and this time pointed to the pillars still covered with:: the dusty, tattered cloths. “Behold, those now go cloaked from sight because of shame and hate and fear, because you dare not look upon what you have so openly betrayed. Thus did you blot out the symbols of right. and justice, choosing rather the cover of the Shadow,,` some of you following it even to the pit. So must this, city be erased from the sight of men-blood cover` blood. Is not that justice-the kind you understand the. best, men of Atlantis?”
“Mercy-mercy-” It was a thin wail-from the women and children, Ray believed. He saw no man in that throng give tongue.
“And what mercy did you show in your day, men of Atlantis? Think upon that! No, this city shall be as if it never was-and that by nightfall. And you who have made it an abode of uncleanness, what shall be done with you?”
They were silent now, save here and there where a child or woman cried.
“Yes, an abiding place for unclean things have you made this city. Behold, this temple lies in ruins while that of Ba-Al proudly stands. Give me a reason, men of Atlantis, why you should not also suffer the fate of your city?”
“Mercy, Great One. If not for us, then for the children of our courtyards.” A single voice raised that plea.
“Harken to my words. There are different justices and differing judgments. You are weak and foolish, but evil was taught. unto you-the most of you. It did not spring in all of you equally. Therefore, I say unto you, go forth from this city, taking naught save what you can carry of food and clothing within your own two hands. And be forth of the gates by sundown-lest the greater judgment overtake you in the end.”
Uranos moved then and went on his knees before the, Emperor.
“Great One, these are my people. Suffer me to go with them, to lead them until they can .build anew-” “Uranos, in the past these turned their faces from your house, set aside the rule of those of your blood, to take unto themselves a leader of their own choice, another of those choices that they made freely. In the motherland, honor and a service fitted to you await your coming. In this place where the blood of your kindred still stains the wall before your eyes, do you say this? Do you wish to lead these people?”
“Great One, you have spoken much of choices in this life and the making of them, and thereafter abiding by the results of such choosing. Though I am of the Sunborn, yet am I also of this land, sharing it with these people. So do I choose to go with them, and that is a free choice. Alo, I will abide by all that comes of it.”
The Re Mu’s sword rose high in the air, then descended to touch Uranos lightly on the right shoulder and on the left. Finally he reversed that blade and held out the hilt, which Uranos kissed.
“Listen well, men of Atlantis,” the Emperor commanded. “I set before you now such a leader as you have not had since the old days when this was a fair, clean land. He is of the Sunborn, yet also is he of Atlantis, an Atlantean of Atlanteans, and no foreign conqueror. So I say unto you, cherish him and obey him and abide by such a choice.
“Uranos, Poseidon of Atlantis, do you swear to establish once more the dwelling of the Flame, to walk with your people in the light, warring upon the Shadow and all its legions, to hold to the law and the justice, under the Sun, to be a sword and shield for the motherland in her hour of need?”
“Upon the Flame do I swear it, for me and for my people, Great One.”
For the second time he kissed the hilt of the Re Mu’s sword and then arose and turned to face those watching him from below. They gave him no greeting, but as he walked down the steps of the temple, they pressed forward. Some went to their knees, kissing his hands, the hem of his cloak. With them about him, he turned once more to face the throne now above him.
“We shall obey the commands laid upon us, and at sunset we shall be gone,” he said.
The ripple spread once more across the square, and Ray thought the people were preparing to scatter. Only once more the drums rolled, and that summons held them. In the issuing silence the Re Mu spoke again.
“Men of Atlantis, you have come to judgment. Now do you also judge. What -will you do with this man?”
The Murians about the throne parted, and a party of guards came through. Chronos, white, his face twitching, his head jerking from side to side, was half led, half dragged in their midst.
Sound then, such a rising snarl came from the crowd as made Ray step back a pace. He had heard, read, of mob fury, but he had never seen it in action. This was as horrible in its way as the Loving One
“To us, Great One, to us!” The scream arose from a hundred and then thousands of throats.
“What say you, Chronos? Is this justice? Do you wish it?”
To Ray’s amazement the deposed Poseidon lifted his head, stilling that crazy jerking.
“Yes,” he answered. Did he have some idea that that meant escape, or was he mad?
The Re Mu nodded. “The choice is yours, so be it.”
As the Murian guards stepped back, the mob licked up in a wave and Chronos was gone. No scream, no sound, save a kind of worrying-an eddy in the mob-then nothing. The throng broke, streamed away from the square, and the Re Mu rose from his improvised throne and went back into the temple, the Naacals closing in about him. An officer came to Cho and Ray.
“The Great One wishes you.”
They came into that part of the temple where there was a stone much hacked and defaced with scorching, a central altar once, Ray believed. And by that now stood both the Re Mu and U-Cha. It was to Cho the Emperor first spoke.
“You asked of us the post of greatest danger, Sunborn. And you wrought well thereafter. Also by your hands was that spawn of evil-that thing summoned from another world-slain. What do you claim from us in return?”
“Naught. The duty was mine.”
The Re Mu smiled. “Naught-the answer of youth and courage and what lies in the morning of life. But your naught is not enough. To you the serpent, and after you .those of your sons and sons’ sons. Come you-”
Cho knelt at the Emperor’s feet. From his own war helm the Re Mu detached a circlet of a striking serpent, fitting it on Cho’s, while those about raised their bared swords.
“You-” The Re Mu looked to Ray. “Ah, yes, you have that to ask of us also. No, by rights you can demand. Since you did not surrender your will to duty, the choice was taken from you.”
“Yes,” Ray replied shortly.
“You were not of our blood; this was not your quarrel. In our moment of great danger, we forged of you a weapon of which we had need. If you think all this, it is the truth. I have spoken much of choices and of standing by the result of such choices. We chose to use a stranger who trusted us, and this was ill doing. But for this I have a single answer: my choice lay between the good of one man and the salvation of all my people.
“We could not reach into this land; it was too well guarded by barriers that were not only visible men and steel, walls and water, but also that which had been raised by Magos and his adepts to speedily trip any of our blood daring to venture here. I think you had a taste of their weapons when you were taken at last.
“Because you were not of us, you had certain inborn safeguards we could not hope to develop. Thus we put into you that which we had that was needful to open doors. You were the key, the only one we had.”
“Even to the Loving One?” asked Ray evenly. He had not knelt as did Cho. He was gazing eye to eye with this man who ruled most of a world. And now there was no awe between them.
“Even to the Loving One,” agreed the Re Mu. “That was only the first, the scout, if you will, of an army of its kind Magos would have loosed upon us. It, too, was a key, for each time it was summoned, and fed, it grew a stronger tie with this world. Eventually it would have brought its kind-and perhaps worse-for the place from which Magos summoned it is alien and, to us, always the stronghold of the enemy. And we do not know what other horrors that pit may hold. So you were to be the bait to bring it forth when there was still a chance to deal with it and close that gate.