Iknow
a
good
deal
about
Babylon
,
and
I
unconsciously
communicate
it
to
you
;
you’ve
heard
of
thought‐reading
,
but
some
of
the
things
you
say
,
I
don’t
understand
;
they
never
enter
my
head
,
and
yet
they’re
so
astoundingly
probable
.
”
“
It’s
all
right
,
”
said
Anthea
reassuringly
.
“
I
understand
.
And
don’t
worry
.
It’s
all
quite
simple
really
.
”
It
was
not
quite
so
simple
when
Anthea
,
having
heard
the
others
come
in
,
went
down
,
and
before
she
had
had
time
to
ask
how
they
had
liked
the
Zoo
,
heard
a
noise
outside
,
compared
to
which
the
wild
beasts’
noises
were
gentle
as
singing
birds
.
“
Good
gracious
!
”
cried
Anthea
,
“
what’s
that
?
”
The
loud
hum
of
many
voices
came
through
the
open
window
.
Words
could
be
distinguished
.
“
’Ere’s
a
guy
!
”
“
This
ain’t
November
.
That
ain’t
no
guy
.
It’s
a
ballet
lady
,
that’s
what
it
is
.
”
“
Not
it
—
it’s
a
bloomin’
looney
,
I
tell
you
.
”
Then
came
a
clear
voice
that
they
knew
.
“
Retire
,
slaves
!
”
it
said
.
“
What’s
she
a
saying
of
?
”
cried
a
dozen
voices
.
“
Some
blamed
foreign
lingo
,
”
one
voice
replied
.
The
children
rushed
to
the
door
.
A
crowd
was
on
the
road
and
pavement
.
In
the
middle
of
the
crowd
,
plainly
to
be
seen
from
the
top
of
the
steps
,
were
the
beautiful
face
and
bright
veil
of
the
Babylonian
Queen
.
“
Jimminy
!
”
cried
Robert
,
and
ran
down
the
steps
,
“
here
she
is
!
”
“
Here
!
”
he
cried
,
“
look
out
—
let
the
lady
pass
.
She’s
a
friend
of
ours
,
coming
to
see
us
.
”
“
Nice
friend
for
a
respeckable
house
,
”
snorted
a
fat
woman
with
marrows
on
a
hand‐cart
.
All
the
same
the
crowd
made
way
a
little
.
The
Queen
met
Robert
on
the
pavement
,
and
Cyril
joined
them
,
the
Psammead
bag
still
on
his
arm
.
“
Here
,
”
he
whispered
;
“
here’s
the
Psammead
;
you
can
get
wishes
.
”
“
I
wish
you’d
come
in
a
different
dress
,
if
you
had
to
come
,
”
said
Robert
;
“
but
it’s
no
use
my
wishing
anything
.
”
“
No
,
”
said
the
Queen
.
“
I
wish
I
was
dressed
—
no
,
I
don’t
—
I
wish
they
were
dressed
properly
,
then
they
wouldn’t
be
so
silly
.
”
The
Psammead
blew
itself
out
till
the
bag
was
a
very
tight
fit
for
it
;
and
suddenly
every
man
,
woman
,
and
child
in
that
crowd
felt
that
it
had
not
enough
clothes
on
.
For
,
of
course
,
the
Queen’s
idea
of
proper
dress
was
the
dress
that
had
been
proper
for
the
working‐classes
three
thousand
years
ago
in
Babylon
—
and
there
was
not
much
of
it
.
“
Lawky
me
!
”
said
the
marrow‐selling
woman
,
“
whatever
could
a‐took
me
to
come
out
this
figure
?
”
and
she
wheeled
her
cart
away
very
quickly
indeed
.
“
Some
one’s
made
a
pretty
guy
of
you
—
talk
of
guys
,
”
said
a
man
who
sold
bootlaces
.
“
Well
,
don’t
you
talk
,
”
said
the
man
next
to
him
.
“
Look
at
your
own
silly
legs
;
and
where’s
your
boots
?
”
“
I
never
come
out
like
this
,
I’ll
take
my
sacred
,
”
said
the
bootlace‐seller
.
“
I
wasn’t
quite
myself
last
night
,
I’ll
own
,
but
not
to
dress
up
like
a
circus
.
”
The
crowd
was
all
talking
at
once
,
and
getting
rather
angry
.
But
no
one
seemed
to
think
of
blaming
the
Queen
.
Anthea
bounded
down
the
steps
and
pulled
her
up
;
the
others
followed
,
and
the
door
was
shut
.
“
Blowed
if
I
can
make
it
out
!
”
they
heard
.
“
I’m
off
home
,
I
am
.
”
And
the
crowd
,
coming
slowly
to
the
same
mind
,
dispersed
,
followed
by
another
crowd
of
persons
who
were
not
dressed
in
what
the
Queen
thought
was
the
proper
way
.
“
We
shall
have
the
police
here
directly
,
”
said
Anthea
in
the
tones
of
despair
.
“
Oh
,
why
did
you
come
dressed
like
that
?
”
The
Queen
leaned
against
the
arm
of
the
horse‐hair
sofa
.
“
How
else
can
a
queen
dress
I
should
like
to
know
?
”
she
questioned
.
“
Our
Queen
wears
things
like
other
people
,
”
said
Cyril
.
“
Well
,
I
don’t
.
And
I
must
say
,
”
she
remarked
in
an
injured
tone
,
“
that
you
don’t
seem
very
glad
to
see
me
now
I
have
come
.
But
perhaps
it’s
the
surprise
that
makes
you
behave
like
this
.
Yet
you
ought
to
be
used
to
surprises
.
The
way
you
vanished
!
I
shall
never
forget
it
.
The
best
magic
I’ve
ever
seen
.
How
did
you
do
it
?
”
“
Oh
,
never
mind
about
that
now
,
”
said
Robert
.
“
You
see
you’ve
gone
and
upset
all
those
people
,
and
I
expect
they’ll
fetch
the
police
.
And
we
don’t
want
to
see
you
collared
and
put
in
prison
.
”
“
You
can’t
put
queens
in
prison
,
”
she
said
loftily
.
“
Oh
,
can’t
you
?
”
said
Cyril
.
“
We
cut
off
a
king’s
head
here
once
.
”
“
In
this
miserable
room
?
How
frightfully
interesting
.
”
“
No
,
no
,
not
in
this
room
;
in
history
.
”
“
Oh
,
in
that
,
”
said
the
Queen
disparagingly
.
“
I
thought
you’d
done
it
with
your
own
hands
.
”
The
girls
shuddered
.
“
What
a
hideous
city
yours
is
,
”
the
Queen
went
on
pleasantly
,
“
and
what
horrid
,
ignorant
people
.
Do
you
know
they
actually
can’t
understand
a
single
word
I
say
.
”
“
Can
you
understand
them
?
”
asked
Jane
.
“
Of
course
not
;
they
speak
some
vulgar
,
Northern
dialect
.
I
can
understand
you
quite
well
.
”
I
really
am
not
going
to
explain
again
how
it
was
that
the
children
could
understand
other
languages
than
their
own
so
thoroughly
,
and
talk
them
,
too
,
so
that
it
felt
and
sounded
(
to
them
)
just
as
though
they
were
talking
English
.
“
Well
,
”
said
Cyril
bluntly
,
“
now
you’ve
seen
just
how
horrid
it
is
,
don’t
you
think
you
might
as
well
go
home
again
?
”
“
Why
,
I’ve
seen
simply
nothing
yet
,
”
said
the
Queen
,
arranging
her
starry
veil
.
“
I
wished
to
be
at
your
door
,
and
I
was
.
Now
I
must
go
and
see
your
King
and
Queen
.
