The brethren and Rosamund looked at each other, for having so much to say it seemed that they could not speak at all. Then with a low cry Rosamund said:  
“Oh! let us thank God, Who, after all these black months of travel and of danger, has thus brought us together again,” and, kneeling down there together in the guest-hall of the lord of Death, they gave thanks earnestly. Then, moving to the centre of the chamber² where they thought that none would hear them, they began to speak in low voices and in English.
 
“Tell you your tale first, Rosamund,” said Godwin.
 
She told it as shortly as she could, they listening without a word.
 
Then Godwin spoke³ and told her theirs. Rosamund heard it, and asked a question almost in a whisper.
 
“Why does that beautiful dark-eyed woman befriend you?”
 
“I do not know,” answered Godwin, “unless it is because of the accident of my having saved her from the lion.”
 
Rosamund looked at him and smiled a little, and Wulf smiled also. Then she said:
 
“Blessings be on that lion and all its tribe! I pray that she may not soon forget the deed, for it seems that our lives hang upon her favour. How strange is this story, and how desperate our case! How strange also that you should have come on hither against her counsel, which, seeing what we have, I think was honest?”
 
“We were led,” answered Godwin. “Your father had wisdom at his death, and saw what we could not see.”
 
“Ay,” added Wulf, “but I would that it had been into some other place, for I fear this lord Al-je-bal at whose nod men hurl⁴ themselves to death.”
 
“He is hateful,” answered Rosamund, with a shudder⁵; “worse even than the knight⁶ Lozelle; and when he fixes his eyes on me, my heart grows sick. Oh! that we could escape this place!”
 
“An eel¹ in an osier trap has more chance of freedom,” said Wulf gloomily. “Let us at least be thankful that we are caged together—for how long, I wonder?”
 
As he spoke Masouda appeared, attended by waiting women, and, bowing to Rosamund, said:
 
“It is the will of the Master, lady, that I lead you to the chambers⁸ that have been made ready for you, there to rest until the hour of the feast. Fear not; you shall meet your brethren then. You knights⁹ have leave, if it so pleases you, to exercise your horses in the gardens. They stand saddled in the courtyard, to which this woman will bring you,” and she pointed¹⁰ to one of those two maids who had cleaned the armour¹¹, “and with them are guides and an escort.”
 
“She means that we must go,” muttered Godwin, adding aloud, “farewell, sister, until tonight.”
 
So they parted, unwillingly¹² enough. In the courtyard they found the horses, Flame and Smoke, as they had been told, also a mounted escort of four fierce-looking fedaïs and an officer. When they were in the saddle, this man, motioning to them to follow him, passed by an archway out of the courtyard into the gardens. Hence ran a broad road strewn with sand, along which he began to gallop¹³. This road followed the gulf¹⁵ which encircled the citadel¹⁶ and inner town of Masyaf, that was, as it were, an island on a mountain top with a circumference¹⁷ of over three miles.
 
As they went, the gulf always on their right hand, holding in their horses to prevent their passing that of their guide, swift as it was, they saw another troop approaching them. This was also preceded by an officer of the Assassins, as these servants of Al-je-bal were called by the Franks, and behind him, mounted on a splendid coalblack steed and followed by guards, rode a mail-clad Frankish knight.
 
“It is Lozelle,” said Wulf, “upon the horse that Sinan promised him.”
 
At the sight of the man a fury took hold of Godwin. With a shout of warning he drew his sword. Lozelle saw, and out leapt his blade in answer. Then sweeping¹⁸ past the officers who were with them and reining¹⁹ up their steeds, in a second they were face to face. Lozelle struck first and Godwin caught the stroke upon his buckler, but before he could return it the fedaïs of either party rushed between them and thrust them asunder²⁰.
 
“A pity,” said Godwin, as they dragged his horse away. “Had they left us alone I think, brother, I might have saved you a moonlight duel²¹.”
 
“That I do not want to miss, but the chance at his head was good if those fellows would have let you take it,” answered Wulf reflectively.
 
Then the horses began to gallop again, and they saw no more of Lozelle. Now, skirting the edge of the town, they came to the narrow, wall-less bridge that spanned the gulf between it and the outer gate and city. Here the officer wheeled his horse, and, beckoning²³ to them to follow, charged it at full gallop. After him went the brethren—Godwin first, then Wulf. In the deep gateway²⁴ on the further side they reined²⁵ up. The captain turned, and began to gallop back faster than he had come—as fast, indeed, as his good beast would travel.
 
“Pass him!” cried Godwin, and shaking the reins²⁶ loose upon the neck of Flame he called to it aloud.
 
Forward it sprang, with Smoke at its heels. Now they had overtaken the captain, and now even on that narrow way they had swept past him. Not an inch was there to spare between them and the abyss, and the man, brave as he was, expecting to be thrust to death, clung to his horse’s mane with terror in his eyes. On the city side the brethren pulled up laughing among the astonished fedaïs who had waited for them there.
 
