“Now, Rei, I bid thee tell me, and speak the truth, lest evil come on thee, not at my hands indeed, for I would harm none, but at the hands of those Immortals who are akin to me. What did thy spirit yonder, in my sacred shrine? How didst thou dare to enter and look upon my beauty and hearken to my words?”
“Oh, great Queen,” said Rei, “I will tell thee the truth, and I pray thee let not the wrath of the Gods fall upon me. Not of my own will did my spirit enter into thy Holy Place, nor do I know aught of what it saw therein, seeing that no memory of it remains in me. Nay, it was sent of her whom I serve, who is the mistress of all magic, and to her it made report, but what it said I know not.”
“And whom dost thou serve, Rei? And why did she send thy spirit forth to spy on me?”
“I serve Meriamun the Queen, and she sent my spirit forth to learn what befell the Wanderer when he went up against the Ghosts.”
“And yet he said naught to me of this Meriamun. Say, Rei, is she fair?”
“Of all women who live upon the earth she is the very fairest.”
“Of all, sayest thou, Rei? Look now, and say if Meriamun, whom thou dost serve, is fairer than Argive Helen, whom thou dost name the Hathor?” and she lifted her veil so that he saw the face that was beneath.
Now when he heard that name, and looked upon the glory of her who is Beauty’s self, Rei shrank back till he went nigh to falling on the earth.
“Nay,” he said, covering his eyes with his hand; “nay thou art fairer than she.”
“Then tell me,” she said, letting fall her veil again, “and for thine own sake tell me true, why would Meriamun the Queen, whom thou servest, know the fate of him who came up against the Ghosts?”