The weird of the wanderer Being the papyrus records of some incidents in one of the previous lives of Mr. Nicholas Crabbe
incident in the lives of Mr. C. (_i.e._ King Odysseys) may be best
studied in Haggard’s erudite treatise entitled _The World’s Desire_. A.
H.
THE TWENTIETH PAPYRUS
But, upon the instant when we stood in open country at the base of
the rock, there came a fearful whirring of the wings of blameless
harpies, beating down upon us, raucously screeching, calling titans and
furies to their aid. But the Dioskoyroi laughed these bestial birds to
scorn; and Polydeykes dashed his iron-studded boxing-glove into their
ugly faces, whereat the ill-breathing wardens of the damned became
melancholy, and fled back to their station on the wall, feeling much
hurt.
But we went on through the murk, entering a secret chamber in the house
of Hades, where were food and drink, corn-cakes the strength of men,
with cheeses and the fat haunches of pigs, and honey-hearted wine.
Here, also, by the arts of Queen Persephone, I found all my gear, and
my silver-shining armour piled upon a bed, and baths of boiling water
for washing. And having cleaned away my abounding sweat and slime,
I anointed myself, coming out of the bath like to the immortals in
person, and was visited by the shades of most accomplished barbers.
But, when I sat down to a repast (not because of hunger, for, in that
life I was not afflicted with the craving belly, pernicious, which
brings so many evils to mortal men, but merely for the pleasure of
eating and drinking with friends), then, indeed, godlike Kastor and
Polydeykes served me as squires for a religious reason,[48] girding me
again with my silver-shining armour glittering with rock-crystals and
blue moonstones, which I won from Aias son of Telamon, in a foot-race,
after lordly Akhilleys had left the earth.
Which matters having been concluded, the Great Twins conducted me to
the presence of well-disposed Queen Persephone, who addressed to me
unwinged words, saying: “O much-enduring grandson of Hermes, always
wily and ready at need, my cousin Golden Helen hath persuaded me on
thy behalf; and I will protect thee as far as may be from my shady
husband’s wrath. For King Hades hath a bitter spirit, and is fain to
do thee wrong, by reason that thou already hast evaded him twice, and,
also, that thou (by thy wiles and a woolly sheep) didst cause to suffer
much in mind and to perish most miserably his sweet friend the Kyklops
Polyphemos. Nevertheless I will beseech the king to let thee go in
peace, for the sake of avoiding fresh wiles of thine.”
Then came long-robed Helen, the divine one of goddesses; and I read in
her amber eyes that which told me (even more than her song had told
me) that she was mine now, even as she had been willing to be mine in
Egypt long before. Glowed then the heart in my dear breast with love
and joy; and my very form swelled hugely with pride of conquest: for,
not to everyone of earth-trampling men is it given to win the love of a
goddess so true that she will wait for him during a thousand years.
And so we passed into the judgment-hall of Hades, most righteous of
gods brooding on his shady throne: that that which had to be done might
be well-done with the least possible delay. And, before the king, the
judges were giving dooms to the unnumbered dead, as usual. But Queen
Persephone stood before him; and she held my hand, and said: “O king
and lord of shades, it pleaseth me that King Odysseys should retire
forthwith from these dismal realms, with his life, and with all else
which belongeth to him.”
But, at sight of me, surly Hades bounced and had a borborygm; and he
quickly answered her, saying: “Such, O daughter of Demeter, is by no
means my intent: but now I will toss him into Tartaros, there to lie
for ever, on account of his presumption in coming hither after having
twice escaped me, and also on account of the woes which his prepotence
wrought wilily upon my sweet friend, the giver of cherished gifts, even
the Kyklops Polyphemos who gave me this blooming helmet of viewless
night.”
But the holy queen persisted, saying: “Odysseys shall not lie for ever
in Tartaros: for my cousin, Golden Helen, hath persuaded me for his
sake. Yet, seeing that he cannot go hence without thy leave, I say let
him fight a select champion for his liberty.”
But the shady king of terrors instantly assented, saying: “So mote it
be. And irrevocable doom shall come upon him when he has been properly
slain.”
