This had resulted in carelessness of walk, and in his present state. It had been carelessness that had made him delay in this beautiful land, and enjoy its delights, because all the while he had had at the back of his mind the thought that possibly the Radiant City might, after all, be a dream. But now that he had put Doubt to flight, and realized his position, he felt in despair. Was the King so merciful that He would have compassion on such an erring traveller as himself? How he envied Chisleu, who notwithstanding his rashness, the mistakes he made, and his trying disposition, was evidently conscious of the love of the King, and so openly devoted to Him.
"It was just because he belonged to the King that he cares for me, and he called me his brother," said Amer to himself.
Amer dared not call to the King. He felt too far off. He could only beat upon his breast and cry, "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner." He felt helpless. His foot was beginning to swell, as in his struggle with the chain, instead of loosening it he had only dragged it tighter. Then he began to cry out loudly, "Have mercy upon me O Lord, have mercy upon me."
Suddenly, in the midst of his anguish, he looked up and saw a familiar figure advancing towards him. It was that of Heman. Amer noticed that his eyes were upraised, and that their expression was one of intense earnestness. He was looking neither to the right nor to the left, for being conscious of the dangers of the place he was obeying the King's command to the letter; "Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee." On his brow the radiance from the City of the King was resting. Amer had not seen anything to remind him of the Radiant City ever since he had parted with Belthiah and Iddo, and he now hailed the reminder with a strange feeling of home sickness.
"Heman," he cried, "Heman."
At the words Heman, who had, because of a fear of the fascination of the Land of Enchantment, been holding very close converse with his King, looked round as if awakened from a dream, and saw at his feet the lad whom he had met more than once in the way before.
"Help," cried Amer, all his pride gone, "help, friend. I am in an agony of fear lest my King will not have mercy on me. And see I am still so entangled in this Land of Enchantment—Land of Death I should call it—that I cannot move a step from it."
Then, looking towards the Radiant City and taking hold of the chain with his hand, Heman wrenched it apart and set the lad free.
"Come, my lad," he said, "come," and he began to move away at once. "We must not delay a moment in this Land. It infects those who linger within it with a sleeping sickness that once given way to is almost impossible to combat. Come lad with me and 'let thine eyes look right on and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.' Do you not see how the long grass is waving? Enemies are hiding within it ready to hurl their poisoned darts at you. You are lost if you hesitate. Hold communion with the King as you pass them and they dare not touch you."
"Ah! But have I a King now?" sighed Amer.