Domnei - James Branch Cabell (top 50 books to read TXT) 📗

was shaken now⁠—“you demand of me an impossibility!”

“I am so hardy as to think not. And my reason is that a man throws from the elbow only, but a woman with her whole arm.”

There fell a silence now.

“Why, look you, I deal fairly, though. Were such a woman here⁠—Demetrios of Anatolia’s guest⁠—I verily believe I would not hinder her departure, as I might easily do. For there is not a person within many miles of this place who considers it wholesome to withstand me. Yet were this woman purchasable, I would purchase. And⁠—if she refused⁠—I would not hinder her departure; but very certainly I would put Perion to the Torment of the Waterdrops. It is so droll to see a man go mad before your eyes, I think that I would laugh and quite forget the woman.”

She said, “O God, I cry to You for justice!”

He answered:

“My good girl, in Nacumera the wishes of Demetrios are justice. But we waste time. You desire to purchase one of my belongings? So be it. I will hear your offer.”

Just once her hands had gripped each other. Her arms fell now as if they had been drained of life. She spoke in a dull voice.

“Seignior, I offer Melicent who was a princess. I cry a price, seignior, for red lips and bright eyes and a fair woman’s tender body without any blemish. I cry a price for youth and happiness and honour. These you may have for playthings, seignior, with everything which I possess, except my heart, for that is dead.”

Demetrios asked, “Is this true speech?”

She answered:

“It is as sure as Love and Death. I know that nothing is more sure than these, and I praise God for my sure knowledge.”

He chuckled, saying, “Platitudes break no bones.”

So on the next day the chains were filed from Perion de la Forêt and all his fellows, save the nine unfortunates whom Demetrios had appointed to fight with lions a month before this, when he had entertained the Soldan of Bacharia. These men were bathed and perfumed and richly clad.

A galley of the proconsul’s fleet conveyed them toward Christendom and set the twoscore slaves of yesterday ashore not far from Megaris. The captain of the galley on departure left with Perion a blue napkin, wherein were wrapped large emeralds and a bit of parchment.

Upon this parchment was written:

“Not these, but the body of Melicent, who was once a princess, purchased your bodies. Yet these will buy you ships and men and swords with which to storm my house where Melicent now is. Come if you will and fight with Demetrios of Anatolia for that brave girl who loved a porter as all loyal men should love their Maker and customarily do not. I think it would amuse us.”

Then Perion stood by the languid sea which severed him from Melicent and cried:

“O God, that hast permitted this hard bargain, trade now with me! now barter with me, O Father of us all! That which a man has I will give.”

Thus he waited in the clear sunlight, with no more wavering in his face than you may find in the next statue’s face. Both hands strained toward the blue sky, as though he made a vow. If so, he did not break it.

And now no more of Perion.

At the same hour young Melicent, wrapped all about with a flame-coloured veil and crowned with marjoram, was led by a spruce boy toward a threshold, over which Demetrios lifted her, while many people sang in a strange tongue. And then she paid her ransom.

“Hymen, O Hymen!” they sang. “Do thou of many names and many temples, golden Aphrodite, be propitious to this bridal! Now let him first compute the glittering stars of midnight and the grasshoppers of a summer day who would count the joys this bridal shall bring about! Hymen, O Hymen, rejoice thou in this bridal!”

VIII How Demetrios Was Amused

Now Melicent abode in the house of Demetrios, whom she had not seen since the morning after he had wedded her. A month had passed. As yet she could not understand the language of her fellow prisoners, but Halaon, a eunuch who had once served a cardinal in Tuscany, informed her the proconsul was in the West Provinces, where an invading force had landed under Ranulph de Meschines.

A month had passed. She woke one night from dreams of Perion⁠—what else should women dream of?⁠—and found the same Ahasuerus that had brought her news of Perion’s captivity, so long ago, attendant at her bedside.

He seemed a prey to some half-scornful mirth. In speech, at least, the man was of entire discretion. “The Splendour of the World desires your presence, madame.” Thus the Jew blandly spoke.

She cried, aghast at so much treachery, “You had planned this!”

He answered:

“I plan always. Oh, certainly, I must weave always as the spider does.⁠ ⁠… Meanwhile time passes. I, like you, am now the servitor of Demetrios. I am his factor now at Calonak. I buy and sell. I estimate ounces. I earn my wages. Who forbids it?” Here the Jew shrugged. “And to conclude, the Splendour of the World desires your presence, madame.”

He seemed to get much joy of this mouth-filling periphrasis as sneeringly he spoke of their common master.

Now Melicent, in a loose robe of green Coan stuff shot through and through with a radiancy like that of copper, followed the thin, smiling Jew Ahasuerus. She came thus with bare feet into the Court of Stars, where the proconsul lay on the divan as though he had not ever moved from there. Tonight he was clothed in scarlet, and barbaric ornaments dangled from his pierced ears. These glittered now that his head moved a little as he silently dismissed Ahasuerus from the Court of Stars.

Real stars were overhead, so brilliant and (it seemed) so near they turned the fountain’s jet into a spurt of melting silver. The moon was set, but there was a flaring lamp of