”
“
Nobody’s
allowed
to
,
”
said
Anthea
in
haste
;
“
but
look
here
,
we’ll
take
you
and
show
you
anything
you’d
like
to
see
—
anything
you
can
see
,
”
she
added
kindly
,
because
she
remembered
how
nice
the
Queen
had
been
to
them
in
Babylon
,
even
if
she
had
been
a
little
deceitful
in
the
matter
of
Jane
and
Psammead
.
“
There’s
the
Museum
,
”
said
Cyril
hopefully
;
“
there
are
lots
of
things
from
your
country
there
.
If
only
we
could
disguise
you
a
little
.
”
“
I
know
,
”
said
Anthea
suddenly
.
“
Mother’s
old
theatre
cloak
,
and
there
are
a
lot
of
her
old
hats
in
the
big
box
.
”
The
blue
silk
,
lace‐trimmed
cloak
did
indeed
hide
some
of
the
Queen’s
startling
splendours
,
but
the
hat
fitted
very
badly
.
It
had
pink
roses
in
it
;
and
there
was
something
about
the
coat
or
the
hat
or
the
Queen
,
that
made
her
look
somehow
not
very
respectable
.
“
Oh
,
never
mind
,
”
said
Anthea
,
when
Cyril
whispered
this
.
“
the
thing
is
to
get
her
out
before
Nurse
has
finished
her
forty
winks
.
I
should
think
she’s
about
got
to
the
thirty‐ninth
wink
by
now
.
”
“
Come
on
then
,
”
said
Robert
.
“
You
know
how
dangerous
it
is
.
Let’s
make
haste
into
the
Museum
.
If
any
of
those
people
you
made
guys
of
do
fetch
the
police
,
they
won’t
think
of
looking
for
you
there
.
”
The
blue
silk
coat
and
the
pink‐rosed
hat
attracted
almost
as
much
attention
as
the
royal
costume
had
done
;
and
the
children
were
uncommonly
glad
to
get
out
of
the
noisy
streets
into
the
grey
quiet
of
the
Museum
.
“
Parcels
and
umbrellas
to
be
left
here
,
”
said
a
man
at
the
counter
.
The
party
had
no
umbrellas
,
and
the
only
parcel
was
the
bag
containing
the
Psammead
,
which
the
Queen
had
insisted
should
be
brought
.
“
I’m
not
going
to
be
left
,
”
said
the
Psammead
softly
,
“
so
don’t
you
think
it
.
”
“
I’ll
wait
outside
with
you
,
”
said
Anthea
hastily
,
and
went
to
sit
on
the
seat
near
the
drinking
fountain
.
“
Don’t
sit
so
near
that
nasty
fountain
,
”
said
the
creature
crossly
;
“
I
might
get
splashed
.
”
Anthea
obediently
moved
to
another
seat
and
waited
.
Indeed
she
waited
,
and
waited
,
and
waited
,
and
waited
,
and
waited
.
The
Psammead
dropped
into
an
uneasy
slumber
.
Anthea
had
long
ceased
to
watch
the
swing‐door
that
always
let
out
the
wrong
person
,
and
she
was
herself
almost
asleep
,
and
still
the
others
did
not
come
back
.
It
was
quite
a
start
when
Anthea
suddenly
realized
that
they
had
come
back
,
and
that
they
were
not
alone
.
Behind
them
was
quite
a
crowd
of
men
in
uniform
,
and
several
gentlemen
were
there
.
Every
one
seemed
very
angry
.
“
Now
go
,
”
said
the
nicest
of
the
angry
gentlemen
.
“
Take
the
poor
,
demented
thing
home
and
tell
your
parents
she
ought
to
be
properly
looked
after
.
”
“
If
you
can’t
get
her
to
go
we
must
send
for
the
police
,
”
said
the
nastiest
gentleman
.
“
But
we
don’t
wish
to
use
harsh
measures
,
”
added
the
nice
one
,
who
was
really
very
nice
indeed
,
and
seemed
to
be
over
all
the
others
.
“
May
I
speak
to
my
sister
a
moment
first
?
”
asked
Robert
.
The
nicest
gentleman
nodded
,
and
the
officials
stood
round
the
Queen
,
the
others
forming
a
sort
of
guard
while
Robert
crossed
over
to
Anthea
.
“
Everything
you
can
think
of
,
”
he
replied
to
Anthea’s
glance
of
inquiry
.
“
Kicked
up
the
most
frightful
shine
in
there
.
Said
those
necklaces
and
earrings
and
things
in
the
glass
cases
were
all
hers
—
would
have
them
out
of
the
cases
.
Tried
to
break
the
glass
—
she
did
break
one
bit
!
Everybody
in
the
place
has
been
at
her
.
No
good
.
I
only
got
her
out
by
telling
her
that
was
the
place
where
they
cut
queens’
heads
off
.
”
“
Oh
,
Bobs
,
what
a
whacker
!
”
“
You’d
have
told
a
whackinger
one
to
get
her
out
.
Besides
,
it
wasn’t
.
I
meant
mummy
queens
.
How
do
you
know
they
don’t
cut
off
mummies’
heads
to
see
how
the
embalming
is
done
?
What
I
want
to
say
is
,
can’t
you
get
her
to
go
with
you
quietly
?
”
“
I’ll
try
,
”
said
Anthea
,
and
went
up
to
the
Queen
.
“
Do
come
home
,
”
she
said
;
“
the
learned
gentleman
in
our
house
has
a
much
nicer
necklace
than
anything
they’ve
got
here
.
Come
and
see
it
.
”
The
Queen
nodded
.
“
You
see
,
”
said
the
nastiest
gentleman
,
“
she
does
understand
English
.
”
“
I
was
talking
Babylonian
,
I
think
,
”
said
Anthea
bashfully
.
“
My
good
child
,
”
said
the
nice
gentleman
,
“
what
you’re
talking
is
not
Babylonian
,
but
nonsense
.
You
just
go
home
at
once
,
and
tell
your
parents
exactly
what
has
happened
.
”
Anthea
took
the
Queen’s
hand
and
gently
pulled
her
away
.
The
other
children
followed
,
and
the
black
crowd
of
angry
gentlemen
stood
on
the
steps
watching
them
.
It
was
when
the
little
party
of
disgraced
children
,
with
the
Queen
who
had
disgraced
them
,
had
reached
the
middle
of
the
courtyard
that
her
eyes
fell
on
the
bag
where
the
Psammead
was
.
She
stopped
short
.
“
I
wish
,
”
she
said
,
very
loud
and
clear
,
“
that
all
those
Babylonian
things
would
come
out
to
me
here
—
slowly
,
so
that
those
dogs
and
slaves
can
see
the
working
of
the
great
Queen’s
magic
.
”
“
Oh
,
you
are
a
tiresome
woman
,
”
said
the
Psammead
in
its
bag
,
but
it
puffed
itself
out
.
Next
moment
there
was
a
crash
.
The
glass
swing
doors
and
all
their
framework
were
smashed
suddenly
and
completely
.
The
crowd
of
angry
gentlemen
sprang
aside
when
they
saw
what
had
done
this
.
But
the
nastiest
of
them
was
not
quick
enough
,
and
he
was
roughly
pushed
out
of
the
way
by
an
enormous
stone
bull
that
was
floating
steadily
through
the
door
.
It
came
and
stood
beside
the
Queen
in
the
middle
of
the
courtyard
.
It
was
followed
by
more
stone
images
,
by
great
slabs
of
carved
stone
,
bricks
,
helmets
,
tools
,
weapons
,
fetters
,
wine‐jars
,
bowls
,
bottles
,
vases
,
jugs
,
saucers
,
seals
,
and
the
round
long
things
,
something
like
rolling
pins
with
marks
on
them
like
the
print
of
little
bird‐feet
,
necklaces
,
collars
,
rings
,
armlets
,
earrings
—
heaps
and
heaps
and
heaps
of
things
,
far
more
than
anyone
had
time
to
count
,
or
even
to
see
distinctly
.
All
the
angry
gentlemen
had
abruptly
sat
down
on
the
Museum
steps
except
the
nice
one
.
