“Well said, my king; I am summoned here to aid these wise Chaldeans in devising an escape through the blasting of their own plots. I am to yield myself a tool to Avil-Marduk and his fellow-crows. I am to excuse my own letters of warning, and the tidings borne by Ariathes, who it is plain escaped your spies and guards, and reached Susa safely. I am to profess to Gobryas and Cyrus, ‘I was mistaken. The stories are false. Trust Belshazzar in all things!’”
It was as if he had taken the words out of the king’s own mouth. All the council stared at him. “And if not?” he demanded, suddenly stopping.
“If you will not,” threatened Belshazzar, blackly, “prepare to die. We know a Persian’s word can be trusted. Once give your pledge, you will explain away everything—”
Darius almost shouted his reply:—
“And I know that it would be better to groan in ‘The Land of the North’[7] for years uncounted, than to put trust in your word. From your own mouth I know how your oaths are sworn only to be broken, how you have prated ‘friendship’ in my ear, and all the while plotted death. Therefore take my life. I do not fear to cross the Chinvat Bridge, and stand before the throne of Ahura. But rest assured, Cyrus will wreak full vengeance!”
When Darius ended there was silence in the council, for every man knew they had laid hands on a monster, equally dangerous to release or to retain.
“And what, then, would my lord have us do to preserve the peace?” faltered at length Sirusur the commander.
“Let your king send an embassy in sackcloth to Susa to confess his fault and declare his penitence. Let him send to Cyrus the head of Avil-Marduk, chief begetter of these falsehoods. Let him send me back safely with the Princess Atossa, and present my king with a great treasure. Finally, let him throw down two furlongs of the city walls of Babylon, to show he meditates no war. Do thus, and you preserve the peace; and thus only.”
Belshazzar had risen on his throne.
“Let us have an end to this,” cried he, darkly. “I see the prince’s wits have been blasted, or else he has fallen in love with death. I have spared his life, because he saved me from the auroch; but my forbearance is near its end. Yet he shall have chance to reflect on his madness. Hale him away, clap him in the lower dungeon, beside that of Daniel, double-fetter, and let him prepare to die!” Darius neither salaamed nor gave other sign when his guards stepped beside him to lead him away. Having delivered himself to the council, he became silent as a stone idol.