第4章

’Butit’snotsoextraprecious，’saidRoberthastily。’YoucangetthemgiventoyoufornothingifyoubuyfishinFarringdonMarket。’ ’Oh，’saidthePsammeadverycrosslyindeed，’soyoupresumeonmysublimeindifferencetothethingsofthisdisgustingmodernworld，tofobmeoffwithatravellingequipagethatcostsyounothing。Verywell，Ishallgotosand。Pleasedon’twakeme。’ Anditwentthenandtheretosand，which，asyouknow，meanttobed。TheboyswenttoStJames’sParktofeedtheducks，buttheywentalone。 AntheaandJanesatsewingalltheafternoon。TheycutoffhalfayardfromeachoftheirbestgreenLibertysashes。Atowelcutintwoformedalining；andtheysatandsewedandsewedandsewed。WhattheyweremakingwasabagforthePsammead。Eachworkedatahalfofthebag。jane’shalfhadfour—leavedshamrocksembroideredonit。Theyweretheonlythingsshecoulddo（becauseshehadbeentaughthowatschool，and，fortunately，someofthesilkshehadbeentaughtwithwasleftover）。Andevenso，Antheahadtodrawthepatternforher。Anthea’ssideofthebaghadlettersonit——workedhastilybutaffectionatelyinchainstitch。Theyweresomethinglikethis： PSAMSTRAVELCAR Shewouldhaveput’travellingcarriage’，butshemadetheletterstoobig，sotherewasnoroom。ThebagwasmadeINTOabagwitholdNurse’ssewingmachine，andthestringsofitwereAnthea’sandJane’sbestredhairribbons。Attea—time，whentheboyshadcomehomewithamostunfavourablereportoftheStjames’sParkducks，AntheaventuredtoawakenthePsammead，andtoshowititsnewtravellingbag。 ’Humph，’itsaid，sniffingalittlecontemptuously，yetatthesametimeaffectionately，’it’snotsodusty。’ ThePsammeadseemedtopickupveryeasilythekindofthingsthatpeoplesaidnowadays。ForacreaturethathadinitstimeassociatedwithMegatheriumsandPterodactyls，itsquicknesswasreallywonderful。 ’It’smoreworthyofme，’itsaid，’thanthekindofbagthat’sgivenawaywithapoundofplaice。Whendoyouproposetotakemeoutinit？’ ’Ishouldlikearestfromtakingyouorusanywhere，’saidCyril。ButJanesaid—— ’IwanttogotoEgypt。IdidlikethatEgyptianPrincessthatcametomarrytheKinginBabylon。ShetoldmeaboutthelarkstheyhaveinEgypt。Andthecats。Dolet’sgothere。AndI toldherwhatthebirdthingsontheAmuletwerelike。AndshesaiditwasEgyptianwriting。’ TheothersexchangedlooksofsilentrejoicingatthethoughtoftheirclevernessinhavingconcealedfromJanetheterrorstheyhadsufferedinthedungeonbelowtheEuphrates。 ’Egypt’ssonicetoo，’Janewenton，’becauseofDoctorBrewer’sScriptureHistory。IwouldliketogotherewhenJosephwasdreamingthosecuriousdreams，orwhenMoseswasdoingwonderfulthingswithsnakesandsticks。’ ’Idon’tcareaboutsnakes，’saidAntheashuddering。 ’Well，weneedn’tbeinatthatpart，butBabylonwaslovely！Wehadcreamandsweet，stickystuff。AndIexpectEgypt’sthesame。’ Therewasagooddealofdiscussion，butitallendedineverybody’sagreeingtoJane’sidea。Andnextmorningdirectlyafterbreakfast（whichwaskippersandverynice）thePsammeadwasinvitedtogetintohistravellingcarriage。 Themomentafterithaddoneso，withstiff，furryreluctance，likethatofacatwhenyouwanttonurseit，anditsideasarenotthesameasyours，oldNursecamein。 ’Well，chickies，’shesaid，’areyoufeelingverydull？’ ’Oh，no，Nursedear，’saidAnthea；’we’rehavingalovelytime。 We’rejustgoingofftoseesomeoldancientrelics。’ ’Ah，’saidoldNurse，’theRoyalAcademy，Isuppose？Don’tgowastingyourmoneytooreckless，that’sall。’ Sheclearedawaythekipperbonesandthetea—things，andwhenshehadsweptupthecrumbsandremovedthecloth，theAmuletwasheldupandtheordergiven——justasDuchesses（andotherpeople） giveittotheircoachmen。 ’ToEgypt，please！’saidAnthea，whenCyrilhadutteredthewonderfulNameofPower。 ’WhenMoseswasthere，’addedJane。 Andthere，inthedingyFitzroyStreetdining—room，theAmuletgrewbig，anditwasanarch，andthroughittheysawablue，blueskyandarunningriver。 ’No，stop！’saidCyril，andpulleddownjane’shandwiththeAmuletinit。 ’Whatsillycuckoosweallare，’hesaid。’Ofcoursewecan’tgo。Wedaren’tleavehomeforasingleminutenow，forfearthatminuteshouldbeTHEminute。’ ’WhatminutebeWHATminute？’askedJaneimpatiently，tryingtogetherhandawayfromCyril。 ’TheminutewhentheQueenofBabyloncomes，’saidCyril。Andtheneveryonesawit。 Forsomedayslifeflowedinaveryslow，dusty，uneventfulstream。 Thechildrencouldnevergooutallatonce，becausetheyneverknewwhentheKingofBabylonwouldgooutlionhuntingandleavehisQueenfreetopaythemthatsurprisevisittowhichshewas，withoutdoubt，eagerlylookingforward。 Sotheytookitinturns，twoandtwo，togooutandtostayin。 Thestay—at—homeswouldhavebeenmuchdullerthantheywerebutforthenewinteresttakeninthembythelearnedgentleman。 HecalledAntheainonedaytoshowherabeautifulnecklaceofpurpleandgoldbeads。 ’Isawonelikethat，’shesaid，’in——’ ’IntheBritishMuseum，perhaps？’ ’IliketocalltheplacewhereIsawitBabylon，’saidAntheacautiously。 ’Aprettyfancy，’saidthelearnedgentleman，’andquitecorrecttoo，because，asamatteroffact，thesebeadsdidcomefromBabylon。’Theotherthreewerealloutthatday。TheboyshadbeengoingtotheZoo，andJanehadsaidsoplaintively，’I’msureIamfonderofrhinocerosesthaneitherofyouare，’thatAntheahadtoldhertorunalongthen。Andshehadrun，catchingtheboysbeforethatpartoftheroadwhereFitzroyStreetsuddenlybecomesFitzroySquare。 ’IthinkBabylonismostfrightfullyinteresting，’saidAnthea。 ’Idohavesuchinterestingdreamsaboutit——atleast，notdreamsexactly，butquiteaswonderful。’ ’Dositdownandtellme，’saidhe。Soshesatdownandtold。 Andheaskedheralotofquestions，andsheansweredthemaswellasshecould。 ’Wonderful——wonderful！’hesaidatlast。’One’sheardofthought—transference，butIneverthought_I_hadanypowerofthatsort。Yetitmustbethat，andverybadforYOU，Ishouldthink。Doesn’tyourheadacheverymuch？’ Hesuddenlyputacold，thinhandonherforehead。 ’Nothankyou，notatall，’saidshe。 ’Iassureyouitisnotdoneintentionally，’hewenton。’