He
stood
with
his
hands
in
his
pockets
just
as
though
he
was
quite
used
to
seeing
great
stone
bulls
and
all
sorts
of
small
Babylonish
objects
float
out
into
the
Museum
yard
.
But
he
sent
a
man
to
close
the
big
iron
gates
.
A
journalist
,
who
was
just
leaving
the
museum
,
spoke
to
Robert
as
he
passed
.
“
Theosophy
,
I
suppose
?
”
he
said
.
“
Is
she
Mrs.
Besant
?
”
“
Yes
,
”
said
Robert
recklessly
.
The
journalist
passed
through
the
gates
just
before
they
were
shut
.
He
rushed
off
to
Fleet
Street
,
and
his
paper
got
out
a
new
edition
within
half
an
hour
.
“
MRS
BESANT
AND
THEOSOPHY
.
“
IMPERTINENT
MIRACLE
AT
THE
BRITISH
MUSEUM
.
”
People
saw
it
in
fat
,
black
letters
on
the
boards
carried
by
the
sellers
of
newspapers
.
Some
few
people
who
had
nothing
better
to
do
went
down
to
the
Museum
on
the
tops
of
omnibuses
.
But
by
the
time
they
got
there
there
was
nothing
to
be
seen
.
For
the
Baby‐
lonian
Queen
had
suddenly
seen
the
closed
gates
,
had
felt
the
threat
of
them
,
and
had
said
—
“
I
wish
we
were
in
your
house
.
”
And
,
of
course
,
instantly
they
were
.
The
Psammead
was
furious
.
“
Look
here
,
”
it
said
,
“
they’ll
come
after
you
,
and
they’ll
find
me
.
There’ll
be
a
National
Cage
built
for
me
at
Westminster
,
and
I
shall
have
to
work
at
politics
.
Why
wouldn’t
you
leave
the
things
in
their
places
?
”
“
What
a
temper
you
have
,
haven’t
you
?
”
said
the
Queen
serenely
.
“
I
wish
all
the
things
were
back
in
their
places
.
Will
that
do
for
you
?
”
The
Psammead
swelled
and
shrank
and
spoke
very
angrily
.
“
I
can’t
refuse
to
give
your
wishes
,
”
it
said
,
“
but
I
can
Bite
.
And
I
will
if
this
goes
on
.
Now
then
.
”
“
Ah
,
don’t
,
”
whispered
Anthea
close
to
its
bristling
ear
;
“
it’s
dreadful
for
us
too
.
Don’t
you
desert
us
.
Perhaps
she’ll
wish
herself
at
home
again
soon
.
”
“
Not
she
,
”
said
the
Psammead
a
little
less
crossly
.
“
Take
me
to
see
your
City
,
”
said
the
Queen
.
The
children
looked
at
each
other
.
“
If
we
had
some
money
we
could
take
her
about
in
a
cab
.
People
wouldn’t
notice
her
so
much
then
.
But
we
haven’t
.
”
“
Sell
this
,
”
said
the
Queen
,
taking
a
ring
from
her
finger
.
“
They’d
only
think
we’d
stolen
it
,
”
said
Cyril
bitterly
,
“
and
put
us
in
prison
.
”
“
All
roads
lead
to
prison
with
you
,
it
seems
,
”
said
the
Queen
.
“
The
learned
gentleman
!
”
said
Anthea
,
and
ran
up
to
him
with
the
ring
in
her
hand
.
“
Look
here
,
”
she
said
,
“
will
you
buy
this
for
a
pound
?
”
“
Oh
!
”
he
said
in
tones
of
joy
and
amazement
,
and
took
the
ring
into
his
hand
.
“
It’s
my
very
own
,
”
said
Anthea
;
“
it
was
given
to
me
to
sell
.
”
“
I’ll
lend
you
a
pound
,
”
said
the
learned
gentleman
,
“
with
pleasure
;
and
I’ll
take
care
of
the
ring
for
you
.
Who
did
you
say
gave
it
to
you
?
”
“
We
call
her
,
”
said
Anthea
carefully
,
“
the
Queen
of
Babylon
.
”
“
Is
it
a
game
?
”
he
asked
hopefully
.
“
It’ll
be
a
pretty
game
if
I
don’t
get
the
money
to
pay
for
cabs
for
her
,
”
said
Anthea
.
“
I
sometimes
think
,
”
he
said
slowly
,
“
that
I
am
becoming
insane
,
or
that
—
”
“
Or
that
I
am
;
but
I’m
not
,
and
you’re
not
,
and
she’s
not
.
”
“
Does
she
say
that
she’s
the
Queen
of
Babylon
?
”
he
uneasily
asked
.
“
Yes
,
”
said
Anthea
recklessly
.
“
This
thought‐transference
is
more
far‐reaching
than
I
imagined
,
”
he
said
.
“
I
suppose
I
have
unconsciously
influenced
her
,
too
.
I
never
thought
my
Babylonish
studies
would
bear
fruit
like
this
.
Horrible
!
There
are
more
things
in
heaven
and
earth
—
”
“
Yes
,
”
said
Anthea
,
“
heaps
more
.
And
the
pound
is
the
thing
I
want
more
than
anything
on
earth
.
”
He
ran
his
fingers
through
his
thin
hair
.
“
This
thought‐transference
!
”
he
said
.
“
It’s
undoubtedly
a
Babylonian
ring
—
or
it
seems
so
to
me
.
But
perhaps
I
have
hypnotised
myself
.
I
will
see
a
doctor
the
moment
I
have
corrected
the
last
proofs
of
my
book
.
”
“
Yes
,
do
!
”
said
Anthea
,
“
and
thank
you
so
very
much
.
”
She
took
the
sovereign
and
ran
down
to
the
others
.
And
now
from
the
window
of
a
four‐wheeled
cab
the
Queen
of
Babylon
beheld
the
wonders
of
London
.
Buckingham
Palace
she
thought
uninteresting
;
Westminster
Abbey
and
the
Houses
of
Parliament
were
little
better
.
But
she
liked
the
Tower
,
and
the
River
,
and
the
ships
filled
her
with
wonder
and
delight
.
“
But
how
badly
you
keep
your
slaves
.
How
wretched
and
poor
and
neglected
they
seem
,
”
she
said
,
as
the
cab
rattled
along
the
Mile
End
Road
.
“
They
aren’t
slaves
;
they’re
working‐people
,
”
said
Jane
.
“
Of
course
they’re
working‐people
.
That’s
what
slaves
are
.
Don’t
you
tell
me
.
Do
you
suppose
I
don’t
know
a
slave’s
face
when
I
see
it
?
Why
don’t
their
masters
see
that
they’re
better
fed
and
better
clothed
?
Tell
me
in
three
words
.
”
No
one
answered
.
The
wage‐system
of
modern
England
is
a
little
difficult
to
explain
in
three
words
even
if
you
understand
it
—
which
the
children
didn’t
.
“
You’ll
have
a
revolt
of
your
slaves
if
you’re
not
careful
,
”
said
the
Queen
.
“
Oh
,
no
,
”
said
Cyril
;
“
you
see
they
have
votes
—
that
makes
them
safe
not
to
revolt
.
It
makes
all
the
difference
.
Father
told
me
so
.
”
“
What
is
this
vote
?
”
asked
the
Queen
.
“
Is
it
a
charm
?
What
do
they
do
with
it
?
”
“
I
don’t
know
,
”
said
the
harassed
Cyril
;
“
it’s
just
a
vote
,
that’s
all
!
They
don’t
do
anything
particular
with
it
.
”
“
I
see
,
”
said
the
Queen
;
“
a
sort
of
plaything
.
Well
,
I
wish
that
all
these
slaves
may
have
in
their
hands
this
moment
their
full
of
their
favourite
meat
and
drink
.
