A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille

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176 "You are always talking of Almah," said she. "What is Almah to you? She is cold, dull, sad! She never will speak. Let her go." "Never!" said I. "Almah is worth more than all the world to me." Layelah sighed. "I can never, never, never," said she, "get from you the least little bit of a kind word--even after all that I have done for you, and when you know that I would lie down and let you trample me under your feet if it gave you any pleasure." "Oh, that is not the question at all," said I. "You are asking me to leave Almah--to be false to her--and I cannot." "Among the Kosekin," said Layelah, "it is the highest happiness for lovers to give one another up." "I am not one of the Kosekin," said I. "I cannot let her go away--I cannot let her go back to the amir--to meet death alone. If she dies she shall see me by her side, ready to die with her." At this Layelah laughed merrily. "Is it possible," said she, "that you believe that? Do you not know that if Almah goes back alone she will not die?" "What do you mean?" "Why, she can only die when you are in her company. She has lived for years among us, and we have waited for someone to appear whom she might love, so that we might give them both the blessing of death. If that one should leave her, Almah could not receive the blessing. She would be compelled to live longer, until some other lover should appear. Now, by going with me to the land of the Orin, you will save Almah's life--and as for Almah, why, she will be happy--and dear papa is quite willing to marry her. You must see, therefore, dear Atam-or, that my plan is the very best that can be thought of for all of us, and above all for Almah."
177 This, however, was intolerable; and I could not consent to desert Almah, even if by doing so I should save her life. My own nature revolted from it. Still it was not a thing which I could dismiss on the instant. The safety of Almah's life, indeed, required consideration; but then the thought came of her wonder at my desertion. Would she not think me false? Would not the thought of my falsity be worse than death? "No," said I, "I will not leave her--not even to save her life. Even among us there are things worse than death. Almah would rather die by the sacrificial knife than linger on with a broken heart." "Oh no," said Layelah, sweetly; "she will rejoice that you are safe. Do you not see that while you are together death is inevitable, but if you separate you may both live and be happy?" "But she will think me dead," said I, as a new idea occurred. "She will think that some accident has befallen me." "Oh no, she won't," said Layelah; "she will think that you have gone off with me." "Then that will be worse, and I would rather die, and have her die with me, than live and have her think me false." "You are very, very obstinate," said Layelah, sweetly. I made no reply. During this conversation I had been too intent upon Layelah's words to notice the athalebs before me; but now as I looked up I saw that we had fallen far behind, and that Layelah had headed our athaleb in a new direction. Upon this I once more snatched the reins from her, and tried to return to our former course. This, however, I was utterly unable to do. Layelah laughed. "You will have to let me guide our course," said she. "You can do nothing. The athaleb will now go in a straight line to the land of the Orin." Upon this I started up in wild excitement.
Page 1 and 2:
1 A Strange Manuscript Found in a C
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3 pitch out a bit of wood." Upon th
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5 And as he said this he reached ou
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7 attacked the copper cylinder, and
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9 "It looks like Egyptian papyrus,"
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11 extended far out from the promon
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13 was nowhere visible, nor were th
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15 consisted of a vast sheet of flo
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17 "Well, I do," said he, "and they
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19 THE LETTER. "Bristol April 20. 1
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21 attached to a piece of rock. "Th
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23 can have but one ending--there m
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25 thin, shrivelled, black, with lo
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27 run, but there was nothing of th
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29 chief attention, and while all l
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31 for this I would have burst thro
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33 not stop for one moment, but pur
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35 terror in my heart, I waited for
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37 the surface were but the tiniest
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39 that a new peril had arisen from
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41 roads winding far away along the
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43 experience other sensations. I b
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45 scrupulous delicacy and a carefu
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47 wide space where four cross-road
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49 Next came Noel Oxenden, late of
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51 "Do you know what is is?" asked
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53 have been written at least three
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55 and his low position on the hori
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57 "That's a complicated question,"
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59 difficulty that I could see anyt
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61 mutual inquiry. I was full of am
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63 I was always rather quick at lea
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65 The "Kohen" did not remain long,
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67 likely that if we had ordered ou
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69 looking forward. On its head was
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71 CHAPTER X THE SACRED HUNT On tha
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73 but not a man quailed. Never had
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75 that I felt. "It was honor to th
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77 The speed was amazing; the faste
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79 I was senseless for I know not h
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81 hiding. But I saw that she had a
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83 them to go abroad, to travel by
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85 the victims! Rejoice! Give thank
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87 the eyes that weep over the path
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89 dark season with a feast. From w
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91 "This is beyond my comprehension
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93 Almah shuddered. "If you had tol
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95 and gentle and sympathetic, and
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97 and for you, and for the reason
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99 fate." "Fate!" I repeated, looki
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101 "You don't understand," said sh
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103 you--are you not to be envied i
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105 We give up everything for life.
