The Veiled Man Page 2

forgotten city.

  Aghast, I stood gazing upon the remarkable and unexpected scene.

  Ruined temples, with long rows of broken columns, and great housescracked and fallen into decay, stood silent and deserted, grim, greyrelics of a glorious past. Here and there obelisks and colossi stillstood, and the broad streets of the giant city were everywherewell-defined by the ruins, half-buried by drifting sand on either side.Above, a single eagle soared high in the heavens, the only sign of lifein that once populous and magnificent centre of a lost civilisation.

  Having tethered my camel, I started forward through the ocean of softsand that through centuries had drifted over the place, and as I did sothe story of old Essoyouti recurred to me. The appearance of the placeagreed with the strange legend in almost every detail. The ruler ofthis gigantic capital had been Balkis, the wealthy and luxurious queenmentioned in our Book of Everlasting Will. This was actually the cityof Saba, once the wealthiest and most magnificent capital in the world.According to the legend of the sages, this place existed somewhere inthe Great Desert, but whereabouts no man had been able to determine,although it was believed that its entrance was between two cone-likemountains, but surrounded by quicksands of so treacherous a nature thatnone dare approach it.

  With hurried footsteps I scrambled on over fallen columns and greatblocks of hewn stone, with inscriptions in characters unknown to me,until suddenly my eyes were bewildered at beholding on the mountain-sidean enormous palace, with beautiful terraces and pavilions, apparently inan excellent state of preservation. From the city it was approached bya long flight of wide stone steps, flanked on either side by a pair ofcolossal figures of similar design to those at the entrance of theValley of the Ants.

  At first, I doubted that the scene before me was one of actual reality,but having reassured myself that I was not dreaming, and was entirely inpossession of my senses, I gripped my long lance firmly, and started toascend the thousand steps that gave access to the historic palace ofBalkis. Hardly, however, had I placed my foot upon the first step, whenmy eyes were blinded by a lightning-flash, and my ears deafened by acrash of thunder, that, shaking the earth, resounded among the hills,until it became lost in innumerable echoes.

  I halted in suspicion, puzzled to account for the strange phenomenon,which seemed like some ominous warning.

  Nothing daunted, however, I sprang up the steps, two by two, halting butonce to regain breath, and in a few minutes entered the great,marvellously-sculptured portals of the magnificent dwelling-place of oneof the most powerful and beautiful women the world ever knew. About toenter, my footsteps were suddenly arrested by the discovery that thefloor of the palace was of running water, wherein fish disportedthemselves, and in the centre, raised upon a dais of ivory and gold, wasthe great empty throne of Balkis, constructed entirely of chalcedony,amethysts, and rubies.

  The extent of my discoveries entranced me. I twisted up my robe, andprepared to wade through the water, when, on setting foot into it, Idiscovered to my amazement that the floor was of transparent glass, laidover the running water, thus keeping the palace uniformly cool duringthe hottest hours. On approaching the throne I at once became aware ofits enormous value, and with my poignard prised from its setting one ofthe largest rubies my eyes had ever beheld. It was the size of apigeon's egg, and of matchless colour.

  Through the wonderful courts of the deserted palace I wandered, amazedat every turn. Of gigantic proportions, with strange grotesqueembellishments that clearly showed its ancient origin, it had stood herein the zenith of its magnificence ages before the days of the Prophet,and for many centuries had remained hidden from the sight of man withinthat unknown valley. From the flat roof of one of its pavilions I stoodgazing down upon the once mighty city, trying to reconstruct it in myimagination, and endeavouring to form an idea of its aspect in thelong-past days, when the hosts of Balkis went forth to battle, and whenthe beautiful queen herself flashed forth in her golden chariot, amidthe wild plaudits of the multitude.