”
Instantly
all
the
people
in
the
Mile
End
Road
,
and
in
all
the
other
streets
where
poor
people
live
,
found
their
hands
full
of
things
to
eat
and
drink
.
From
the
cab
window
could
be
seen
persons
carrying
every
kind
of
food
,
and
bottles
and
cans
as
well
.
Roast
meat
,
fowls
,
red
lobsters
,
great
yellowy
crabs
,
fried
fish
,
boiled
pork
,
beef‐steak
puddings
,
baked
onions
,
mutton
pies
;
most
of
the
young
people
had
oranges
and
sweets
and
cake
.
It
made
an
enormous
change
in
the
look
of
the
Mile
End
Road
—
brightened
it
up
,
so
to
speak
,
and
brightened
up
,
more
than
you
can
possibly
imagine
,
the
faces
of
the
people
.
“
Makes
a
difference
,
doesn’t
it
?
”
said
the
Queen
.
“
That’s
the
best
wish
you’ve
had
yet
,
”
said
Jane
with
cordial
approval
.
Just
by
the
Bank
the
cabman
stopped
.
“
I
ain’t
agoin’
to
drive
you
no
further
,
”
he
said
.
“
Out
you
gets
.
”
They
got
out
rather
unwillingly
.
“
I
wants
my
tea
,
”
he
said
;
and
they
saw
that
on
the
box
of
the
cab
was
a
mound
of
cabbage
,
with
pork
chops
and
apple
sauce
,
a
duck
,
and
a
spotted
currant
pudding
.
Also
a
large
can
.
“
You
pay
me
my
fare
,
”
he
said
threateningly
,
and
looked
down
at
the
mound
,
muttering
again
about
his
tea
.
“
We’ll
take
another
cab
,
”
said
Cyril
with
dignity
.
“
Give
me
change
for
a
sovereign
,
if
you
please
.
”
But
the
cabman
,
as
it
turned
out
,
was
not
at
all
a
nice
character
.
He
took
the
sovereign
,
whipped
up
his
horse
,
and
disappeared
in
the
stream
of
cabs
and
omnibuses
and
wagons
,
without
giving
them
any
change
at
all
.
Already
a
little
crowd
was
collecting
round
the
party
.
“
Come
on
,
”
said
Robert
,
leading
the
wrong
way
.
The
crowd
round
them
thickened
.
They
were
in
a
narrow
street
where
many
gentlemen
in
black
coats
and
without
hats
were
standing
about
on
the
pavement
talking
very
loudly
.
“
How
ugly
their
clothes
are
,
”
said
the
Queen
of
Babylon
.
“
They’d
be
rather
fine
men
,
some
of
them
,
if
they
were
dressed
decently
,
especially
the
ones
with
the
beautiful
long
,
curved
noses
.
I
wish
they
were
dressed
like
the
Babylonians
of
my
court
.
”
And
of
course
,
it
was
so
.
The
moment
the
almost
fainting
Psammead
had
blown
itself
out
every
man
in
Throgmorton
Street
appeared
abruptly
in
Babylonian
full
dress
.
All
were
carefully
powdered
,
their
hair
and
beards
were
scented
and
curled
,
their
garments
richly
embroidered
.
They
wore
rings
and
armlets
,
flat
gold
collars
and
swords
,
and
impossible‐looking
head‐dresses
.
A
stupefied
silence
fell
on
them
.
“
I
say
,
”
a
youth
who
had
always
been
fair‐haired
broke
that
silence
,
“
it’s
only
fancy
of
course
—
something
wrong
with
my
eyes
—
but
you
chaps
do
look
so
rum
.
”
“
Rum
,
”
said
his
friend
.
“
Look
at
you
.
You
in
a
sash
!
My
hat
!
And
your
hair’s
gone
black
and
you’ve
got
a
beard
.
It’s
my
belief
we’ve
been
poisoned
.
You
do
look
a
jackape
.
”
“
Old
Levinstein
don’t
look
so
bad
.
But
how
was
it
done
—
that’s
what
I
want
to
know
.
How
was
it
done
?
Is
it
conjuring
,
or
what
?
”
“
I
think
it
is
chust
a
ver’
bad
tream
,
”
said
old
Levinstein
to
his
clerk
;
“
all
along
Bishopsgate
I
haf
seen
the
gommon
people
have
their
hants
full
of
food
—
goot
food
.
Oh
yes
,
without
doubt
a
very
bad
tream
!
”
“
Then
I’m
dreaming
too
,
sir
,
”
said
the
clerk
,
looking
down
at
his
legs
with
an
expression
of
loathing
.
“
I
see
my
feet
in
beastly
sandals
as
plain
as
plain
.
”
“
All
that
goot
food
wasted
,
”
said
old
Mr
Levinstein
.
A
bad
tream
—
a
bad
tream
.
”
The
Members
of
the
Stock
Exchange
are
said
to
be
at
all
times
a
noisy
lot
.
But
the
noise
they
made
now
to
express
their
disgust
at
the
costumes
of
ancient
Babylon
,
was
far
louder
than
their
ordinary
row
.
One
had
to
shout
before
one
could
hear
oneself
speak
.
“
I
only
wish
,
”
said
the
clerk
who
thought
it
was
conjuring
—
he
was
quite
close
to
the
children
and
they
trembled
,
because
they
knew
that
whatever
he
wished
would
come
true
.
“
I
only
wish
we
knew
who’d
done
it
.
”
And
,
of
course
,
instantly
they
did
know
,
and
they
pressed
round
the
Queen
.
“
Scandalous
!
Shameful
!
Ought
to
be
put
down
by
law
.
Give
her
in
charge
.
Fetch
the
police
,
”
two
or
three
voices
shouted
at
once
.
The
Queen
recoiled
.
“
What
is
it
?
”
she
asked
.
“
they
sound
like
caged
lions
—
lions
by
the
thousand
.
What
is
it
that
they
say
?
”
“
They
say
‘Police
!
,
’
”
said
Cyril
briefly
.
“
I
knew
they
would
sooner
or
later
.
And
I
don’t
blame
them
,
mind
you
.
”
“
I
wish
my
guards
were
here
!
”
cried
the
Queen
.
The
exhausted
Psammead
was
panting
and
trembling
,
but
the
Queen’s
guards
in
red
and
green
garments
,
and
brass
and
iron
gear
,
choked
Throgmorton
Street
,
and
bared
weapons
flashed
round
the
Queen
.
“
I’m
mad
,
”
said
a
Mr
Rosenbaum
;
“
dat’s
what
it
is
—
mad
!
”
“
It’s
a
judgement
on
you
,
Rosy
,
”
said
his
partner
.
“
I
always
said
you
were
too
hard
in
that
matter
of
Flowerdew
.
It’s
a
judgement
,
and
I’m
in
it
too
.
”
The
members
of
the
Stock
Exchange
had
edged
carefully
away
from
the
gleaming
blades
,
the
mailed
figures
,
the
hard
,
cruel
Eastern
faces
.
But
Throgmorton
Street
is
narrow
,
and
the
crowd
was
too
thick
for
them
to
get
away
as
quickly
as
they
wished
.
“
Kill
them
,
”
cried
the
Queen
.
“
Kill
the
dogs
!
”
The
guards
obeyed
.
“
It
is
all
a
dream
,
”
cried
Mr
Levinstein
,
cowering
in
a
doorway
behind
his
clerk
.
“
It
isn’t
,
”
said
the
clerk
.
“
It
isn’t
.
Oh
,
my
good
gracious
!
those
foreign
brutes
are
killing
everybody
.
Henry
Hirsh
is
down
now
,
and
Prentice
is
cut
in
two
—
oh
,
Lord
!
and
Huth
,
and
there
goes
Lionel
Cohen
with
his
head
off
,
and
Guy
Nickalls
has
lost
his
head
now
.
A
dream
?
I
wish
to
goodness
it
was
all
a
dream
.
