In a low laughing whisper. This, and sound Of strongly moving oars; all else was silence. But in the silence lay a queen and smiled. She seemed to come more swiftly than the barge, And there were lights of jewels on her robe, And sheen of gold along its heavy edge, And a great ruby burned amidst her hair; But none of this saw Creon, for he gazed Until his painful grip upon the bow
Roused his whole nature with a sudden thought.
He felt the bow fit safe against his palm,
And rose and drew. Loud twanged the angry string,
And the shaft hissed and struck the wood before
What noise fed echo then
He heeded not, but only saw her shrink
One instant back, then bending draw the shaft. But when a boat thick filled with shouting men Moved from the barge and hastened towards the bank, He tore a great rock from the sand, and poised. "What errand?" cried he, in a voice that made A mellow thunder through the evening. "Death!" they made answer, yet they held aback.
Giant their stature was, and he could see
Their bared swords waver through the dark, but when Up-looking they beheld how Creon stood,
The great rock straining in his hands, they stayed Their oars, and even their voices fell low down. But she who lay upon the blackening barge
Spoke swiftly, yet so clear, it was to Creon
Like a friend's lip awhisper at his ear.
Then lowering down the ponderous rock, he stretched A welcoming hand to them. And so they took, And carried to the barge, and placed upon
And Charmian, she who stood beside
The queen, delicate in her draperies Of white, marked first the many rended garb Of Creon, but the queen said: "Lo! a king Has come before us."
Looked on him till he shook his shoulders back And gazed again. "Thou drawst a mighty bow," She said, "But say in what strange country thou Wast taught to level angry shafts at women; Say whence thou comest?"
Then: "Creon my name.
I came from out the quarries in the sand.
At dawn I struck the rock with other slaves,
And armed men strode at guard, even such as these. To-night they yell along my track, and here—
An empty quiver at my side!"
She questioned, smiling: "Stranger, name thy land."
"My country lies beyond the seas, and I Have seen its outlines dim in western clouds.
The coast is curved with gentle bays, and hills
Roll gradual up behind. A fallen people
Dwell there amidst the stalking memories
Of greatness. All but the name is changed from what
It was; so I stand here. My wanderings
Have carried me through marvellous strange lands, And thick-filled days, and nights of miracles-
Now while they spoke the barge
Moved with the Nile round a sharp elbow turn, And Creon saw the slow, dark water struck With a quick dance of many-colored lights That reached out from a palace on the banks, A many-columned palace of huge front, From out whose entrance poured an eager glow Past granite sphinxes calmly crouched at guard.
Then the queen rose and proudly caught the robe About her, and in the movement flashed the jewels Once gloriously. And the queen spoke: "O Creon, I am full deeply wronged by thee, for thou Hast slain my warriors at the quarry gate, Ay, brought strong death so near I almost felt His hand brush past my face. And I have now A thought to call these Nubians and point To thee."
And hotly Creon spoke in answer: "Hear! at thy first word swift I gather thee Within my arms, and raise aloft, and leap To pleasant death within this Nile!"
"Art thou so loose with life and death, O Slave?"
"Slave though I am," cried he, "thou standest here A simple woman, I a man!"
Her eyes shone threatening and her hands clenched tight, But after came a little wondering smile:
"Truly thou art different from other men, For many others woo me with great gifts,
And promised kingdoms, and an empire's wealth,
Nor ever angry word, nor ever threat!
But hast thou joined the hands of death and love?"
And Creon answered: "Others offer gifts, Homage of Empires; I am awed no whit,
Who place against their gifts and Empire's wealth Myself!"
Then she: "How darest thou to speak
Of love who never till this day placed eyes On mine?"
And Creon said: "Wouldst thou give space To love, straighten his kingdom by the bounds Of time? Hast thou no sudden passions in
Thy heart; passions that of themselves are rule And right? That have no need of reason for Their growth, nor any need of words to give Them form?"
And the queen stood and felt a wind Out of the east catch strong about her throat, And she said: "I also have known such dreams- Would give some moments from the treasure-hoard Of life to consecrate blind fancy. Here
Am I; and there, a palace; all is thine
Through this short night; but never shalt thou see The dawn."
And Creon said: "If morning follow On such a night, shall I give heed? One moment May hold the purpose of a life. A night? Nay, an eternity! What dull-eyed dawn Could follow?"
Down from the barge they passed and up
The great soft carpet that the slaves unrolled Before their feet, between the sphinxes towards The palace hall. An empire had been sacked To furnish it. And golden lamps that hung From golden chains made a warm light through all That room, and purple and blue and glorious brown Lay soft beneath the light. Some words the queen Spoke there, and a young slave led Creon forth To a great bath of the carved basalt stone Wherein the stirring water flashed again, And gave a gentle perfume through the air. Thereafter brought him robes of costly silk Bordered with priceless purples out of Tyre; But Creon chose a tunic of pure linen,
Unsown with gems, that left one shoulder bare, And bare one arm large-muscled. Thence they led Him forth through halls whose monstrous columns rose
A dwindling height; and on the granite stones
Down the great way was warlike pageantry,
Conquest of cities, nations caught in chains; And mighty pictures of the chase were there, Lions and grizzly pards struck down and spoiled. All these were of the olden time when Egypt Poured its thick columns over Nubia,
Crossed the Euphrates and the Tigris stream And beat against the gates of Nineveh.
And this had changed. The soldier moved the loom; The priestly hand was on the plough; and fleets Drew the world's commerce to the mouths of Nile. And where the Theban conquerors had dwelt A Roman legion held the place of war, And Roman eagles over-ruled the air. All this moved strong in Creon till it seemed A ghost of Pharaoh stalked behind his back. Across these thoughts of dying empire came A little rush of music, hardly more Than a wind making voices in the trees, But in it was the tremulous thrill of flutes, And with it came a stir of spoken words. The noise grew till they came upon the portal Of a room many-sounded, gay with lights Of various hues. And therein was the queen, Who when they entered rose, and angry-eyed Spoke to the slave:
There is no other cloth to robe her guest
Make bright my person with soft blues of Media,
Arrogant purples out of Tyre, aglow
With jewels rich enough to furnish forth
Another fleet to sail on Syracuse?"
And the queen looked on him a little space And answered: "It is well. I had not thought To wound thy pride of race, for where is he Knows not the glory of the northern waters!
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