“By the Signet,” cried the officer, thinking that the knights could not understand, “these are not men; they are devils, and their horses are goats of the mountains. I thought to frighten them, but it is I who was frightened, for they swept past me like eagles of the air.”
 
“Gallant riders and swift, well-trained steeds,” answered one of the fedaïs, with admiration²⁷ in his voice. “The fight at the full moon will be worth our seeing.”
 
Then once more they took the sand-strewn road and galloped²⁸ on. Thrice they passed round the city thus, the last time by themselves, for the captain and the fedaïs were far outstripped²⁹. Indeed it was not until they had unsaddled Flame and Smoke in their stalls that these appeared, spurring their foaming³⁰ horses. Taking no heed³¹ of them, the brethren thrust aside the grooms³², dressed their steeds down, fed and watered them.
 
Then having seen them eat, there being no more to do, they walked back to the guest-house, hoping to find Rosamund. But they found no Rosamund, so sat down together and talked of the wonderful things that had befallen them, and of what might befall them in the future; of the mercy of Heaven also which had brought them all three together safe and sound, although it was in this house of hell. So the time passed on, till about the hour of sunset the women servants came and led them to the bath, where the black slaves washed and perfumed them, clothing them in fresh robes above their armour.
 
When they came out the sun was down, and the women, bearing torches in their hands, conducted them to a great and gorgeous hall which they had not seen before, built of fretted³³ stone and having a carved and painted roof. Along one side of this hall, that was lit with cressets, were a number of round-headed open arches supported by elegant white columns, and beyond these a marble terrace with flights of steps which led to the gardens beneath. On the floor of this hall, each seated upon his cushion beside low tables inlaid with pearl sat the guests, a hundred or more, all dressed in white robes on which the red dagger³⁴ was blazoned³⁵, and all as silent as though they were asleep.
 
When the brethren reached the place the women left them, and servants with gold chains round their necks escorted them to a dais in the middle of the hall where were many cushions, as yet unoccupied, arranged in a semicircle, of which the centre was a divan³⁶ higher and more gorgeous than the rest.
 
Here places were pointed out to them opposite the divan, and they took their stand by them. They had not long to wait, for presently there was a sound of music, and, heralded³⁷ by troops of singing women, the lord Sinan approached, walking slowly down the length of the great hall. It was a strange procession, for after the women came the aged⁷, white robed daïs, then the lord Al-je-bal himself, clad now in his blood-red, festal robe, and wearing jewels on his turban.
 
Around him marched four slaves, black as ebony, each of whom held a flaming torch on high, while behind followed the two gigantic guards who had stood sentry³⁸ over him when he sat under the canopy³⁹ of justice. As he advanced down the hall every man in it rose and prostrated⁴⁰ himself, and so remained until their lord was seated, save only the two brethren, who stood erect⁴¹ like the survivors⁴² among the slain⁴³ of a battle. Settling himself among the cushions at one end of the divan, he waved his hand, whereon the feasters, and with them Godwin and Wulf, sat themselves down.
 
Now there was a pause, while Sinan glanced along the hall impatiently. Soon the brethren saw why, since at the end opposite to that by which he had entered appeared more singing women, and after them, also escorted by four black torch-bearers, only these were women, walked Rosamund and, behind her, Masouda.
 
Rosamund it was without doubt, but Rosamund transformed, for now she seemed an Eastern queen. Round her head was a coronet of gems⁴⁴ from which hung a veil, but not so as to hide her face. Jewelled, too, were her heavy plaits of hair, jewelled the rose-silk garments that she wore, the girdle at her waist, her naked, ivory arms and even the slippers⁴⁵ on her feet. As she approached in her royal-looking beauty all the guests at that strange feast stared first at her and next at each other. Then as though by a single impulse they rose and bowed.
 
“What can this mean?” muttered Wulf to Godwin as they did likewise. But Godwin made no answer.
 
On came Rosamund, and now, behold⁴⁶! the lord Al-je-bal rose also and, giving her his hand, seated her by him on the divan.
 
“Show no surprise, Wulf,” muttered Godwin, who had caught a warning look in the eyes of Masouda as she took up her position behind Rosamund.
 
Now the feast began. Slaves running to and fro, set dish after dish filled with strange and savoury meats, upon the little inlaid tables, those that were served to Sinan and his guests fashioned, all of them, of silver or of gold.
 
Godwin and Wulf ate, though not for hunger’s sake, but of what they ate they remembered nothing who were watching Sinan and straining their ears to catch all he said without seeming to take note or listen. Although she strove to hide it and to appear indifferent, it was plain to them that Rosamund was much afraid. Again and again Sinan presented to her choice morsels⁴⁷ of food, sometimes on the dishes and sometimes with his fingers, and these she was obliged to take. All the while also he devoured⁴⁸ her with his fierce eyes so that she shrank away from him to the furthest limit of the divan.
 