”
And
,
of
course
,
instantly
it
was
!
The
entire
Stock
Exchange
rubbed
its
eyes
and
went
back
to
close
,
to
over
,
and
either
side
of
seven‐eights
,
and
Trunks
,
and
Kaffirs
,
and
Steel
Common
,
and
Contangoes
,
and
Backwardations
,
Double
Options
,
and
all
the
interesting
subjects
concerning
which
they
talk
in
the
Street
without
ceasing
.
No
one
said
a
word
about
it
to
anyone
else
.
I
think
I
have
explained
before
that
business
men
do
not
like
it
to
be
known
that
they
have
been
dreaming
in
business
hours
.
Especially
mad
dreams
including
such
dreadful
things
as
hungry
people
getting
dinners
,
and
the
destruction
of
the
Stock
Exchange
.
The
children
were
in
the
dining‐room
at
300
,
Fitzroy
Street
,
pale
and
trembling
.
The
Psammead
crawled
out
of
the
embroidered
bag
,
and
lay
flat
on
the
table
,
its
leg
stretched
out
,
looking
more
like
a
dead
hare
than
anything
else
.
“
Thank
Goodness
that’s
over
,
”
said
Anthea
,
drawing
a
deep
breath
.
“
She
won’t
come
back
,
will
she
?
”
asked
Jane
tremulously
.
“
No
,
”
said
Cyril
.
“
she’s
thousands
of
years
ago
.
But
we
spent
a
whole
precious
pound
on
her
.
It’ll
take
all
our
pocket‐money
for
ages
to
pay
that
back
.
”
“
Not
if
it
was
all
a
dream
,
”
said
Robert
.
“
The
wish
said
all
a
dream
,
you
know
,
Panther
;
you
cut
up
and
ask
if
he
lent
you
anything
.
”
“
I
beg
your
pardon
,
”
said
Anthea
politely
,
following
the
sound
of
her
knock
into
the
presence
of
the
learned
gentleman
,
“
I’m
so
sorry
to
trouble
you
,
but
did
you
lend
me
a
pound
today
?
”
“
No
,
”
said
he
,
looking
kindly
at
her
through
his
spectacles
.
“
But
it’s
extraordinary
that
you
should
ask
me
,
for
I
dozed
for
a
few
moments
this
afternoon
,
a
thing
I
very
rarely
do
,
and
I
dreamed
quite
distinctly
that
you
brought
me
a
ring
that
you
said
belonged
to
the
Queen
of
Babylon
,
and
that
I
lent
you
a
sovereign
,
and
that
you
left
one
of
the
Queen’s
rings
here
.
The
ring
was
a
magnificent
specimen
.
”
He
sighed
.
“
I
wish
it
hadn’t
been
a
dream
,
”
he
said
smiling
.
He
was
really
learning
to
smile
quite
nicely
.
Anthea
could
not
be
too
thankful
that
the
Psammead
was
not
there
to
grant
his
wish
.
CHAPTER
IX
ATLANTIS
YOU
will
understand
that
the
adventure
of
the
Babylonian
queen
in
London
was
the
only
one
that
had
occupied
any
time
at
all
.
But
the
children’s
time
was
very
fully
taken
up
by
talking
over
all
the
wonderful
things
seen
and
done
in
the
Past
,
where
,
by
the
power
of
the
Amulet
,
they
seemed
to
spend
hours
and
hours
,
only
to
find
when
they
got
back
to
London
that
the
whole
thing
had
been
briefer
than
a
lightning
flash
.
They
talked
of
the
Past
at
their
meals
,
in
their
walks
,
in
the
dining‐room
,
in
the
first‐floor
drawing‐room
,
but
most
of
all
on
the
stairs
.
It
was
an
old
house
;
it
had
once
been
a
fashionable
one
,
and
was
a
fine
one
still
.
The
banister
rails
of
the
stairs
were
excellent
for
sliding
down
,
and
in
the
corners
of
the
landings
were
big
alcoves
that
had
once
held
graceful
statues
,
and
now
quite
often
held
the
graceful
forms
of
Cyril
,
Robert
,
Anthea
,
and
Jane
.
One
day
Cyril
and
Robert
in
tight
white
underclothing
had
spent
a
pleasant
hour
in
reproducing
the
attitudes
of
statues
seen
either
in
the
British
Museum
,
or
in
Father’s
big
photograph
book
.
But
the
show
ended
abruptly
because
Robert
wanted
to
be
the
Venus
of
Milo
,
and
for
this
purpose
pulled
at
the
sheet
which
served
for
drapery
at
the
very
moment
when
Cyril
,
looking
really
quite
like
the
Discobolos
—
with
a
gold
and
white
saucer
for
the
disc
—
was
standing
on
one
foot
,
and
under
that
one
foot
was
the
sheet
.
Of
course
the
Discobolos
and
his
disc
and
the
would‐be
Venus
came
down
together
,
and
every
one
was
a
good
deal
hurt
,
especially
the
saucer
,
which
would
never
be
the
same
again
,
however
neatly
one
might
join
its
uneven
bits
with
seccotine
or
the
white
of
an
egg
.
“
I
hope
you’re
satisfied
,
”
said
Cyril
,
holding
his
head
where
a
large
lump
was
rising
.
“
Quite
,
thanks
,
”
said
Robert
bitterly
.
His
thumb
had
caught
in
the
banisters
and
bent
itself
back
almost
to
breaking
point
.
“
I
am
so
sorry
,
poor
,
dear
Squirrel
,
”
said
Anthea
;
“
and
you
were
looking
so
lovely
.
I’ll
get
a
wet
rag
.
Bobs
,
go
and
hold
your
hand
under
the
hot‐water
tap
.
It’s
what
ballet
girls
do
with
their
legs
when
they
hurt
them
.
I
saw
it
in
a
book
.
”
“
What
book
?
”
said
Robert
disagreeably
.
But
he
went
.
When
he
came
back
Cyril’s
head
had
been
bandaged
by
his
sisters
,
and
he
had
been
brought
to
the
state
of
mind
where
he
was
able
reluctantly
to
admit
that
he
supposed
Robert
hadn’t
done
it
on
purpose
.
Robert
replying
with
equal
suavity
,
Anthea
hastened
to
lead
the
talk
away
from
the
accident
.
“
I
suppose
you
don’t
feel
like
going
anywhere
through
the
Amulet
,
”
she
said
.
“
Egypt
!
”
said
Jane
promptly
.
“
I
want
to
see
the
pussy
cats
.
”
“
Not
me
—
too
hot
,
”
said
Cyril
.
“
It’s
about
as
much
as
I
can
stand
here
—
let
alone
Egypt
.
”
It
was
indeed
,
hot
,
even
on
the
second
landing
,
which
was
the
coolest
place
in
the
house
.
“
Let’s
go
to
the
North
Pole
.
”
“
I
don’t
suppose
the
Amulet
was
ever
there
—
and
we
might
get
our
fingers
frost‐bitten
so
that
we
could
never
hold
it
up
to
get
home
again
.
No
thanks
,
”
said
Robert
.
“
I
say
,
”
said
Jane
,
“
let’s
get
the
Psammead
and
ask
its
advice
.
It
will
like
us
asking
,
even
if
we
don’t
take
it
.
”
The
Psammead
was
brought
up
in
its
green
silk
embroidered
bag
,
but
before
it
could
be
asked
anything
the
door
of
the
learned
gentleman’s
room
opened
and
the
voice
of
the
visitor
who
had
been
lunching
with
him
was
heard
on
the
stairs
.
He
seemed
to
be
speaking
with
the
door
handle
in
his
hand
.
“
You
see
a
doctor
,
old
boy
,
”
he
said
;
“
all
that
about
thought‐transference
is
just
simply
twaddle
.
You’ve
been
over‐working
.
Take
a
holiday
.
Go
to
Dieppe
.