OfcourseIknowagooddealaboutBabylon，andIunconsciouslycommunicateittoyou；you’veheardofthought—reading，butsomeofthethingsyousay，Idon’tunderstand；theyneverentermyhead，andyetthey’resoastoundinglyprobable。’ ’It’sallright，’saidAntheareassuringly。’_I_understand。 Anddon’tworry。It’sallquitesimplereally。’ ItwasnotquitesosimplewhenAnthea，havingheardtheotherscomein，wentdown，andbeforeshehadhadtimetoaskhowtheyhadlikedtheZoo，heardanoiseoutside，comparedtowhichthewildbeasts’noisesweregentleassingingbirds。 ’Goodgracious！’criedAnthea，’what’sthat？’ Theloudhumofmanyvoicescamethroughtheopenwindow。Wordscouldbedistinguished。 ’’Ere’saguy！’ ’Thisain’tNovember。Thatain’tnoguy。It’saballetlady，that’swhatitis。’ ’Notit——it’sabloomin’looney，Itellyou。’ Thencameaclearvoicethattheyknew。 ’Retire，slaves！’itsaid。 ’What’ssheasayingof？’criedadozenvoices。’Someblamedforeignlingo，’onevoicereplied。 Thechildrenrushedtothedoor。Acrowdwasontheroadandpavement。 Inthemiddleofthecrowd，plainlytobeseenfromthetopofthesteps，werethebeautifulfaceandbrightveiloftheBabylonianQueen。 ’Jimminy！’criedRobert，andrandownthesteps，’heresheis！’ ’Here！’hecried，’lookout——lettheladypass。She’safriendofours，comingtoseeus。’ ’Nicefriendforarespectablehouse，’snortedafatwomanwithmarrowsonahandcart。 Allthesamethecrowdmadewayalittle。TheQueenmetRobertonthepavement，andCyriljoinedthem，thePsammeadbagstillonhisarm。 ’Here，’hewhispered；’here’sthePsammead；youcangetwishes。’ ’_I_wishyou’dcomeinadifferentdress，ifyouHADtocome，’ saidRobert；’butit’snousemywishinganything。’ ’No，’saidtheQueen。’IwishIwasdressed——no，Idon’t——IwishTHEYweredressedproperly，thentheywouldn’tbesosilly。’ ThePsammeadblewitselfouttillthebagwasaverytightfitforit；andsuddenlyeveryman，woman，andchildinthatcrowdfeltthatithadnotenoughclotheson。For，ofcourse，theQueen’sideaofproperdresswasthedressthathadbeenproperfortheworking—classes3，000yearsagoinBabylon——andtherewasnotmuchofit。 ’Lawkyme！’saidthemarrow—sellingwoman，’whatevercoulda—tookmetocomeoutthisfigure？’andshewheeledhercartawayveryquicklyindeed。 ’Someone’smadeaprettyguyofyou——talkofguys，’saidamanwhosoldbootlaces。 ’Well，don’tyoutalk，’saidthemannexttohim。’Lookatyourownsillylegs；andwhere’syourboots？’ ’Inevercomeoutlikethis，I’lltakemysacred，’saidthebootlace—seller。’Iwasn’tquitemyselflastnight，I’llown，butnottodressuplikeacircus。’ Thecrowdwasalltalkingatonce，andgettingratherangry。ButnooneseemedtothinkofblamingtheQueen。 Antheaboundeddownthestepsandpulledherup；theothersfollowed，andthedoorwasshut。’BlowedifIcanmakeitout！’ theyheard。’I’moffhome，Iam。’ Andthecrowd，comingslowlytothesamemind，dispersed，followedbyanothercrowdofpersonswhowerenotdressedinwhattheQueenthoughtwastheproperway。 ’Weshallhavethepoliceheredirectly，’saidAntheainthetonesofdespair。’Oh，whydidyoucomedressedlikethat？’ TheQueenleanedagainstthearmofthehorse—hairsofa。 ’HowelsecanaqueendressIshouldliketoknow？’shequestioned。 ’OurQueenwearsthingslikeotherpeople，’saidCyril。 ’Well，Idon’t。AndImustsay，’sheremarkedinaninjuredtone，’thatyoudon’tseemverygladtoseemenowIHAVEcome。 Butperhapsit’sthesurprisethatmakesyoubehavelikethis。 Yetyououghttobeusedtosurprises。Thewayyouvanished！I shallneverforgetit。ThebestmagicI’veeverseen。Howdidyoudoit？’ ’Oh，nevermindaboutthatnow，’saidRobert。’Youseeyou’vegoneandupsetallthosepeople，andIexpectthey’llfetchthepolice。Andwedon’twanttoseeyoucollaredandputinprison。’ ’Youcan’tputqueensinprison，’shesaidloftily。’Oh，can’tyou？’saidCyril。’Wecutoffaking’sheadhereonce。’ ’Inthismiserableroom？Howfrightfullyinteresting。’ ’No，no，notinthisroom；inhistory。’ ’Oh，inTHAT，’saidtheQueendisparagingly。’Ithoughtyou’ddoneitwithyourownhands。’ Thegirlsshuddered。 ’Whatahideouscityyoursis，’theQueenwentonpleasantly，’andwhathorrid，ignorantpeople。Doyouknowtheyactuallycan’tunderstandasinglewordIsay。’ ’Canyouunderstandthem？’askedJane。 ’Ofcoursenot；theyspeaksomevulgar，Northerndialect。IcanunderstandYOUquitewell。’ IreallyamnotgoingtoexplainAGAINhowitwasthatthechildrencouldunderstandotherlanguagesthantheirownsothoroughly，andtalkthem，too，sothatitfeltandsounded（tothem）justasthoughtheyweretalkingEnglish。 ’Well，’saidCyrilbluntly，’nowyou’veseenjusthowhorriditis，don’tyouthinkyoumightaswellgohomeagain？’’Why，I’veseensimplynothingyet，’saidtheQueen，arrangingherstarryveil。’Iwishedtobeatyourdoor，andIwas。NowImustgoandseeyourKingandQueen。’ ’Nobody’sallowedto，’saidAntheainhaste；’butlookhere，we’lltakeyouandshowyouanythingyou’dliketosee——anythingyouCANsee，’sheaddedkindly，becausesherememberedhownicetheQueenhadbeentotheminBabylon，evenifshehadbeenalittledeceitfulinthematterofJaneandPsammead。 ’There’stheMuseum，’saidCyrilhopefully；’therearelotsofthingsfromyourcountrythere。Ifonlywecoulddisguiseyoualittle。’ ’Iknow，’saidAntheasuddenly。’Mother’soldtheatrecloak，andtherearealotofheroldhatsinthebigbox。’ Thebluesilk，lace—trimmedcloakdidindeedhidesomeoftheQueen’sstartlingsplendours，butthehatfittedverybadly。Ithadpinkrosesinit；andtherewassomethingaboutthecoatorthehatortheQueen，thatmadeherlooksomehownotveryrespectable。 ’Oh，nevermind，’saidAnthea，whenCyrilwhisperedthis。’ThethingistogetheroutbeforeNursehasfinishedherfortywinks。Ishouldthinkshe’saboutgottothethirty—ninthwinkbynow。’ ’Comeonthen，’saidRobert。’Youknowhowdangerousitis。 Let’smakehasteintotheMuseum。Ifanyofthosepeopleyoumadeguysofdofetchthepolice，theywon’tthinkoflookingforyouthere。’ Thebluesilkcoatandthepink—rosedhatattractedalmostasmuchattentionastheroyalcostumehaddone；andthechildrenwereuncommonlygladtogetoutofthenoisystreetsintothegreyquietoftheMuseum。 ’Parcelsandumbrellastobelefthere，’saidamanatthecounter。 