"If you love me, don't tell!"
And he looked into his eyes. There was such power in that look that had he said "die!" Issachar would have died.
But when Bata turned to go he embraced his feet and asked:
"May I follow you?"
"No, you may not. Go your way and I shall go mine: we shall both come to Him and meet there."
"To Him? But aren't you....?"
He gazed into his face once more, terror-stricken: it suddenly seemed to him that this was neither the beggar Bata, nor the king of Egypt, Akhnaton, but Someone else.
"Who are you? Who are you? I adjure you by the living God, who are you?" he whispered desperately.
The prophet shook his head and smiling pointed to the black shadow on the white sand.
"Do you see my shadow? As this shadow is from me, I am from Him. He comes after me but I am not He!"