourlittletradingvessel，thatwentbythenameoftheheathengoddess，Diana。WewereintheportofAlexandria。Martina，whonowwentbythenameofHilda，stoodbymysidedescribingtomethegreatcitythatlaybeforeus。
ShetoldmeofthefamousPharosstillrisingfromitsrock，althoughinitthewarninglightnolongerburned，forsincetheMoslemstookEgypttheyhadletitdie，assomesaidbecausetheyfearedlestitshouldguideaChristianfleettoattackthem。ShedescribedalsothesplendidpalacesthattheGreekshadbuilt，manyofthemnowemptyorburnedout，theChristianchurches，themosques，thebroadstreetsandthegrass-grownquays。
Aswewerethusengaged，shetalkingandIlisteningandaskingquestions，shesaid，“TheboatiscomingwiththeSaracenofficersoftheport，whomustinspectandpasstheshipbeforesheisallowedtodischargehercargo。Now，Olaf，rememberthathenceforthyouarecalledHodur。“(I
hadtakenthisnameafterthatoftheblindgodofthenorthernpeoples。)“Playyourpartwell，and，aboveall，behumble。Ifyouarereviled，orevenstruck，shownoanger，andbesuretokeepthatredswordofyoursclosehiddenbeneathyourrobe。Ifyoudothesethingsweshallbesafe，forItellyouthatwearewelldisguised。“
TheboatcamealongsideandIheardmenclimbingtheship’sladder。
Thensomeonekickedme。Itwasourcaptain，Menas，whoalsohadhisparttoplay。
“Outoftheroad，youblindbeggar，“hesaid。“ThenobleofficersoftheCaliphboardourship，andyoublocktheirpath。“
“TouchnotonewhomGodhasafflicted，“saidagravevoice，speakinginbadGreek。“Itiseasyforustowalkroundtheman。Butwhoishe，captain，andwhydoeshecometoEgypt？Bytheirlooksheandthewomanwithhimmightwellhaveseenhappierdays。“
“Iknownot，lord，“answeredthecaptain，“who，aftertheypaidtheirpassagemoney，tooknomorenoteofthem。Stilltheyplayandsingwell，andservedtokeepthesailorsingoodhumourwhenwewerebecalmed。“
“Sir，“Ibrokein，“IamaNorthmannamedHodur，andthiswomanismyniece。Iwasatraderinamber，butthievesrobbedmeandmycompanionsofallwehadaswejourneyedtoByzantium。Me，whowastheleaderofourband，theyheldtoransom，blindingmelestIshouldbeabletosweartothemagain，buttheotherstheykilled。Thisistheonlychildofmysister，whomarriedaGreek，andnowwegetourlivingbyourskillinmusic。“
“TrulyyouChristiansloveeachotherwell，“saidtheofficer。“AccepttheKoranandyouwillnotbetreatedthus。ButwhydoyoucometoEgypt？“
“Sir，weheardthatitisarichlandwherethepeoplelovemusic，andhavecomehopingtoearnsomemoneyherethatwemayputbytoliveon。Sendusnotaway，sir；wehavealittleofferingtomake。NieceHilda，whereisthegoldpieceIgaveyou？Offerittothislord。“
“Nay，nay，“saidtheofficer。“ShallItakebreadoutofthemouthofthepoor？Clerk，“headdedinArabictoamanwhowaswithhim，“makeoutawritinggivingleavetothesetwotolandandtoplytheirbusinessanywhereinEgyptwithoutquestionorhindrance，andbringittometoseal。Farewell，musicians。IfearyouwillfindmoneyscarceinEgypt，forthelandhasbeenstrickenwithafamine。YetgoandprosperinthenameofGod，andmayHeturnyourheartstothetruefaith。“
ThusitcameaboutthatthroughthegoodmindofthisMoslem，whosename，asIlearnedwhenwemetagain，wasYusuf，ourfeetwereliftedovermanystumbling-blocks。Thusitseemsthatbyvirtueofhisofficehehadpowertopreventtheentryintothelandofsuchfolkasweseemedtobe，whichpower，iftheywereChristians，wasalmostalwaysputinforce。Yetbecausehehadseenthecaptainappeartoilltreatme，orbecause，beingasoldierhimself，heguessedthatIwasofthesametrade，whatevertaleitmightpleasemetotell，thisrulewasnotenforced。Moreover，thewritingwhichhegavemeenabledmetogowherewewishedinEgyptwithoutletorhindrance。Wheneverwewerestoppedorthreatened，whichhappenedtousseveraltimes，itwasenoughifwepresentedittothenearestpersoninauthoritywhocouldread，afterwhichwewereallowedtopassuponourwayunhindered。
BeforewelefttheshipIhadalastconversationwiththecaptain，Menas，tellinghimthathewastolieintheharbour，alwayspretendingthathewaitedforsomecargonotyetforthcoming，suchasunharvestedcorn，orwhateverwasconvenient，untilweappearedagain。