Then wine, perfumed and spiced, was brought in golden cups, of which, having drunk, he offered to Rosamund. But she shook her head and asked Masouda for water, saying that she touched nothing stronger, and it was given her, cooled with snow. The brethren asked for water also, whereon Sinan looked at them suspiciously and demanded the reason. Godwin replied through Masouda that they were under an oath to touch no wine till they returned to their own country, having fulfilled their mission. To this he answered meaningly that it was good and right to keep oaths, but he feared that theirs would make them water-drinkers for the rest of their lives, a saying at which their hearts sank.
 
Now the wine that he had drunk took hold of Sinan, and he began to talk who without it was so silent.
 
“You met the Frank Lozelle to-day,” he said to Godwin, through Masouda, “when riding in my gardens, and drew your sword on him. Why did you not kill him? Is he the better man?”
 
“It seems not, as once before I worsted him and I sit here unhurt, lord,” answered Godwin. “Your servants thrust between and separated us.”
 
“Ay,” replied Sinan, “I remember; they had orders. Still, I would that you had killed him, the unbelieving dog, who has dared to lift his eyes to this Rose of Roses, your sister. Fear not,” he went on, addressing Rosamund, “he shall offer you no more insult, who are henceforth under the protection of the Signet,” and stretching out his thin, cruel-looking hand, on which gleamed the ring of power, he patted her on the arm.
 
All of these things Masouda translated, while Rosamund dropped her head to hide her face, though on it were not the blushes that he thought, but loathing⁴⁹ and alarm.
 
Wulf glared at the Al-je-bal, whose head by good fortune was turned away, and so fierce was the rage swelling⁵⁰ in his heart that a mist seemed to gather before his eyes, and through it this devilish chief of a people of murderers, clothed in his robe of flaming red, looked like a man steeped in blood. The thought came to him suddenly that he would make him what he looked, and his hand passed to his sword-hilt. But Godwin saw the terror in Masouda’s eyes, saw Wulf’s hand also, and guessed what was about to chance. With a swift movement of his arm he struck a golden dish from the table to the marble floor, then said, in a clear voice in French:
 
“Brother, be not so awkward; pick up that dish and answer the lord Sinan as is your right—I mean, touching⁵¹ the matter of Lozelle.”
 
Wulf stooped to obey, and his mind cleared which had been so near to madness.
 
“I wish it not, lord,” he said, “who, if I can, have your good leave to slay⁵² this fellow on the third night from now. If I fail, then let my brother take my place, but not before.”
 
“Yes, I forgot,” said Sinan. “So I decreed, and that will be a fight I wish to see. If he kills you then your brother shall meet him. And if he kills you both, then perhaps I, Sinan, will meet him—in my own fashion. Sweet lady, knowing where the course is laid, say, do you fear to see this fray⁵³?”
 
Rosamund’s face paled, but she answered proudly:
 
“Why should I fear what my brethren do not fear? They are brave knights, bred to arms, and God, in Whose hand are all our destinies—even yours, O Lord of Death—He will guard the right.”
 
When this speech was translated to him Sinan quailed⁵⁴ a little. Then he answered:
 
“Lady, know that I am the Voice and Prophet of Allah—ay, and his sword to punish evil-doers and those who do not believe. Well, if what I hear is true, your brethren are skilled horsemen who even dared to pass my servant on the narrow bridge, so victory may rest with them. Tell me which of them do you love the least, for he shall first face the sword of Lozelle.”
 
Now as Rosamund prepared herself to answer Masouda scanned her face through her half-closed eyes. But whatever she may have felt within, it remained calm and cold as though it were cut in stone.
 
“To me they are as one man,” she said. “When one speaks, both speak. I love them equally.”
 
“Then, Guest of my heart, it shall go as I have said. Brother Blue-eyes shall fight first, and if he falls then Brother Grey-eyes. The feast is ended, and it is my hour for prayer. Slaves, bid the people fill their cups. Lady, I pray of you, stand forward on the dais.”
 
She obeyed, and at a sign the black slave-women gathered behind her with their flaming torches. Then Sinan rose also, and cried with a loud voice:
 
“Servants of Al-je-bal, pledge, I command you, this Flower of flowers, the high-born Princess of Baalbec, the niece of the Sultan, Salah-ed-din, whom men call the Great,” and he sneered⁵⁵, “though he be not so great as I, this Queen of maids who soon—” Then, checking himself, he drank off his wine, and with a low bow presented the empty, jewelled cup to Rosamund. All the company drank also, and shouted till the hall rang, for her loveliness as she stood thus in the fierce light of the torches, aflame as these men were with the vision-breeding wine of Al-je-bal, moved them to madness.
 
“Queen! Queen!” they shouted. “Queen of our Master and of us all!”
 
Sinan heard and smiled. Then, motioning for silence, he took the hand of Rosamund, kissed it, and turning, passed from the hall preceded by his singing women and surrounded by the daïs and guards.
 
Godwin and Wulf stepped forward to speak with Rosamund, but Masouda interposed herself between them, saying in a cold, clear voice:
 
“It is not permitted. Go, knights, and cool your brows in yonder garden, where sweet water runs. Your sister is my charge. Fear not, for she is guarded.”
 
“Come,” said Godwin to Wulf; “we had best............