Thepartyhadnoumbrellas，andtheonlyparcelwasthebagcontainingthePsammead，whichtheQueenhadinsistedshouldbebrought。 ’I’Mnotgoingtobeleft，’saidthePsammeadsoftly，’sodon’tyouthinkit。’ ’I’llwaitoutsidewithyou，’saidAntheahastily，andwenttositontheseatnearthedrinkingfountain。 ’Don’tsitsonearthatnastyfountain，’saidthecreaturecrossly；’Imightgetsplashed。’ Antheaobedientlymovedtoanotherseatandwaited。Indeedshewaited，andwaited，andwaited，andwaited，andwaited。ThePsammeaddroppedintoanuneasyslumber。Antheahadlongceasedtowatchtheswing—doorthatalwaysletoutthewrongperson，andshewasherselfalmostasleep，andstilltheothersdidnotcomeback。 ItwasquiteastartwhenAntheasuddenlyrealizedthattheyHAD comeback，andthattheywerenotalone。Behindthemwasquiteacrowdofmeninuniform，andseveralgentlemenwerethere。 Everyoneseemedveryangry。 ’Nowgo，’saidthenicestoftheangrygentlemen。’Takethepoor，dementedthinghomeandtellyourparentssheoughttobeproperlylookedafter。’ ’Ifyoucan’tgethertogowemustsendforthepolice，’saidthenastiestgentleman。 ’Butwedon’twishtouseharshmeasures，’addedtheniceone，whowasreallyveryniceindeed，andseemedtobeoveralltheothers。 ’MayIspeaktomysisteramomentfirst？’askedRobert。 Thenicestgentlemannodded，andtheofficialsstoodroundtheQueen，theothersformingasortofguardwhileRobertcrossedovertoAnthea。 ’Everythingyoucanthinkof，’herepliedtoAnthea’sglanceofinquiry。’Kickedupthemostfrightfulshineinthere。Saidthosenecklacesandearringsandthingsintheglasscaseswereallhers——wouldhavethemoutofthecases。Triedtobreaktheglass——shedidbreakonebit！Everybodyintheplacehasbeenather。Nogood。Ionlygotheroutbytellingherthatwastheplacewheretheycutqueens’headsoff。’ ’Oh，Bobs，whatawhacker！’ ’You’dhavetoldawhackingeronetogetherout。Besides，itwasn’t。ImeantMUMMYqueens。Howdoyouknowtheydon’tcutoffmummies’headstoseehowtheembalmingisdone？WhatIwanttosayis，can’tyougethertogowithyouquietly？’ ’I’lltry，’saidAnthea，andwentuptotheQueen。 ’Docomehome，’shesaid；’thelearnedgentlemaninourhousehasamuchnicernecklacethananythingthey’vegothere。Comeandseeit。’ TheQueennodded。 ’Yousee，’saidthenastiestgentleman，’shedoesunderstandEnglish。’ ’IwastalkingBabylonian，Ithink，’saidAntheabashfully。 ’Mygoodchild，’saidthenicegentleman，’whatyou’retalkingisnotBabylonian，butnonsense。Youjustgohomeatonce，andtellyourparentsexactlywhathashappened。’ AntheatooktheQueen’shandandgentlypulledheraway。Theotherchildrenfollowed，andtheblackcrowdofangrygentlemenstoodonthestepswatchingthem。Itwaswhenthelittlepartyofdisgracedchildren，withtheQueenwhohaddisgracedthem，hadreachedthemiddleofthecourtyardthathereyesfellonthebagwherethePsammeadwas。Shestoppedshort。 ’Iwish，’shesaid，veryloudandclear，’thatallthoseBabylonianthingswouldcomeouttomehere——slowly，sothatthosedogsandslavescanseetheworkingofthegreatQueen’smagic。’ ’Oh，youAREatiresomewoman，’saidthePsammeadinitsbag，butitpuffeditselfout。 Nextmomenttherewasacrash。Theglassswingdoorsandalltheirframeworkweresmashedsuddenlyandcompletely。Thecrowdofangrygentlemensprangasidewhentheysawwhathaddonethis。 Butthenastiestofthemwasnotquickenough，andhewasroughlypushedoutofthewaybyanenormousstonebullthatwasfloatingsteadilythroughthedoor。ItcameandstoodbesidetheQueeninthemiddleofthecourtyard。 Itwasfollowedbymorestoneimages，bygreatslabsofcarvedstone，bricks，helmets，tools，weapons，fetters，wine—jars，bowls，bottles，vases，jugs，saucers，seals，andtheroundlongthings，somethinglikerollingpinswithmarksonthemliketheprintoflittlebird—feet，necklaces，collars，rings，armlets，earrings——heapsandheapsandheapsofthings，farmorethananyonehadtimetocount，oreventoseedistinctly。 AlltheangrygentlemenhadabruptlysatdownontheMuseumstepsexcepttheniceone。HestoodwithhishandsinhispocketsjustasthoughhewasquiteusedtoseeinggreatstonebullsandallsortsofsmallBabylonishobjectsfloatoutintotheMuseumyard。 Buthesentamantoclosethebigirongates。 Ajournalist，whowasjustleavingthemuseum，spoketoRobertashepassed。 ’Theosophy，Isuppose？’hesaid。’IssheMrsBesant？’ ’YES，’saidRobertrecklessly。 Thejournalistpassedthroughthegatesjustbeforetheywereshut。 HerushedofftoFleetStreet，andhispapergotoutaneweditionwithinhalfanhour。 MRSBESANTANDTHEOSOPHY IMPERTINENTMIRACLEATTHEBRITISHMUSEUM。 Peoplesawitinfat，blacklettersontheboardscarriedbythesellersofnewspapers。SomefewpeoplewhohadnothingbettertodowentdowntotheMuseumonthetopsofomnibuses。Butbythetimetheygottheretherewasnothingtobeseen。FortheBabylonianQueenhadsuddenlyseentheclosedgates，hadfeltthethreatofthem，andhadsaid—— ’Iwishwewereinyourhouse。’ And，ofcourse，instantlytheywere。 ThePsammeadwasfurious。 ’Lookhere，’itsaid，’they’llcomeafteryou，andthey’llfindME。There’llbeaNationalCagebuiltformeatWestminster，andIshallhavetoworkatpolitics。Whywouldn’tyouleavethethingsintheirplaces？’ ’Whatatemperyouhave，haven’tyou？’saidtheQueenserenely。 ’Iwishallthethingswerebackintheirplaces。WillTHATdoforyou？’ ThePsammeadswelledandshrankandspokeveryangrily。 ’Ican’trefusetogiveyourwishes，’itsaid，’butIcanBite。 AndIwillifthisgoeson。Nowthen。’ ’Ah，don’t，’whisperedAntheaclosetoitsbristlingear；’it’sdreadfulforustoo。Don’tYOUdesertus。Perhapsshe’llwishherselfathomeagainsoon。’ ’Notshe，’saidthePsammeadalittlelesscrossly。 ’TakemetoseeyourCity，’saidtheQueen。 Thechildrenlookedateachother。 ’Ifwehadsomemoneywecouldtakeheraboutinacab。Peoplewouldn’tnoticehersomuchthen。Butwehaven’t。’ ’Sellthis，’saidtheQueen，takingaringfromherfinger。 ’They’donlythinkwe’dstolenit，’saidCyrilbitterly，’andputusinprison。’ ’Allroadsleadtoprisonwithyou，itseems，’saidtheQueen。 ’Thelearnedgentleman！’saidAnthea，andranuptohimwiththeringinherhand。 ’Lookhere，’shesaid，’willyoubuythisforapound？’ ’Oh！’hesaidintonesofjoyandamazement，andtooktheringintohishand。’It’smyveryown，’saidAnthea；’itwasgiventometosell。’ ’I’lllendyouapound，’saidthelearnedgentleman，’withpleasure；andI’lltakecareoftheringforyou。Whodidyousaygaveittoyou？’ ’Wecallher，’saidAntheacarefully，’theQueenofBabylon。’ ’Isitagame？’heaskedhopefully。 ’It’llbeaprettygameifIdon’tgetthemoneytopayforcabsforher，’saidAnthea。 ’Isometimesthink，’hesaidslowly，’thatIambecominginsane，orthat——’ ’OrthatIam；butI’mnot，andyou’renot，andshe’snot。’ ’DoessheSAYthatshe’stheQueenofBabylon？’heuneasilyasked。 ’Yes，’saidAnthearecklessly。 ’Thisthought—transferenceismorefar—reachingthanIimagined，’ hesaid。’IsupposeIhaveunconsciouslyinfluencedHER，too。I neverthoughtmyBabylonishstudieswouldbearfruitlikethis。 Horrible！Therearemorethingsinheavenandearth——’ ’Yes，’saidAnthea，’heapsmore。Andthepoundisthething_I_ wantmorethananythingonearth。’ Heranhisfingersthroughhisthinhair。 ’Thisthought—transference！’hesaid。’It’sundoubtedlyaBabylonianring——oritseemssotome。ButperhapsIhavehypnotizedmyself。IwillseeadoctorthemomentIhavecorrectedthelastproofsofmybook。’ ’Yes，do！’saidAnthea，’andthankyousoverymuch。’ Shetookthesovereignandrandowntotheothers。 Andnowfromthewindowofafour—wheeledcabtheQueenofBabylonbeheldthewondersofLondon。BuckinghamPalaceshethoughtuninteresting；WestminsterAbbeyandtheHousesofParliamentlittlebetter。ButshelikedtheTower，andtheRiver，andtheshipsfilledherwithwonderanddelight。 ’Buthowbadlyyoukeepyourslaves。Howwretchedandpoorandneglectedtheyseem，’shesaid，asthecabrattledalongtheMileEndRoad。 ’Theyaren’tslaves；they’reworking—people，’saidJane。 ’Ofcoursethey’reworking。That’swhatslavesare。Don’tyoutellme。DoyousupposeIdon’tknowaslave’sfacewhenIseeit？ Whydon’ttheirmastersseethatthey’rebetterfedandbetterclothed？Tellmeinthreewords。’ Nooneanswered。Thewage—systemofmodernEnglandisalittledifficulttoexplaininthreewordsevenifyouunderstandit——whichthechildrendidn’t。 ’You’llhavearevoltofyourslavesifyou’renotcareful，’saidtheQueen。 ’Oh，no，’saidCyril；’youseetheyhavevotes——thatmakesthemsafenottorevolt。Itmakesallthedifference。Fathertoldmeso。’ ’Whatisthisvote？’askedtheQueen。’Isitacharm？Whatdotheydowithit？’ ’Idon’tknow，’saidtheharassedCyril；’it’sjustavote，that’sall！Theydon’tdoanythingparticularwithit。’ ’Isee，’saidtheQueen；’asortofplaything。Well，Iwishthatalltheseslavesmayhaveintheirhandsthismomenttheirfilloftheirfavouritemeatanddrink。’ InstantlyallthepeopleintheMileEndRoad，andinalltheotherstreetswherepoorpeoplelive，foundtheirhandsfullofthingstoeatanddrink。Fromthecabwindowcouldbeseenpersonscarryingeverykindoffood，andbottlesandcansaswell。Roastmeat，fowls，redlobsters，greatyellowycrabs，friedfish，boiledpork，beef—steakpuddings，bakedonions，muttonpies；mostoftheyoungpeoplehadorangesandsweetsandcake。ItmadeanenormouschangeinthelookoftheMileEndRoad——brighteneditup，sotospeak，andbrightenedup，morethanyoucanpossiblyimagine，thefacesofthepeople。 ’Makesadifference，doesn’tit？’saidtheQueen。 ’That’sthebestwishyou’vehadyet，’saidJanewithcordialapproval。 justbytheBankthecabmanstopped。 ’Iain’tagoin’todriveyounofurther，’hesaid。’Outyougets。’ Theygotoutratherunwillingly。 ’Iwantsmytea，’hesaid；andtheysawthatontheboxofthecabwasamoundofcabbage，withporkchopsandapplesauce，aduck，andaspottedcurrantpudding。Alsoalargecan。 ’Youpaymemyfare，’hesaidthreateningly，andlookeddownatthemound，mutteringagainabouthistea。 ’We’lltakeanothercab，’saidCyrilwithdignity。’Givemechangeforasovereign，ifyouplease。’ Butthecabman，asitturnedout，wasnotatallanicecharacter。Hetookthesovereign，whippeduphishorse，anddisappearedinthestreamofcabsandomnibusesandwagons，withoutgivingthemanychangeatall。 Alreadyalittlecrowdwascollectingroundtheparty。 ’Comeon，’saidRobert，leadingthewrongway。 Thecrowdroundthemthickened。Theywereinanarrowstreetwheremanygentlemeninblackcoatsandwithouthatswerestandingaboutonthepavementtalkingveryloudly。 ’Howuglytheirclothesare，’saidtheQueenofBabylon。’They’dberatherfinemen，someofthem，iftheyweredresseddecently，especiallytheoneswiththebeautifullong，curvednoses。I wishtheyweredressedliketheBabyloniansofmycourt。’ Andofcourse，itwasso。 ThemomentthealmostfaintingPsammeadhadblownitselfouteverymaninThrogmortonStreetappearedabruptlyinBabylonianfulldress。 Allwerecarefullypowdered，theirhairandbeardswerescentedandcurled，theirgarmentsrichlyembroidered。Theyworeringsandarmlets，flatgoldcollarsandswords，andimpossible—lookinghead—dresses。 Astupefiedsilencefellonthem。 ’Isay，’ayouthwhohadalwaysbeenfair—hairedbrokethatsilence，’it’sonlyfancyofcourse——somethingwrongwithmyeyes——butyouchapsdolooksorum。’ ’Rum，’saidhisfriend。’LookatYOU。Youinasash！Myhat！ Andyourhair’sgoneblackandyou’vegotabeard。It’smybeliefwe’vebeenpoisoned。Youdolookajackape。’ ’OldLevinsteindon’tlooksobad。ButhowwasitDONE——that’swhatIwanttoknow。Howwasitdone？Isitconjuring，orwhat？’ ’Ithinkitischustaver’badtream，’saidoldLevinsteintohisclerk；’allalongBishopsgateIhafseenthegommonpeoplehavetheirhantsfulloffood——GOOTfood。Ohyes，withoutdoubtaverybadtream！’ ’ThenI’mdreamingtoo，Sir，’saidtheclerk，lookingdownathislegswithanexpressionofloathing。’Iseemyfeetinbeastlysandalsasplainasplain。’ ’Allthatgootfoodwasted，’saidoldMrLevinstein。Abadtream——abadtream。’ TheMembersoftheStockExchangearesaidtobeatalltimesanoisylot。ButthenoisetheymadenowtoexpresstheirdisgustatthecostumesofancientBabylonwasfarlouderthantheirordinaryrow。Onehadtoshoutbeforeonecouldhearoneselfspeak。 ’Ionlywish，’saidtheclerkwhothoughtitwasconjuring——hewasquiteclosetothechildrenandtheytrembled，becausetheyknewthatwhateverhewishedwouldcometrue。’