  Many hours I spent in exploring this wonderful relic of a decayedcivilisation, visiting pavilion after pavilion and finding most of themknee-deep in the accumulated dust of ages, until at last I came to asmall chamber built right against the side of the mountain. This Ientered, finding traces of the most extravagant luxury within. Thedecorations were richly ornamented with gold even now untarnished, thebeams supporting the roof being set with gems which sparkled where a rayof sunlight fell upon them. Beyond was a door which, on examination,proved to be of solid iron. On dragging it open there was disclosed asmall, dark, and cavernous burrow into the mountain-side. Minutely Iexamined this door, and finding thereon great bolts with sockets sunkdeeply into the solid rock, it occurred to me that in this place mightbe hidden some of the treasure that the Koran tells us was possessed bythe great Queen Balkis. Cupidity prompted me to search, and havingconstructed a large improvised torch, I propped open the door with ahuge stone sculptured to represent a lion's paw, and started forward upthe narrow gloomy tunnel. The natural sides of the cavern were rough,gleaming with long pendant stalactites; but soon it grew larger, and theair became so warm that the perspiration fell from my brow in big drops.One or two articles, old cross-hilted swords, a rusty, dinted helmetand a battered breastplate, showed that this place had long ago beenfrequented, therefore I pressed forward eagerly, hoping to discover thatwhich would render me wealthy. The increasing heat within the cavernsurprised me; nevertheless I went forward, my torch held high above myhead, my eyes eagerly strained into the impenetrable gloom, and my feetstumbling ever and anon over the uneven ground, until suddenly a harshgrinding noise fell upon my ears, and next second a crushing blow fellfull upon my skull, felling me like a log and rendering me unconscious.

  How long I remained in that dark stifling tunnel I have no idea.

  When, slowly and painfully, I opened my eyes I found that my veil hadbeen removed, my brow deftly bandaged, and my fevered head was restingupon a woman's cool hand. A soft feminine voice gave me "Peace," andturning I saw by the light of a burning brazier that my companion was agirl of wondrous beauty. Her face was of the pure Arab type, hercomplexion white as those of the Englishwomen who come to Biskra atRamadan; her little skull-cap was thickly embroidered with seed-pearls,and her bracelets and anklets, set with beautiful diamonds, gleamed witha thousand iridescent fires at each movement. At first I fancied myselfdreaming, but when at length I entirely recovered consciousness, Irecognised that we were together in a small apartment hung with heavyhangings of thick dark crimson stuffs. The golden perfuming-pandiffused an intoxicating odour of attar of roses, and the silken couchwhereon I reclined was soft, restful, and spacious.

  Turning to my companion who, instantly divining my longing, handed mewater in a crystal goblet, I enquired where I was.

  "Thou art with a friend," she answered. "Thou hast dared to enter theCity of the Seven Shadows bent on plunder, and the wrath hath fallenupon thee."

  "Didst thou discover me?" I asked, raising myself upon my elbow, andlooking at her.

  She nodded, and with bent head sat with her luminous dark eyes fixedupon the ground.

  "Thou hast entered this, the city upon which the seven lights of theheavens have cast the shadows of their wrath, and where all who enterare accursed," she exclaimed at last, speaking slowly and impressively."Thou earnest hither with evil intent, to secure the treasure of Balkis.Yet out of evil cometh good, for in thee I have found a companion inadversity."

  "In adversity!" I echoed. "What art thou?"

  "I am Balkis, sole lineal descendant of the great queen who ruled overSaba, and guardian of her treasure," she answered. "I am a queenwithout court; a ruler without people. The palace that thou hastinspected is mine; the throne from the arm of which thou hast filchedthe great ruby is my lonely seat of royalty; for I am queen of a deadcity. Although I am bearer of the historic name of Balkis, and possesstreasure of greater worth than men have ever dreamed, my subjects numberonly fourteen persons, all of w
hom are my relatives and live here withme in this my palace. As thou hast already seen, our once-powerful citywith its fifty brazen gates hath fallen into decay because of the curseplaced upon it by Allah. The teeming populace that once crowded itsthoroughfares and market-places have dwindled down until mine own familyonly are left, the last of a long illustrious, world-famed line. Soon,alas! I, too, shall pass into the grave, and the royal house of Balkiswill become extinct," and her jewel-laden breast rose and fell slowly ina long deep-drawn sigh.

  "Why speakest thou in tone so melancholy?" I asked. "Thou hast youth,health, long life, everything before thee!"

  "No," she answered gravely, with her white pointed chin still restingthoughtfully upon her palm. "Already I am threatened; nay, I amdoomed."

  "How?" I enquired, incredulously.

  "Listen, and I will explain," she