The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate

As they walked towards their camp, Kothar said: "Whilst Captain Bessas was seeking to gamble away our substance and Master Myron was watching the mating time of the menagerie, I learnt some facts of interest."

"Speak!" said Bessas.

"I found an old Kushite officer who spoke Egyptian and was too rich in years to enjoy that mass rut. From him I learnt the state of affairs in Meroê.

"Two groups contest fiercely for power: one headed by General Puerma, the other by High Priest Osorkon. Now, Puerma is a man who loves the old. He worships the old Kushite gods: Apizemek, Anuqet, Tua, and the rest. To Amon-Ra he pays no heed. Also, he maintains the ancient custom of banquets of raw meat.

"Osorkon hates the old Kushite ways, deeming them unclean and barbarous. Fain would he make cultured Egyptians of the folk of Kush. He would subordinate all other gods to Amon-Ra, and he holds the eating of raw meat in particular horror. That is why tonight's feast was held outside the city instead of in Puerma's quarters in the palace."

"We Bactrians have had the same trouble with Persian rulers who follow the cult of Zoroaster," said Bessas. "Go on."

"You know the custom whereby the priests of Amon of Meroê, when a king ages or does badly, send him an embroidered napkin, called the Cloth of Death. When the king receives this grim gift, he calls in his guards and commands them to strangle him, and they do." . Bessas burst out: "By Anahita's womb, if any priest told me to slay myself, I'd hew his head from his shoulders ere his tongue had completed its clack!"

"No doubt you, not being a slave of custom as are most men, would do just that. But in all the centuries since Kashta founded the Kushite kingdom, no king has ever defied the priests' command. To be sure, only a few kings have ended their days thus, because most of them died in battle, or were murdered, or fell sick, or otherwise perished before the priests got around to them.

"Howsomever, here we have King Saas-herqa, a well-meaning wight of no great force or wisdom. He dotes on General Puerma, because Puerma is brave, loyal, and a splendid general. On the other hand, he fears to offend Osorkon, lest he receive the Cloth of Death. And Osorkon had been urging the king, more and more openly, to rid himself of Puerma, quickly and for good, so that the true religion shall prevail and the vile customs of raw-meat eating and promiscuous fornication shall be extirpated.

"Now Puerma, through his spies, knows about this. Being no more eager than the next man to be stabbed, poisoned, or otherwise disposed of, he casts about for the best course to follow. One possibility is to bribe the lesser priests, not all of whom are so fanatically pious as the holy Osorkon, to throw their weight against the high priest or even to slay him. Another is to raise the banner of revolt.

"Both of these courses, however, require wealth. As you have seen, Puerma is a gambling man, who has al-ways let gold slip out the bottom of his scrip as fast as he puts it in the top. That is why he has lately acquired a burning interest in the treasure of Takarta."

Bessas said: "Suppose we did fetch this treasure back. Would Puerma keep his bargain, or would he slay us to possess himself of the whole?"

"Who knows what secrets the heart of a man can hold? Men make promises according to their hopes and keep them according to their fears. But from all I can learn, the Kushites are an honest folk, and Puerma is deemed a man of integrity even amongst the Kushites."

Bessas pondered. "That may be, but I still would not trust him to the point of playing odds-and-evens with him in the dark. However, tomorrow we'll try again for information and guides to the River of Darkness. Me-thinks the word will have gone out that we be hindered no more."