Part 14 (1/2)

”Where is Thrasabad?”

Mercury again appeared in the podium.

”Look you, brother, that is a bad omen,” said Thrasaric.

Thrasabad shrugged his shoulders.

”The fortune of war. I did not allow myself to interfere. No agreement was made about the result. Five Romans and twelve Vandals are dead.

Away, away with the whole! Vanish, sea!”

He waved the Hermes staff; the water sank rus.h.i.+ng into the depths, with the corpses it had swallowed. The Roman s.h.i.+p, amply manned and obeying her helm, succeeded, by rowing powerfully to the right, in pa.s.sing through the gate by which it had entered. The empty, burning, unguided Vandal vessel was drawn into the seething, whirling funnel; it turned more and more swiftly on its own axis; the water dashed over the deck, extinguis.h.i.+ng the flames as far as it reached them; the mast leaned farther and farther to the right, still blazing brightly. Suddenly it fell completely over on the right side and disappeared in the abyss.

Gurgling, whirling, and foaming, the rest of the water followed.

”The sea has vanished!” cried Thrasabad. ”Let the desert and its monsters, warring with each other, appear in its place!”

And at the height of the former flooring, far above the level of the sea, the two halves of the arena, covered with white sand, were again pushed together from the right and left. Slaves, clad only with ap.r.o.ns--fair-skinned ones, yellow-complexioned Moors, and negroes--appeared in countless numbers and drew back the curtains which covered the gratings of the cages containing the wild animals.

”We will present to you--” Thrasabad cried amid the breathless silence.

But his voice died away; the terrible roar, which had either ceased or been drowned during the tumult of the naval battle, again echoed through the Amphitheatre, and a huge tiger leaped with such force and fury from the back of its tolerably long cage against the grating in front that its bars bent outward, splinters of the wood in which they were imbedded were hurled into the arena.

”Brother,” said Thrasaric, in a low tone, ”that cage is too long. Take care! The animal has too much s.p.a.ce to run. And the wooden floor is rotten. Are you afraid, Eugenia?”

”I am with _you_,” the young bride answered quietly. ”But I want to know no more about men fighting--dying. I did not look at them.”

”Only at the end, little sister-in-law, a captive Moor.”

”Where did you get him?” asked Modigisel.

”Hired, like most of the others, from a slave-dealer. But this one is sentenced to death.”

”Why?”

”He strangled his master, who was going to have him flogged. He is a handsome, slender fellow, but very obstinate; he will name neither his tribe nor his father. The brother and heir of the murdered man offered him to me cheap for the naumachia, and if he survived--for the tiger.

He could not be induced, no matter how many blows he received, to fight in the naval battle. His master was obliged to bind him hand and foot behind the scenes. Well, he will probably be compelled to fight when he stands fully armed in the arena, and we let loose the tiger; it has been kept fasting for two days.”

”Oh, Thrasaric, my husband! My first entreaty--”

”I cannot help you, little bird! I promised to let him rule without interference to-day; and one's word must be kept, even though it should lead to folly and crime.”

”Yes,” whispered Modigisel, bending forward. ”One's word must be kept.

When shall we throw the dice?”

Thrasaric sprang up in fury.

”I will kill you--”

”That will be useless. Astarte knows it. Keep your word! I advise you to do it. Or to-morrow all the Vandal n.o.bles shall know what your honor and faith are worth.”