Ifafteracertainwhilewedidnotappear，thenhewastomakeatradingjourneytoneighbouringportsandreturntoAlexandria。Theseartificeshemustcontinuetopractiseuntilorderstothecontraryreachedhimundermyownhand，oruntilhehadsureevidencethatweweredead。Allthisthemanpromisedthathewoulddo。
“Yes，“saidMartina，whowaswithme，“youpromise，Captain，andwebelieveyou，butthequestionis，canyouanswerfortheothers？Forinstance，forthesailorCosmasthere，who，Isee，isalreadydrunkenandtalkingloudlyaboutmanythings。“
“Henceforth，lady，Cosmasshalldrinkwateronly。Whennotinhiscupsheisanhonestfellow，andIdoanswerforhim。“
Yet，alas！astheendshowed，Cosmaswasnottobeansweredforbyanyone。
Wewentashoreandtookupourabodeinacertainhouse，whereweweresafe。WhethertheChristianownersofthathousedidordidnotknowwhowewere，Iamnotcertain。Atanyrate，throughthemwewereintroducedatnightintothepalaceofPolitian，theMelchitePatriarchofAlexandria。Hewasastern-faced，black-beardedmanofhonestheartbutnarrowviews，ofwhomtheBishopBarnabashadoftenspokentomeashisclosestfriend。TothisPolitianItoldallunderthesealofourFaith，askinghisaidinmyquest。WhenIhadfinishedmytalehethoughtawhile。Thenhesaid，“Youareaboldman，GeneralOlaf；soboldthatIthinkGodmustbeleadingyoutoHisownends。Now，youhaveheardaright。Barnabas，mybelovedbrotherandyourfatherinChrist，hasbeentakenhence。HewasmurderedbysomefanaticMoslemssoonafterhisreturnfromByzantium。AlsoitistruethatthePrinceMagaswaskilledinwarbytheEmirMusa，andthattheladyHeliodoreescapedoutofhisclutches。Whatbecameofherafterwardsnomanknows，butformypartIbelievethatsheisdead。“
“AndIbelievethatsheisalive，“Ianswered，“andthereforeIgotoseekher。“
“Seekandyeshallfind，“musedthePatriarch；“atleast，Ihopeso，thoughmyadvicetoyouistobidehereandsendotherstoseek。“
“ThatIwillnotdo，“Iansweredagain。
“Thengo，andGodbewithyou。I’llwarncertainofthefaithfulofyourcoming，sothatyoumaynotlackafriendatneed。Whenyoureturn，ifyoushouldeverreturn，cometome，forIhavemoreinfluencewiththeseMoslemsthanmost，andmaybeabletoserveyou。
Icansaynomore，anditisnotsafethatyoushouldtarryheretoolong。Stay，Iforget。Therearetwothingsyoushouldknow。ThefirstisthattheEmirMusa，hewhoseizedtheladyHeliodore，isabouttobedeposed。IhavethenewsfromtheCaliphHarunhimself，forwithhimIamonfriendlytermsbecauseofaserviceIdidhimthroughmyskillinmedicine。ThesecondisthatIrenehasbeguiledConstantine，orbewitchedhim，Iknownotwhich。Atleast，byhisownproclamationoncemoresherulestheEmpirejointlywithhimself，andthatIthinkwillbehisdeathwarrant，andperhapsyoursalso。“
“Sufficientuntothedayistheevilthereof，“Isaid。“NowifIliveIshalllearnwhetheranyoathsaresacredtoIrene，aswillConstantine。“
Thenweparted。
LeavingAlexandria，wewanderedfirsttothetownofMisra，whichstoodneartothemightypyramids，beneathwhoseshadowwesleptonenightinanemptytomb。ThencebyslowmarcheswemadeourwayupthebanksoftheNile，earningourdailybreadbytheexerciseofourart。
Onceortwicewewerestoppedasspies，butalwaysreleasedagainwhenIproducedthewritingthattheofficerYusufhadgivenmeupontheship。Fortherest，nonemolestedusinalandwherewanderingbeggarsweresocommon。Ofmoneyitistrueweearnedlittle，butaswehadgoldinplentysewnintoourgarmentsthisdidnotmatter。Foodwasallweneeded，andthat，asIhavesaid，wasneverlacking。
Sowewentonourstrangejourney，daybydaylearningmoreofthetonguesspokeninEgypt，andespeciallyofArabic，whichtheMoslemsused。Whitherdidwejourney？Weknownotforcertain。WhatIsoughttofindwerethosetwohugestatuesofwhichIhaddreamedatAaronthenightoftherobbingoftheWanderer’stomb。Weheardthatthereweresuchfiguresofstone，whichweresaidtosingatdaybreak，andthattheysatuponaplainonthewesternbankoftheNile，neartotheruinsofthegreatcityofThebes，nowbutavillage，calledbytheArabsEl-Uksor，or“thePalaces。“Sofaraswecoulddiscover，itwasintheneighbourhoodofthiscitythatHeliodorehadescapedfromMusa，andthere，ifanywhere，Ihopedtogaintidingsofherfate。
Alsosomethingwithinmyheartdrewmetothoseimagesofforgottengodsormen。