”
“
I’d
rather
go
to
Babylon
,
”
said
the
learned
gentleman
.
“
I
wish
you’d
go
to
Atlantis
some
time
,
while
we’re
about
it
,
so
as
to
give
me
some
tips
for
my
Nineteenth
Century
article
when
you
come
home
.
”
“
I
wish
I
could
,
”
said
the
voice
of
the
learned
gentleman
.
“
Goodbye
.
Take
care
of
yourself
.
”
The
door
was
banged
,
and
the
visitor
came
smiling
down
the
stairs
—
a
stout
,
prosperous
,
big
man
.
The
children
had
to
get
up
to
let
him
pass
.
“
Hullo
,
Kiddies
,
”
he
said
,
glancing
at
the
bandages
on
the
head
of
Cyril
and
the
hand
of
Robert
,
“
been
in
the
wars
?
”
“
It’s
all
right
,
”
said
Cyril
.
“
I
say
,
what
was
that
Atlantic
place
you
wanted
him
to
go
to
?
We
couldn’t
help
hearing
you
talk
.
”
“
You
talk
so
very
loud
,
you
see
,
”
said
Jane
soothingly
.
“
Atlantis
,
”
said
the
visitor
,
“
the
lost
Atlantis
,
garden
of
the
Hesperides
.
Great
continent
—
disappeared
in
the
sea
.
You
can
read
about
it
in
Plato
.
”
“
Thank
you
,
”
said
Cyril
doubtfully
.
“
Were
there
any
Amulets
there
?
”
asked
Anthea
,
made
anxious
by
a
sudden
thought
.
“
Hundreds
,
I
should
think
.
So
he’s
been
talking
to
you
?
”
“
Yes
,
often
.
He’s
very
kind
to
us
.
We
like
him
awfully
.
”
“
Well
,
what
he
wants
is
a
holiday
;
you
persuade
him
to
take
one
.
What
he
wants
is
a
change
of
scene
.
You
see
,
his
head
is
crusted
so
thickly
inside
with
knowledge
about
Egypt
and
Assyria
and
things
that
you
can’t
hammer
anything
into
it
unless
you
keep
hard
at
it
all
day
long
for
days
and
days
.
And
I
haven’t
time
.
But
you
live
in
the
house
.
You
can
hammer
almost
incessantly
.
Just
try
your
hands
,
will
you
?
Right
.
So
long
!
”
He
went
down
the
stairs
three
at
a
time
,
and
Jane
remarked
that
he
was
a
nice
man
,
and
she
thought
he
had
little
girls
of
his
own
.
“
I
should
like
to
have
them
to
play
with
,
”
she
added
pensively
.
The
three
elder
ones
exchanged
glances
.
Cyril
nodded
.
“
All
right
.
let’s
go
to
Atlantis
,
”
he
said
.
“
Let’s
go
to
Atlantis
and
take
the
learned
gentleman
with
us
,
”
said
Anthea
;
“
he’ll
think
it’s
a
dream
,
afterwards
,
but
it’ll
certainly
be
a
change
of
scene
.
”
“
Why
not
take
him
to
nice
Egypt
?
”
asked
Jane
.
“
Too
hot
,
”
said
Cyril
shortly
.
“
Or
Babylon
,
where
he
wants
to
go
?
”
“
I’ve
had
enough
of
Babylon
,
”
said
Robert
,
“
at
least
for
the
present
.
And
so
have
the
others
.
I
don’t
know
why
,
”
he
added
,
forestalling
the
question
on
Jane’s
lips
,
“
but
somehow
we
have
.
Squirrel
,
let’s
take
off
these
beastly
bandages
and
get
into
flannels
.
We
can’t
go
in
our
unders
.
”
“
He
wished
to
go
to
Atlantis
,
so
he’s
got
to
go
some
time
;
and
he
might
as
well
go
with
us
,
”
said
Anthea
.
This
was
how
it
was
that
the
learned
gentleman
,
permitting
himself
a
few
moments
of
relaxation
in
his
chair
,
after
the
fatigue
of
listening
to
opinions
(
about
Atlantis
and
many
other
things
)
with
which
he
did
not
at
all
agree
,
opened
his
eyes
to
find
his
four
young
friends
standing
in
front
of
him
in
a
row
.
“
Will
you
come
,
”
said
Anthea
,
“
to
Atlantis
with
us
?
”
“
To
know
that
you
are
dreaming
shows
that
the
dream
is
nearly
at
an
end
,
”
he
told
himself
;
“
or
perhaps
it’s
only
a
game
,
like
‘How
many
miles
to
Babylon
?
’
”
So
he
said
aloud
:
“
Thank
you
very
much
,
but
I
have
only
a
quarter
of
an
hour
to
spare
.
”
“
It
doesn’t
take
any
time
,
”
said
Cyril
;
“
time
is
only
a
mode
of
thought
,
you
know
,
and
you’ve
got
to
go
some
time
,
so
why
not
with
us
?
”
“
Very
well
,
”
said
the
learned
gentleman
,
now
quite
certain
that
he
was
dreaming
.
Anthea
held
out
her
soft
,
pink
hand
.
He
took
it
.
She
pulled
him
gently
to
his
feet
.
Jane
held
up
the
Amulet
.
“
To
just
outside
Atlantis
,
”
said
Cyril
,
and
Jane
said
the
Name
of
Power
.
“
You
owl
!
”
said
Robert
,
“
it’s
an
island
.
Outside
an
island’s
all
water
.
”
“
I
won’t
go
.
I
won’t
,
”
said
the
Psammead
,
kicking
and
struggling
in
its
bag
.
But
already
the
Amulet
had
grown
to
a
great
arch
.
Cyril
pushed
the
learned
gentleman
,
as
undoubtedly
the
first‐born
,
through
the
arch
—
not
into
water
,
but
on
to
a
wooden
floor
,
out
of
doors
.
The
others
followed
.
The
Amulet
grew
smaller
again
,
and
there
they
all
were
,
standing
on
the
deck
of
a
ship
whose
sailors
were
busy
making
her
fast
with
chains
to
rings
on
a
white
quay‐side
.
The
rings
and
the
chains
were
of
a
metal
that
shone
red‐yellow
like
gold
.
Every
one
on
the
ship
seemed
too
busy
at
first
to
notice
the
group
of
newcomers
from
Fitzroy
Street
.
Those
who
seemed
to
be
officers
were
shouting
orders
to
the
men
.
They
stood
and
looked
across
the
wide
quay
to
the
town
that
rose
beyond
it
.
What
they
saw
was
the
most
beautiful
sight
any
of
them
had
ever
seen
—
or
ever
dreamed
of
.
The
blue
sea
sparkled
in
soft
sunlight
;
little
white‐capped
waves
broke
softly
against
the
marble
breakwaters
that
guarded
the
shipping
of
a
great
city
from
the
wildness
of
winter
winds
and
seas
.
The
quay
was
of
marble
,
white
and
sparkling
with
a
veining
bright
as
gold
.
The
city
was
of
marble
,
red
and
white
.
The
greater
buildings
that
seemed
to
be
temples
and
palaces
were
roofed
with
what
looked
like
gold
and
silver
,
but
most
of
the
roofs
were
of
copper
that
glowed
golden‐red
on
the
houses
on
the
hills
among
which
the
city
stood
,
and
shaded
into
marvellous
tints
of
green
and
blue
and
purple
where
they
had
been
touched
by
the
salt
sea
spray
and
the
fumes
of
the
dyeing
and
smelting
works
of
the
lower
town
.
Broad
and
magnificent
flights
of
marble
stairs
led
up
from
the
quay
to
a
sort
of
terrace
that
seemed
to
run
along
for
miles
,
and
beyond
rose
the
town
built
on
a
hill
.
The
learned
gentleman
drew
a
long
breath
.
“
Wonderful
!
”
he
said
,
“
wonderful
!
”
“
I
say
,
Mr.