Ionlywishweknewwho’ddoneit。’ And，ofcourse，instantlytheydidknow，andtheypressedroundtheQueen。 ’Scandalous！Shameful！Oughttobeputdownbylaw。Giveherincharge。Fetchthepolice，’twoorthreevoicesshoutedatonce。 TheQueenrecoiled。 ’Whatisit？’sheasked。’Theysoundlikecagedlions——lionsbythethousand。Whatisitthattheysay？’ ’Theysay\"Police！\"，’saidCyrilbriefly。’Iknewtheywouldsoonerorlater。AndIdon’tblamethem，mindyou。’ ’Iwishmyguardswerehere！’criedtheQueen。TheexhaustedPsammeadwaspantingandtrembling，buttheQueen’sguardsinredandgreengarments，andbrassandirongear，chokedThrogmortonStreet，andbaredweaponsflashedroundtheQueen。 ’I’mmad，’saidaMrRosenbaum；’dat’swhatitis——mad！’ ’It’sajudgementonyou，Rosy，’saidhispartner。’IalwayssaidyouweretoohardinthatmatterofFlowerdew。It’sajudgement，andI’minittoo。’ ThemembersoftheStockExchangehadedgedcarefullyawayfromthegleamingblades，themailedfigures，thehard，cruelEasternfaces。 ButThrogmortonStreetisnarrow，andthecrowdwastoothickforthemtogetawayasquicklyastheywished。 ’Killthem，’criedtheQueen。’Killthedogs！’ Theguardsobeyed。 ’ItISalladream，’criedMrLevinstein，coweringinadoorwaybehindhisclerk。 ’Itisn’t，’saidtheclerk。’Itisn’t。Oh，mygoodgracious！ thoseforeignbrutesarekillingeverybody。HenryHirshisdownnow，andPrenticeiscutintwo——oh，Lord！andHuth，andtheregoesLionelCohenwithhisheadoff，andGuyNickallshaslosthisheadnow。Adream？Iwishtogoodnessitwasalladream。’ And，ofcourse，instantlyitwas！TheentireStockExchangerubbeditseyesandwentbacktoclose，toover，andeithersideofseven—eights，andTrunks，andKaffirs，andSteelCommon，andContangoes，andBackwardations，DoubleOptions，andalltheinterestingsubjectsconcerningwhichtheytalkintheStreetwithoutceasing。 Noonesaidawordaboutittoanyoneelse。IthinkIhaveexplainedbeforethatbusinessmendonotlikeittobeknownthattheyhavebeendreaminginbusinesshours。Especiallymaddreamsincludingsuchdreadfulthingsashungrypeoplegettingdinners，andthedestructionoftheStockExchange。 Thechildrenwereinthedining—roomat300，FitzroyStreet，paleandtrembling。ThePsammeadcrawledoutoftheembroideredbag，andlayflatonthetable，itslegstretchedout，lookingmorelikeadeadharethananythingelse。 ’ThankGoodnessthat’sover，’saidAnthea，drawingadeepbreath。 ’Shewon’tcomeback，willshe？’askedJanetremulously。 ’No，’saidCyril。’She’sthousandsofyearsago。Butwespentawholepreciouspoundonher。It’lltakeallourpocket—moneyforagestopaythatback。’ ’NotifitwasALLadream，’saidRobert。 ’ThewishsaidALLadream，youknow，Panther；youcutupandaskifhelentyouanything。’ ’Ibegyourpardon，’saidAntheapolitely，followingthesoundofherknockintothepresenceofthelearnedgentleman，’I’msosorrytotroubleyou，butDIDyoulendmeapoundtoday？’ ’No，’saidhe，lookingkindlyatherthroughhisspectacles。 ’Butit’sextraordinarythatyoushouldaskme，forIdozedforafewmomentsthisafternoon，athingIveryrarelydo，andI dreamedquitedistinctlythatyoubroughtmearingthatyousaidbelongedtotheQueenofBabylon，andthatIlentyouasovereignandthatyouleftoneoftheQueen’sringshere。Theringwasamagnificentspecimen。’Hesighed。’Iwishithadn’tbeenadream，’hesaidsmiling。Hewasreallylearningtosmilequitenicely。 AntheacouldnotbetoothankfulthatthePsammeadwasnottheretogranthiswish。 CHAPTER9 ATLANTIS YouwillunderstandthattheadventureoftheBabylonianqueeninLondonwastheonlyonethathadoccupiedanytimeatall。Butthechildren’stimewasveryfullytakenupbytalkingoverallthewonderfulthingsseenanddoneinthePast，where，bythepoweroftheAmulet，theyseemedtospendhoursandhours，onlytofindwhentheygotbacktoLondonthatthewholethinghadbeenbrieferthanalightningflash。 TheytalkedofthePastattheirmeals，intheirwalks，inthedining—room，inthefirst—floordrawing—room，butmostofallonthestairs。Itwasanoldhouse；ithadoncebeenafashionableone，andwasafineonestill。Thebanisterrailsofthestairswereexcellentforslidingdown，andinthecornersofthelandingswerebigalcovesthathadonceheldgracefulstatues，andnowquiteoftenheldthegracefulformsofCyril，Robert，Anthea，andJane。 OnedayCyrilandRobertintightwhiteunderclothinghadspentapleasanthourinreproducingtheattitudesofstatuesseeneitherintheBritishMuseum，orinFather’sbigphotographbook。ButtheshowendedabruptlybecauseRobertwantedtobetheVenusofMilo，andforthispurposepulledatthesheetwhichservedfordraperyattheverymomentwhenCyril，lookingreallyquiteliketheDiscobolos——withagoldandwhitesaucerforthedisc——wasstandingononefoot，andunderthatonefootwasthesheet。 OfcoursetheDiscobolosandhisdiscandthewould—beVenuscamedowntogether，andeveryonewasagooddealhurt，especiallythesaucer，whichwouldneverbethesameagain，howeverneatlyonemightjoinitsunevenbitswithSeccotineorthewhiteofanegg。 ’Ihopeyou’resatisfied，’saidCyril，holdinghisheadwherealargelumpwasrising。 ’Quite，thanks，’saidRobertbitterly。Histhumbhadcaughtinthebanistersandbentitselfbackalmosttobreakingpoint。 ’IAMsosorry，poor，dearSquirrel，’saidAnthea；’andyouwerelookingsolovely。I’llgetawetrag。Bobs，goandholdyourhandunderthehot—watertap。It’swhatballetgirlsdowiththeirlegswhentheyhurtthem。Isawitinabook。’ ’Whatbook？’saidRobertdisagreeably。Buthewent。 WhenhecamebackCyril’sheadhadbeenbandagedbyhissisters，andhehadbeenbroughttothestateofmindwherehewasablereluctantlytoadmitthathesupposedRoberthadn’tdoneitonpurpose。 Robertreplyingwithequalsuavity，Antheahastenedtoleadthetalkawayfromtheaccident。 ’Isupposeyoudon’tfeellikegoinganywherethroughtheAmulet，’shesaid。 ’Egypt！’saidJanepromptly。’Iwanttoseethepussycats。’ ’Notme——toohot，’saidCyril。’It’saboutasmuchasIcanstandhere——letaloneEgypt。’Itwasindeed，hot，evenonthesecondlanding，whichwasthecoolestplaceinthehouse。’Let’sgototheNorthPole。’ ’Idon’tsupposetheAmuletwaseverthere——andwemightgetourfingersfrost—bittensothatwecouldneverholdituptogethomeagain。Nothanks，’saidRobert。 ’Isay，’saidJane，’let’sgetthePsammeadandaskitsadvice。 Itwilllikeusasking，evenifwedon’ttakeit。’ ThePsammeadwasbroughtupinitsgreensilkembroideredbag，butbeforeitcouldbeaskedanythingthedoorofthelearnedgentleman’sroomopenedandthevoiceofthevisitorwhohadbeenlunchingwithhimwasheardonthestairs。Heseemedtobespeakingwiththedoorhandleinhishand。 ’Youseeadoctor，oldboy，’hesaid；’allthataboutthought—transferenceisjustsimplytwaddle。You’vebeenover—working。Takeaholiday。GotoDieppe。’ ’I’drathergotoBabylon，’saidthelearnedgentleman。 ’Iwishyou’dgotoAtlantissometime，whilewe’reaboutit，soastogivemesometipsformyNineteenthCenturyarticlewhenyoucomehome。’ ’IwishIcould，’saidthevoiceofthelearnedgentleman。 ’Goodbye。Takecareofyourself。’ Thedoorwasbanged，andthevisitorcamesmilingdownthestairs——astout，prosperous，bigman。Thechildrenhadtogetuptolethimpass。 ’Hullo，Kiddies，’hesaid，glancingatthebandagesontheheadofCyrilandthehandofRobert，’beeninthewars？’ ’It’sallright，’saidCyril。’Isay，whatwasthatAtlanticplaceyouwantedhimtogoto？Wecouldn’thelphearingyoutalk。’ ’YoutalksoVERYloud，yousee，’saidJanesoothingly。 ’Atlantis，’saidthevisitor，’thelostAtlantis，gardenoftheHesperides。Greatcontinent——disappearedinthesea。YoucanreadaboutitinPlato。’ ’Thankyou，’saidCyrildoubtfully。 ’WerethereanyAmuletsthere？’askedAnthea，madeanxiousbyasuddenthought。 ’Hundreds，Ishouldthink。SoHE’Sbeentalkingtoyou？’ ’Yes，often。He’sverykindtous。Welikehimawfully。’ ’Well，whathewantsisaholiday；youpersuadehimtotakeone。 Whathewantsisachangeofscene。Yousee，hisheadiscrustedsothicklyinsidewithknowledgeaboutEgyptandAssyriaandthingsthatyoucan’thammeranythingintoitunlessyoukeephardatitalldaylongfordaysanddays。AndIhaven’ttime。 Butyouliveinthehouse。Youcanhammeralmostincessantly。 Justtryyourhands，willyou？Right。Solong！’ Hewentdownthestairsthreeatatime，andJaneremarkedthathewasaniceman，andshethoughthehadlittlegirlsofhisown。 ’Ishouldliketohavethemtoplaywith，’sheaddedpensively。 Thethreeelderonesexchangedglances。Cyrilnodded。 ’Allright。LET’SgotoAtlantis，’hesaid。 ’Let’sgotoAtlantisandtakethelearnedgentlemanwithus，’ saidAnthea；’he’llthinkit’sadream，afterwards，butit’llcertainlybeachangeofscene。’ ’WhynottakehimtoniceEgypt？’askedJane。 ’Toohot，’saidCyrilshortly。 ’OrBabylon，wherehewantstogo？’ ’I’vehadenoughofBabylon，’saidRobert，’atleastforthepresent。Andsohavetheothers。Idon’tknowwhy，’headded，forestallingthequestiononJane’slips，’butsomehowwehave。 Squirrel，let’stakeoffthesebeastlybandagesandgetintoflannels。Wecan’tgoinourunders。’ ’HeWISHEDtogotoAtlantis，sohe’sgottogosometime；andhemightaswellgowithus，’saidAnthea。 Thiswashowitwasthatthelearnedgentleman，permittinghimselfafewmomentsofrelaxationinhischair，afterthefatigueoflisteningtoopinions（aboutAtlantisandmanyotherthings）withwhichhedidnotatallagree，openedhiseyestofindhisfouryoungfriendsstandinginfrontofhiminarow。 ’Willyoucome，’saidAnthea，’toAtlantiswithus？’ ’Toknowthatyouaredreamingshowsthatthedreamisnearlyatanend，’hetoldhimself；’orperhapsit’sonlyagame，like\"HowmanymilestoBabylon？\"。’Sohesaidaloud：’Thankyouverymuch，butIhaveonlyaquarterofanhourtospare。’ ’Itdoesn’ttakeanytime，’saidCyril；’timeisonlyamodeofthought，youknow，andyou’vegottogosometime，sowhynotwithus？’ ’Verywell，’saidthelearnedgentleman，nowquitecertainthathewasdreaming。 Antheaheldouthersoft，pinkhand。Hetookit。Shepulledhimgentlytohisfeet。JanehelduptheAmulet。 ’TojustoutsideAtlantis，’saidCyril，andJanesaidtheNameofPower。 ’Youowl！’saidRobert，’it’sanisland。Outsideanisland’sallwater。’ ’Iwon’tgo。IWON’T，’saidthePsammead，kickingandstrugglinginitsbag。 ButalreadytheAmulethadgrowntoagreatarch。Cyrilpushedthelearnedgentleman，asundoubtedlythefirst—born，throughthearch——notintowater，butontoawoodenfloor，outofdoors。 Theothersfollowed。TheAmuletgrewsmalleragain，andtheretheyallwere，standingonthedeckofashipwhosesailorswerebusymakingherfastwithchainstoringsonawhitequay—side。 Theringsandthechainswereofametalthatshonered—yellowlikegold。 EveryoneontheshipseemedtoobusyatfirsttonoticethegroupofnewcomersfromFitzroyStreet。Thosewhoseemedtobeofficerswereshoutingorderstothemen。 Theystoodandlookedacrossthewidequaytothetownthatrosebeyondit。Whattheysawwasthemostbeautifulsightanyofthemhadeverseen——oreverdreamedof。 Theblueseasparkledinsoftsunlight；littlewhite—cappedwavesbrokesoftlyagainstthemarblebreakwatersthatguardedtheshippingofagreatcityfromthewildernessofwinterwindsandseas。Thequaywasofmarble，whiteandsparklingwithaveiningbrightasgold。Thecitywasofmarble，redandwhite。Thegreaterbuildingsthatseemedtobetemplesandpalaceswereroofedwithwhatlookedlikegoldandsilver，butmostoftheroofswereofcopperthatglowedgolden—redonthehousesonthehillsamongwhichthecitystood，andshadedintomarvelloustintsofgreenandblueandpurplewheretheyhadbeentouchedbythesaltseasprayandthefumesofthedyeingandsmeltingworksofthelowertown。 Broadandmagnificentflightsofmarblestairsledupfromthequaytoasortofterracethatseemedtorunalongformiles，andbeyondrosethetownbuiltonahill。 Thelearnedgentlemandrewalongbreath。’Wonderful！’hesaid，’wonderful！’ ’Isay，Mr——what’syourname，’saidRobert。’Hemeans，’saidAnthea，withgentlepoliteness，’thatwenevercanrememberyourname。Iknowit’sMrDeSomething。’ ’WhenIwasyourageIwascalledJimmy，’hesaidtimidly。 ’Wouldyoumind？IshouldfeelmoreathomeinadreamlikethisifI——Anythingthatmademeseemmorelikeoneofyou。’ ’Thankyou——Jimmy，’saidAntheawithaneffort。ItseemedsuchacheektobesayingJimmytoagrown—upman。’Jimmy，DEAR，’sheadded，withnoeffortatall。