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107 anguish beyond expression--angu
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109 To such a story I had nothing t
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111 fear of death. This desire for
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113 There are many other crimes, al
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115 observed that women are a littl
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117 "Why, it must be a dodo, of cou
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119 shoulder-bones like those of th
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121 "All these stories of strange a
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123 Latin or Greek word begins with
Page 125 and 126: 125 question, and gives us the conn
Page 127 and 128: 127 that. It seemed better to go, f
Page 129 and 130: 129 "Then I see by this that Almah
Page 131 and 132: 131 He laughed joyously. "There's n
Page 133 and 134: 133 tide as crowded and as busy as
Page 135 and 136: 135 that I made this discovery; for
Page 137 and 138: 137 they were all regarded with gre
Page 139 and 140: 139 up--no, not even if they could
Page 141 and 142: 141 "And then," said I, "if so, wou
Page 143 and 144: 143 of my race--and the fear that I
Page 145 and 146: 145 up." "She never will," said I.
Page 147 and 148: 147 help joining in, and so we both
Page 149 and 150: 149 I thought that perhaps it would
Page 151 and 152: 151 For a moment I stood almost lif
Page 153 and 154: 153 No sooner had I found myself ac
Page 155 and 156: 155 "No." I was amazed at this. "Bu
Page 157 and 158: 157 "Oh yes." "How many?" "Four." "
Page 159 and 160: 159 utterly unable to show to Layel
Page 161 and 162: 161 said: "I should like to fly in
Page 163 and 164: 163 a basin-shaped world--an immens
Page 165 and 166: 165 molten lava; between us and it
Page 167 and 168: 167 did. I went back to the shore,
Page 169 and 170: 169 which was cooling and hardening
Page 171 and 172: 171 triumph, was Layelah. "Ataesmzo
Page 173 and 174: 173 as that. Do you not know that w
Page 175: 175 intervals apart, flying in a st
Page 179 and 180: 179 from Layelah. She started back,
Page 181 and 182: 181 to reach before life was extinc
Page 183 and 184: 183 life or death, it is all the sa
Page 185 and 186: 185 Magones, and had searched over
Page 187 and 188: 187 rot and rubbish to the Germania
Page 189 and 190: 189 part do not suspect him of exag
Page 191 and 192: 191 "That very difference can be sh
Page 193 and 194: 193 ring-shaped, but the action of
Page 195 and 196: 195 a different view of the case. I
Page 197 and 198: 197 The Council of State gathered f
Page 199 and 200: 199 this respect with the great pau
Page 201 and 202: 201 inconceivable horror of that em
Page 203 and 204: 203 class had a mania for doing wha
Page 205 and 206: 205 I turned away in despair. At le
Page 207 and 208: 207 darkness, faintly illuminating
Page 209 and 210: 209 sacrifice?" "What?" he asked, w
Page 211 and 212: 211 have heard of it, as the Koseki
Page 213 and 214: 213 "I'll die first!" said I, fierc
Page 215 and 216: 215 with one common impulse came pr
Page 217 and 218: 217 CHAPTER XXXI CONCLUSION In the
Page 219 and 220: 219 Meleks, for we will take the mo
Page 221: 221 "What do you mean?" I exclaimed
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A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille

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