—
what’s
your
name
,
”
said
Robert
.
“
He
means
,
”
said
Anthea
,
with
gentle
politeness
,
“
that
we
never
can
remember
your
name
.
I
know
it’s
Mr
De
Something
.
”
“
When
I
was
your
age
I
was
called
Jimmy
,
”
he
said
timidly
.
“
Would
you
mind
?
I
should
feel
more
at
home
in
a
dream
like
this
if
I
—
Anything
that
made
me
seem
more
like
one
of
you
.
”
“
Thank
you
—
Jimmy
,
”
said
Anthea
with
an
effort
.
It
seemed
such
a
cheek
to
be
saying
Jimmy
to
a
grown‐up
man
.
“
Jimmy
,
dear
,
”
she
added
,
with
no
effort
at
all
.
Jimmy
smiled
and
looked
pleased
.
But
now
the
ship
was
made
fast
,
and
the
Captain
had
time
to
notice
other
things
.
He
came
towards
them
,
and
he
was
dressed
in
the
best
of
all
possible
dresses
for
the
seafaring
life
.
“
What
are
you
doing
here
?
”
he
asked
rather
fiercely
.
“
Do
you
come
to
bless
or
to
curse
?
”
“
To
bless
,
of
course
,
”
said
Cyril
.
“
I’m
sorry
if
it
annoys
you
,
but
we’re
here
by
magic
.
We
come
from
the
land
of
the
sun‐rising
,
”
he
went
on
explanatorily
.
“
I
see
,
”
said
the
Captain
;
no
one
had
expected
that
he
would
.
“
I
didn’t
notice
at
first
,
but
of
course
I
hope
you’re
a
good
omen
.
It’s
needed
.
And
this
,
”
he
pointed
to
the
learned
gentleman
,
“
your
slave
,
I
presume
?
”
“
Not
at
all
,
”
said
Anthea
;
“
he’s
a
very
great
man
.
A
sage
,
don’t
they
call
it
?
And
we
want
to
see
all
your
beautiful
city
,
and
your
temples
and
things
,
and
then
we
shall
go
back
,
and
he
will
tell
his
friend
,
and
his
friend
will
write
a
book
about
it
.
”
“
What
,
”
asked
the
Captain
,
fingering
a
rope
,
“
is
a
book
?
”
“
A
record
—
something
written
,
or
,
”
she
added
hastily
,
remembering
the
Babylonian
writing
,
“
or
engraved
.
”
Some
sudden
impulse
of
confidence
made
Jane
pluck
the
Amulet
from
the
neck
of
her
frock
.
“
Like
this
,
”
she
said
.
The
Captain
looked
at
it
curiously
,
but
,
the
other
three
were
relieved
to
notice
,
without
any
of
that
overwhelming
interest
which
the
mere
name
of
it
had
roused
in
Egypt
and
Babylon
.
“
The
stone
is
of
our
country
,
”
he
said
;
“
and
that
which
is
engraved
on
it
,
it
is
like
our
writing
,
but
I
cannot
read
it
.
What
is
the
name
of
your
sage
?
”
“
Ji
—
jimmy
,
”
said
Anthea
hesitatingly
.
The
Captain
repeated
,
“
Ji
—
jimmy
.
Will
you
land
?
”
he
added
.
“
And
shall
I
lead
you
to
the
Kings
?
”
“
Look
here
,
”
said
Robert
,
“
does
your
King
hate
strangers
?
”
“
Our
Kings
are
ten
,
”
said
the
Captain
,
“
and
the
Royal
line
,
unbroken
from
Poseidon
,
the
father
of
us
all
,
has
the
noble
tradition
to
do
honour
to
strangers
if
they
come
in
peace
.
”
“
Then
lead
on
,
please
,
”
said
Robert
,
“
though
I
should
like
to
see
all
over
your
beautiful
ship
,
and
sail
about
in
her
.
”
“
That
shall
be
later
,
”
said
the
Captain
;
“
just
now
we’re
afraid
of
a
storm
—
do
you
notice
that
odd
rumbling
?
”
“
That’s
nothing
,
master
,
”
said
an
old
sailor
who
stood
near
;
“
it’s
the
pilchards
coming
in
,
that’s
all
.
”
“
Too
loud
,
”
said
the
Captain
.
There
was
a
rather
anxious
pause
;
then
the
Captain
stepped
on
to
the
quay
,
and
the
others
followed
him
.
“
Do
talk
to
him
—
Jimmy
,
”
said
Anthea
as
they
went
;
“
you
can
find
out
all
sorts
of
things
for
your
friend’s
book
.
”
“
Please
excuse
me
,
”
he
said
earnestly
.
“
If
I
talk
I
shall
wake
up
;
and
besides
,
I
can’t
understand
what
he
says
.
”
No
one
else
could
think
of
anything
to
say
,
so
that
it
was
in
complete
silence
that
they
followed
the
Captain
up
the
marble
steps
and
through
the
streets
of
the
town
.
There
were
streets
and
shops
and
houses
and
markets
.
“
It’s
just
like
Babylon
,
”
whispered
Jane
,
“
only
everything’s
perfectly
different
.
”
“
It’s
a
great
comfort
the
ten
Kings
have
been
properly
brought
up
—
to
be
kind
to
strangers
,
”
Anthea
whispered
to
Cyril
.
“
Yes
,
”
he
said
,
“
no
deepest
dungeons
here
.
”
There
were
no
horses
or
chariots
in
the
street
,
but
there
were
handcarts
and
low
trolleys
running
on
thick
log‐wheels
,
and
porters
carrying
packets
on
their
heads
,
and
a
good
many
of
the
people
were
riding
on
what
looked
like
elephants
,
only
the
great
beasts
were
hairy
,
and
they
had
not
that
mild
expression
we
are
accustomed
to
meet
on
the
faces
of
the
elephants
at
the
Zoo
.
“
Mammoths
!
”
murmured
the
learned
gentleman
,
and
stumbled
over
a
loose
stone
.
The
people
in
the
streets
kept
crowding
round
them
as
they
went
along
,
but
the
Captain
always
dispersed
the
crowd
before
it
grew
uncomfortably
thick
by
saying
—
“
Children
of
the
Sun
God
and
their
High
Priest
—
come
to
bless
the
City
.
”
And
then
the
people
would
draw
back
with
a
low
murmur
that
sounded
like
a
suppressed
cheer
.
Many
of
the
buildings
were
covered
with
gold
,
but
the
gold
on
the
bigger
buildings
was
of
a
different
colour
,
and
they
had
sorts
of
steeples
of
burnished
silver
rising
above
them
.
“
Are
all
these
houses
real
gold
?
”
asked
Jane
.
“
The
temples
are
covered
with
gold
,
of
course
,
”
answered
the
Captain
,
“
but
the
houses
are
only
oricalchum
.
It’s
not
quite
so
expensive
.
”
The
learned
gentleman
,
now
very
pale
,
stumbled
along
in
a
dazed
way
,
repeating
:
“
Oricalchum
—
oricalchum
.
”
“
Don’t
be
frightened
,
”
said
Anthea
;
“
we
can
get
home
in
a
minute
,
just
by
holding
up
the
charm
.
Would
you
rather
go
back
now
?
We
could
easily
come
some
other
day
without
you
.
”
“
Oh
,
no
,
no
,
”
he
pleaded
fervently
;
“
let
the
dream
go
on
.
Please
,
please
do
.
”
“
The
High
Ji
—
jimmy
is
perhaps
weary
with
his
magic
journey
,
”
said
the
Captain
,
noticing
the
blundering
walk
of
the
learned
gentleman
;
“
and
we
are
yet
very
far
from
the
Great
Temple
,
where
today
the
Kings
make
sacrifice
.
”
He
stopped
at
the
gate
of
a
great
enclosure
.
It
seemed
to
be
a
sort
of
park
,
for
trees
showed
high
above
its
brazen
wall
.