Jimmysmiledandlookedpleased。 Butnowtheshipwasmadefast，andtheCaptainhadtimetonoticeotherthings。Hecametowardsthem，andhewasdressedinthebestofallpossibledressesfortheseafaringlife。 ’Whatareyoudoinghere？’heaskedratherfiercely。’Doyoucometoblessortocurse？’ ’Tobless，ofcourse，’saidCyril。’I’msorryifitannoysyou，butwe’reherebymagic。Wecomefromthelandofthesun—rising，’hewentonexplanatorily。 ’Isee，’saidtheCaptain；noonehadexpectedthathewould。’I didn’tnoticeatfirst，butofcourseIhopeyou’reagoodomen。 It’sneeded。Andthis，’hepointedtothelearnedgentleman，’yourslave，Ipresume？’ ’Notatall，’saidAnthea；’he’saverygreatman。Asage，don’ttheycallit？Andwewanttoseeallyourbeautifulcity，andyourtemplesandthings，andthenweshallgoback，andhewilltellhisfriend，andhisfriendwillwriteabookaboutit。’ ’What，’askedtheCaptain，fingeringarope，’isabook？’ ’Arecord——somethingwritten，or，’sheaddedhastily，rememberingtheBabylonianwriting，’orengraved。’ SomesuddenimpulseofconfidencemadeJaneplucktheAmuletfromtheneckofherfrock。 ’Likethis，’shesaid。 TheCaptainlookedatitcuriously，but，theotherthreewererelievedtonotice，withoutanyofthatoverwhelminginterestwhichthemerenameofithadrousedinEgyptandBabylon。 ’Thestoneisofourcountry，’hesaid；’andthatwhichisengravedonit，itislikeourwriting，butIcannotreadit。 Whatisthenameofyoursage？’ ’Ji—jimmy，’saidAntheahesitatingly。 TheCaptainrepeated，’Ji—jimmy。Willyouland？’headded。’AndshallIleadyoutotheKings？’ ’Lookhere，’saidRobert，’doesyourKinghatestrangers？’ ’OurKingsareten，’saidtheCaptain，’andtheRoyalline，unbrokenfromPoseidon，thefatherofusall，hasthenobletraditiontodohonourtostrangersiftheycomeinpeace。’ ’Thenleadon，please，’saidRobert，’thoughISHOULDliketoseealloveryourbeautifulship，andsailaboutinher。’ ’Thatshallbelater，’saidtheCaptain；’justnowwe’reafraidofastorm——doyounoticethatoddrumbling？’ ’That’snothing，master，’saidanoldsailorwhostoodnear； ’it’sthepilchardscomingin，that’sall。’ ’Tooloud，’saidtheCaptain。 Therewasaratheranxiouspause；thentheCaptainsteppedontothequay，andtheothersfollowedhim。 ’Dotalktohim——Jimmy，’saidAntheaastheywent；’youcanfindoutallsortsofthingsforyourfriend’sbook。’ ’Pleaseexcuseme，’hesaidearnestly。’IfItalkIshallwakeup；andbesides，Ican’tunderstandwhathesays。’ Nooneelsecouldthinkofanythingtosay，sothatitwasincompletesilencethattheyfollowedtheCaptainupthemarblestepsandthroughthestreetsofthetown。Therewerestreetsandshopsandhousesandmarkets。 ’It’sjustlikeBabylon，’whisperedJane，’onlyeverything’sperfectlydifferent。’ ’It’sagreatcomfortthetenKingshavebeenproperlybroughtup——tobekindtostrangers，’AntheawhisperedtoCyril。 ’Yes，’hesaid，’nodeepestdungeonshere。’ Therewerenohorsesorchariotsinthestreet，buttherewerehandcartsandlowtrolleysrunningonthicklog—wheels，andporterscarryingpacketsontheirheads，andagoodmanyofthepeoplewereridingonwhatlookedlikeelephants，onlythegreatbeastswerehairy，andtheyhadnotthatmildexpressionweareaccustomedtomeetonthefacesoftheelephantsattheZoo。 ’Mammoths！’murmuredthelearnedgentleman，andstumbledoveraloosestone。 Thepeopleinthestreetskeptcrowdingroundthemastheywentalong，buttheCaptainalwaysdispersedthecrowdbeforeitgrewuncomfortablythickbysaying—— ’ChildrenoftheSunGodandtheirHighPriest——cometoblesstheCity。’ Andthenthepeoplewoulddrawbackwithalowmurmurthatsoundedlikeasuppressedcheer。 Manyofthebuildingswerecoveredwithgold，butthegoldonthebiggerbuildingswasofadifferentcolour，andtheyhadsortsofsteeplesofburnishedsilverrisingabovethem。 ’Areallthesehousesrealgold？’askedJane。 ’Thetemplesarecoveredwithgold，ofcourse，’answeredtheCaptain，’butthehousesareonlyoricalchum。It’snotquitesoexpensive。’ Thelearnedgentleman，nowverypale，stumbledalonginadazedway，repeating： ’Oricalchum——oricalchum。’ ’Don’tbefrightened，’saidAnthea；’wecangethomeinaminute，justbyholdingupthecharm。Wouldyourathergobacknow？Wecouldeasilycomesomeotherdaywithoutyou。’ ’Oh，no，no，’hepleadedfervently；’letthedreamgoon。 Please，pleasedo。’ ’TheHighJi—jimmyisperhapswearywithhismagicjourney，’saidtheCaptain，noticingtheblunderingwalkofthelearnedgentleman；’andweareyetveryfarfromtheGreatTemple，wheretodaytheKingsmakesacrifice。’ Hestoppedatthegateofagreatenclosure。Itseemedtobeasortofpark，fortreesshowedhighaboveitsbrazenwall。 Thepartywaited，andalmostatoncetheCaptaincamebackwithoneofthehairyelephantsandbeggedthemtomount。 Thistheydid。 Itwasagloriousride。TheelephantattheZoo——torideonhimisalsoglorious，buthegoessuchaverylittleway，andthenhegoesbackagain，whichisalwaysdull。Butthisgreathairybeastwentonandonandonalongstreetsandthroughsquaresandgardens。Itwasagloriouscity；almosteverythingwasbuiltofmarble，red，orwhite，orblack。Everynowandthenthepartycrossedabridge。 Itwasnottilltheyhadclimbedtothehillwhichisthecentreofthetownthattheysawthatthewholecitywasdividedintotwentycircles，alternatelylandandwater，andovereachofthewatercircleswerethebridgesbywhichtheyhadcome。 Andnowtheywereinagreatsquare。Avastbuildingfilleduponesideofit；itwasoverlaidwithgold，andhadadomeofsilver。Therestofthebuildingsroundthesquarewereoforicalchum。Anditlookedmoresplendidthanyoucanpossiblyimagine，standingupboldandshininginthesunlight。 ’Youwouldlikeabath，’saidtheCaptain，asthehairyelephantwentclumsilydownonhisknees。’It’scustomary，youknow，beforeenteringthePresence。Wehavebathsformen，women，horses，andcattle。TheHighClassBathsarehere。OurFatherPoseidongaveusaspringofhotwaterandoneofcold。’ Thechildrenhadneverbeforebathedinbathsofgold。 ’Itfeelsverysplendid，’saidCyril，splashing。 ’Atleast，ofcourse，it’snotgold；it’sor——what’sitsname，’ saidRobert。’Handoverthattowel。’ Thebathinghallhadseveralgreatpoolssunkbelowthelevelofthefloor；onewentdowntothembysteps。 ’Jimmy，’saidAntheatimidly，when，verycleanandboiled—looking，theyallmetintheflowerycourtyardofthePublic，’don’tyouthinkallthisseemsmuchmorelikeNOWthanBabylonorEgypt——？Oh，Iforgot，you’veneverbeenthere。’ ’Iknowalittleofthosenations，however，’saidhe，’andI quiteagreewithyou。Amostdiscerningremark——mydear，’headdedawkwardly；’thiscitycertainlyseemstoindicateafarhigherlevelofcivilizationthantheEgyptianorBabylonish，and——’ ’Followme，’saidtheCaptain。’Now，boys，getoutoftheway。’ Hepushedthroughalittlecrowdofboyswhowereplayingwithdriedchestnutsfastenedtoastring。 ’Ginger！’remarkedRobert，’they’replayingconkers，justlikethekidsinKentishTownRoad！’ Theycouldseenowthatthreewallssurroundedtheislandonwhichtheywere。Theoutermostwallwasofbrass，theCaptaintoldthem；thenext，whichlookedlikesilver，wascoveredwithtin；andtheinnermostonewasoforicalchum。 Andrightinthemiddlewasawallofgold，withgoldentowersandgates。 ’BeholdtheTemplesofPoseidon，’saidtheCaptain。’Itisnotlawfulformetoenter。Iwillawaityourreturnhere。’ Hetoldthemwhattheyoughttosay，andthefivepeoplefromFitzroyStreettookhandsandwentforward。Thegoldengatesslowlyopened。 ’WearethechildrenoftheSun，’saidCyril，ashehadbeentold，’andourHighPriest，atleastthat’swhattheCaptaincallshim。Wehaveadifferentnameforhimathome。’’Whatishisname？’askedawhite—robedmanwhostoodinthedoorwaywithhisarmsextended。 ’Ji—jimmy，’repliedCyril，andhehesitatedasAntheahaddone。 Itreallydidseemtobetakingagreatlibertywithsolearnedagentleman。’AndwehavecometospeakwithyourKingsintheTempleofPoseidon——doesthatwordsoundright？’hewhisperedanxiously。 ’Quite，’saidthelearnedgentleman。’It’sveryoddIcanunderstandwhatyousaytothem，butnotwhattheysaytoyou。’ ’TheQueenofBabylonfoundthattoo，’saidCyril；’it’spartofthemagic。’ ’Oh，whatadream！’saidthelearnedgentleman。 Thewhite—robedpriesthadbeenjoinedbyothers，andallwerebowinglow。 ’Enter，’hesaid，’enter，ChildrenoftheSun，withyourHighJi—jimmy。’ InaninnercourtyardstoodtheTemple——allofsilver，withgoldpinnaclesanddoors，andtwentyenormousstatuesinbrightgoldofmenandwomen。Alsoanimmensepillaroftheotherpreciousyellowmetal。 Theywentthroughthedoors，andthepriestledthemupastairintoagalleryfromwhichtheycouldlookdownontothegloriousplace。 ’ThetenKingsareevennowchoosingthebull。Itisnotlawfulformetobehold，’saidthepriest，andfellfacedownwardontheflooroutsidethegallery。Thechildrenlookeddown。 Theroofwasofivoryadornedwiththethreepreciousmetals，andthewallswerelinedwiththefavouriteoricalchum。 AtthefarendoftheTemplewasastatuegroup，thelikeofwhichnoonelivinghaseverseen。 Itwasofgold，andtheheadofthechieffigurereachedtotheroof。ThatfigurewasPoseidon，theFatheroftheCity。Hestoodinagreatchariotdrawnbysixenormoushorses，androundaboutitwereahundredmermaidsridingondolphins。 Tenmen，splendidlydressedandarmedonlywithsticksandropes，weretryingtocaptureoneofsomefifteenbullswhoranthiswayandthatabouttheflooroftheTemple。Thechildrenheldtheirbreath，forthebullslookeddangerous，andthegreathornedheadswereswingingmoreandmorewildly。 Antheadidnotlikelookingatthebulls。Shelookedaboutthegallery，andnoticedthatanotherstaircaseledupfromittoastillhigherstorey；alsothatadoorledoutintotheopenair，wherethereseemedtobeabalcony。 SothatwhenashoutwentupandRobertwhispered，’Gothim，’andshelookeddownandsawtheherdofbullsbeingdrivenoutoftheTemplebywhips，andthetenKingsfollowing，oneofthemspurringwithhisstickablackbullthatwrithedandfoughtinthegripofalasso，sheansweredtheboy’sagitated，’Nowweshan’tseeanythingmore，’with—— ’Yeswecan，there’sanoutsidebalcony。’ Sotheycrowdedout。 Butverysoonthegirlscreptback。 ’Idon’tlikesacrifices，’Janesaid。SosheandAntheawentandtalkedtothepriest，whowasnolongerlyingonhisface，butsittingonthetopstepmoppinghisforeheadwithhisrobe，foritwasahotday。 ’It’saspecialsacrifice，’hesaid；’usuallyit’sonlydoneonthejusticedayseveryfiveyearsandsixyearsalternately。Andthentheydrinkthecupofwinewithsomeofthebull’sbloodinit，andsweartojudgetruly。Andtheywearthesacredbluerobe，andputoutalltheTemplefires。ButthistodayisbecausetheCity’ssoupsetbytheoddnoisesfromthesea，andthegodinsidethebigmountainspeakingwithhisthunder—voice。 Butallthat’shappenedsooftenbefore。IfanythingcouldmakeMEuneasyitwouldn’tbeTHAT。’ ’Whatwoulditbe？’askedJanekindly。 ’ItwouldbetheLemmings。’ ’Whoarethey——enemies？’ ’They’reasortofrat；andeveryyeartheycomeswimmingoverfromthecountrythatnomanknows，andstayhereawhile，andthenswimaway。Thisyeartheyhaven’tcome。Youknowratswon’tstayonashipthat’sgoingtobewrecked。Ifanythinghorribleweregoingtohappentous，it’smybeliefthoseLemmingswouldknow；andthatmaybewhythey’vefoughtshyofus。’ ’Whatdoyoucallthiscountry？’askedthePsammead，suddenlyputtingitsheadoutofitsbag。 ’Atlantis，’saidthepriest。 ’ThenIadviseyoutogetontothehighestgroundyoucanfind。 Irememberhearingsomethingaboutafloodhere。Lookhere，you’——itturnedtoAnthea；’let’sgethome。Theprospect’stoowetformywhiskers。’Thegirlsobedientlywenttofindtheirbrothers，whowereleaningonthebalconyrailings。 ’Where’sthelearnedgentleman？’askedAnthea。 ’Thereheis——below，’saidthepriest，whohadcomewiththem。 ’YourHighJi—jimmyiswiththeKings。’ ThetenKingswerenolongeralone。Thelearnedgentleman——noonehadnoticedhowhegotthere——stoodwiththemonthestepsofanaltar，onwhichlaythedeadbodyoftheblackbull。Alltherestofthecourtyardwasthickwithpeople，seeminglyofallclasses，andallwereshouting，’Thesea——thesea！’ ’Becalm，’saidthemostkinglyoftheKings，hewhohadlassoedthebull。’Ourtownisstrongagainstthethundersoftheseaandofthesky！’ ’Iwanttogohome，’whinedthePsammead。 ’Wecan’tgowithoutHIM，’saidAntheafirmly。