Being of a somewhat speculative turn of mind the matters brought forward by the preacher had interested Amer greatly, and he did not realize that to throw scorn on one part of the Guide Book was to weaken the whole, and to take away much of its helpfulness as a guide. Neither did he know that the Guide Book and sword were so connected that to doubt the one was as good as throwing away the other. He forgot the advice of the Ambassador to cling to his Guide Book, and his warning that to lose it was to lose the battle, and so to lose his soul.
Had he followed the same course as Heman, instead of listening to the opinions of men like himself and to the whispers of the enemy, he would have met him in open warfare, crying to his King all the time for help.
Afterwards, when he looked back upon this sad part of his journey, he remembered how little at this time he was really using the Book as his guide, or studying it as he did at first. His mind was full of speculative questions, and while this was the case he did not study the Book to learn from it truths which would have helped on his spiritual advancement, and have made him strong in case of attack.
His path led him across the land of Achshaph.* It was a land full of danger to the unwary, but thousands of pilgrims had passed through it unscathed, because their armour was bright and their sword in their hand. For those who asked for it, a special guard was sent to take them across; an invisible guard, but a guard that never failed to bring them in safety to the other side; but Amer, instead of a guard, had for his invisible companion the enemy Doubt, and so drew near to the land without fear or much thought.
And when he was once inside its gates, he was enchanted with what he saw.
Green fields besprinkled with flowers of every hue and scent, trees throwing their grateful shade between the hot traveller and the sun, fruit hanging from heavily laden bushes, rivers and fountains refreshing the heated air.
"The land is rightly named," he murmured, "it is indeed the land of Enchantment."
* Enchantment
The first person he met was a man of a very taking personality, who came towards him with extended hand and bright smile. Amer, forgetting that he was in the enemy's country, was only too glad to have him for a companion, specially as he had plenty to say for himself and was able to tell him much about the beauties of Achshaph and of the manners of its inhabitants. His name was Self.
"Stay," he said suddenly, as the lad was steadily making his way along the path at his feet, "stay, you look thoroughly tired and weary with your journey. Here is a mossy bank, sit down and rest awhile."