The
party
waited
,
and
almost
at
once
the
Captain
came
back
with
one
of
the
hairy
elephants
and
begged
them
to
mount
.
This
they
did
.
It
was
a
glorious
ride
.
The
elephant
at
the
Zoo
—
to
ride
on
him
is
also
glorious
,
but
he
goes
such
a
very
little
way
,
and
then
he
goes
back
again
,
which
is
always
dull
.
But
this
great
hairy
beast
went
on
and
on
and
on
along
streets
and
through
squares
and
gardens
.
It
was
a
glorious
city
;
almost
everything
was
built
of
marble
,
red
,
or
white
,
or
black
.
Every
now
and
then
the
party
crossed
a
bridge
.
It
was
not
till
they
had
climbed
to
the
hill
which
is
the
centre
of
the
town
that
they
saw
that
the
whole
city
was
divided
into
twenty
circles
,
alternately
land
and
water
,
and
over
each
of
the
water
circles
were
the
bridges
by
which
they
had
come
.
And
now
they
were
in
a
great
square
.
A
vast
building
filled
up
one
side
of
it
;
it
was
overlaid
with
gold
,
and
had
a
dome
of
silver
.
The
rest
of
the
buildings
round
the
square
were
of
oricalchum
.
And
it
looked
more
splendid
than
you
can
possibly
imagine
,
standing
up
bold
and
shining
in
the
sunlight
.
“
You
would
like
a
bath
,
”
said
the
Captain
,
as
the
hairy
elephant
went
clumsily
down
on
his
knees
.
“
It’s
customary
,
you
know
,
before
entering
the
Presence
.
We
have
baths
for
men
,
women
,
horses
,
and
cattle
.
The
High
Class
Baths
are
here
.
Our
Father
Poseidon
gave
us
a
spring
of
hot
water
and
one
of
cold
.
”
The
children
had
never
before
bathed
in
baths
of
gold
.
“
It
feels
very
splendid
,
”
said
Cyril
,
splashing
.
“
At
least
,
of
course
,
it’s
not
gold
;
it’s
or
—
what’s
its
name
,
”
said
Robert
.
“
Hand
over
that
towel
.
”
The
bathing
hall
had
several
great
pools
sunk
below
the
level
of
the
floor
;
one
went
down
to
them
by
steps
.
“
Jimmy
,
”
said
Anthea
timidly
,
when
,
very
clean
and
boiled‐looking
,
they
all
met
in
the
flowery
courtyard
of
the
Public
,
“
don’t
you
think
all
this
seems
much
more
like
now
than
Babylon
or
Egypt
—
?
Oh
,
I
forgot
,
you’ve
never
been
there
.
”
“
I
know
a
little
of
those
nations
,
however
,
”
said
he
,
“
and
I
quite
agree
with
you
.
A
most
discerning
remark
—
my
dear
,
”
he
added
awkwardly
;
“
this
city
certainly
seems
to
indicate
a
far
higher
level
of
civilization
than
the
Egyptian
or
Babylonish
,
and
—
”
“
Follow
me
,
”
said
the
Captain
.
“
Now
,
boys
,
get
out
of
the
way
.
”
He
pushed
through
a
little
crowd
of
boys
who
were
playing
with
dried
chestnuts
fastened
to
a
string
.
“
Ginger
!
”
remarked
Robert
,
“
they’re
playing
conkers
,
just
like
the
kids
in
Kentish
Town
Road
!
”
They
could
see
now
that
three
walls
surrounded
the
island
on
which
they
were
.
The
outermost
wall
was
of
brass
,
the
Captain
told
them
;
the
next
,
which
looked
like
silver
,
was
covered
with
tin
;
and
the
innermost
one
was
of
oricalchum
.
And
right
in
the
middle
was
a
wall
of
gold
,
with
golden
towers
and
gates
.
“
Behold
the
Temples
of
Poseidon
,
”
said
the
Captain
.
“
It
is
not
lawful
for
me
to
enter
.
I
will
await
your
return
here
.
”
He
told
them
what
they
ought
to
say
,
and
the
five
people
from
Fitzroy
Street
took
hands
and
went
forward
.
The
golden
gates
slowly
opened
.
“
We
are
the
children
of
the
Sun
,
”
said
Cyril
,
as
he
had
been
told
,
“
and
our
High
Priest
,
at
least
that’s
what
the
Captain
calls
him
.
We
have
a
different
name
for
him
at
home
.
”
“
What
is
his
name
?
”
asked
a
white‐robed
man
who
stood
in
the
doorway
with
his
arms
extended
.
“
Ji
—
jimmy
,
”
replied
Cyril
,
and
he
hesitated
as
Anthea
had
done
.
It
really
did
seem
to
be
taking
a
great
liberty
with
so
learned
a
gentleman
.
“
And
we
have
come
to
speak
with
your
Kings
in
the
Temple
of
Poseidon
—
does
that
word
sound
right
?
”
he
whispered
anxiously
.
“
Quite
,
”
said
the
learned
gentleman
.
“
It’s
very
odd
I
can
understand
what
you
say
to
them
,
but
not
what
they
say
to
you
.
”
“
The
Queen
of
Babylon
found
that
too
,
”
said
Cyril
;
“
it’s
part
of
the
magic
.
”
“
Oh
,
what
a
dream
!
”
said
the
learned
gentleman
.
The
white‐robed
priest
had
been
joined
by
others
,
and
all
were
bowing
low
.
“
Enter
,
”
he
said
,
“
enter
,
Children
of
the
Sun
,
with
your
High
Ji
—
jimmy
.
”
In
an
inner
courtyard
stood
the
Temple
—
all
of
silver
,
with
gold
pinnacles
and
doors
,
and
twenty
enormous
statues
in
bright
gold
of
men
and
women
.
Also
an
immense
pillar
of
the
other
precious
yellow
metal
.
They
went
through
the
doors
,
and
the
priest
led
them
up
a
stair
into
a
gallery
from
which
they
could
look
down
on
to
the
glorious
place
.
“
The
ten
Kings
are
even
now
choosing
the
bull
.
It
is
not
lawful
for
me
to
behold
,
”
said
the
priest
,
and
fell
face
downward
on
the
floor
outside
the
gallery
.
The
children
looked
down
.
The
roof
was
of
ivory
adorned
with
the
three
precious
metals
,
and
the
walls
were
lined
with
the
favourite
oricalchum
.
At
the
far
end
of
the
Temple
was
a
statue‐group
,
the
like
of
which
no
one
living
has
ever
seen
.
It
was
of
gold
,
and
the
head
of
the
chief
figure
reached
to
the
roof
.
That
figure
was
Poseidon
,
the
Father
of
the
City
.
He
stood
in
a
great
chariot
drawn
by
six
enormous
horses
,
and
round
about
it
were
a
hundred
mermaids
riding
on
dolphins
.
Ten
men
,
splendidly
dressed
and
armed
only
with
sticks
and
ropes
,
were
trying
to
capture
one
of
some
fifteen
bulls
who
ran
this
way
and
that
about
the
floor
of
the
Temple
.
The
children
held
their
breath
,
for
the
bulls
looked
dangerous
,
and
the
great
horned
heads
were
swinging
more
and
more
wildly
.
Anthea
did
not
like
looking
at
the
bulls
.
She
looked
about
the
gallery
,
and
noticed
that
another
staircase
led
up
from
it
to
a
still
higher
story
;
also
that
a
door
led
out
into
the
open
air
,
where
there
seemed
to
be
a
balcony
.
So
that
when
a
shout
went
up
and
Robert
whispered
,
“
Got
him
,
”
and
she
looked
down
and
saw
the
herd
of
bulls
being
driven
out
of
the
Temple
by
whips
,
and
the
ten
Kings
following
,
one
of
them
spurring
with
his
stick
a
black
bull
that
writhed
and
fought
in
