“Are you so strong in faith? All this place whispers that for two years the Egyptian has gained!—Meranes leaves the sea for the river.”
“I will choke her mouth with sand, I will make her salt with tears, I will bear her back and shred her afar in the desert!”
“How without sight and low-minded is Meranes, lying in Nitetis’s arms, saying, ‘Smerdis, my heir—’”
“Meranes!”
“Giving Alyattes, his son, to Sadyattes the diver.”
“Alyattes! Alyattes!”
“He will put out the child’s eyes—thrust him forth to beg—send, maybe, to him the executioner—” The governor of the city clasped in his hands her veil. “Pearl of the Deep! Look upon Sadyattes the diver—upon me and you and the boy Alyattes—”
“I see Meranes in a ring of fire.”
“Protecting fire. And safe clasped with him there Nitetis and Smerdis! And you and me and Alyattes without upon the desert sand.”
“Yes, just!”