But the Stygian queen smiled in scorn, mocking a king so foolish as
to think that a woman, a daughter of Great Zeys, could not find some
crafty wile for evading an adverse chance if necessary.
And the king cried again, saying: “Who, of all the heroes here, will
fight against Odysseys, grandson of Hermes, for the honour of the house
of Hades?”
And straightway answered him Attik Theseys the conqueror of the Kretan
Minotayr, and loud-shouting impotent old sandy-haired King Menelaos,
and woman-mad Paris son of Dardanian Priam, saying: “That will we do,
O dread lord: for, of old, we sought the love of long-robed Helen,
to have her after the manner of men and women. But she rejected us,
favouring Odysseys with her amber eyes, from her girlhood to this day.
Wherefore, we are ready to fight against him on thy behalf, O Dominator
of the netherworld.”
And these three made their way to the front of the throne. Now Theseys
was a stalwart hero and a very worthy champion: moreover, his very
nose had gone black with jealous hatred. But sandy-haired Menelaos
was merely an aged screecher and whimperer, blear-eyed, rheumy-nosed,
scraggy, knotty as to the joints, and unfit to be put to tussle even
with a foot-boy’s slut out of the kitchens. And Phrygian Paris, once
the comely shepherd of Ida, was a flaccid obese weakling, exhausted by
excess, against whom I should have been ashamed to lift a finger. So I
said. But, from afar, there came a great bellowing from Salaminian Aias
son of King Telamon, very mad with rage, saying that he would fight on
the part of King Menelaos, having also a private grievance to avenge,
in that I had won from him (on the plain of windy Ilion) the armour
of glorious Akhilleys. And great-hearted Hektor, son of King Priam,
took up the cause of his wasted brother Paris, claiming the right of
fighting against me because of the ruin which I worked on his house and
city by my wile of the Wooden Horse.
But shady Hades sniggered, saying: “Not one of these three champions,
who hold my honour so dear, shall be disappointed. Wherefore, fight
each of you in turn; and let King Theseys fight first. And, if so be
that no Odysseys is left in life to fight loud-bellowing Aias and great
Hektor in turn, then, indeed, the blame will not be mine.”
But Queen Persephone cried: “Now would it be foul shame to pit a single
man, even though he be King Odysseys whom they call Peer of Zeys in
Counsel, against three heroes so justly famous in battle, princes
renowned throughout all time. Wherefore I, the queen, call for two
heroes to fight side by side with King Odysseys, upholding the honour
of Queen Persephone protecting him.”
And, almost before the goddess had ceased from speaking, and, while
King Hades was yet frowning in perplexity, Argive Diomedes the
well-thewed son of King Tydeys cried: “I will fight cheerfully for the
honour of Queen Persephone, and for my ancient friendship with King
Odysseys, with whom, by night, I attacked the hardy Thrakians who wear
their red hair bunched on the crown of their heads.”
Then, indeed, the mind in my breast rejoiced: for I knew that, with
my old comrade Diomedes (a mighty man of war) by my side, many
very virtuous and proper deeds would be done against the hostile
champions. But, while I wondered who would be my other sword-fellow and
shield-friend, the voice of great-hearted implacable Akhilleys declared
that his god-forged armour might in no wise go into battle, he being
present, unless he himself fought by its wearer’s side. But I knew then
that I should not tarry long among the ghosts.
King Hades preened himself at the prospect of bloody war; and, seeing
three sons of kings ready to contend with three sons of kings, he made
no more ado, but began to embody the shades of these five heroes,
furnishing them with bodies and limbs and arms and armour such as they
had used in their very prime, when (living) they stamped on the earth
the giver of grain.
Now it is not to be thought that I, when I saw such notable magic being
done before my eyes, could (or would) refrain from offering also a
specimen of my own proficiency. But I determined at once to let King
Hades see how great a mage he had been minded to treat thus bitterly,
and (at the same time) to comfort my friends and to secure respectful
opinions from the inhabitants of the netherworld there present in
innumerable multitudes.
Wherefore, seeing the ghosts of those five heroes becoming clothed
with live flesh and about to be armed by their proper squires, I nobly
refused the service of the Great Twins, star-crowned, when they would
have prepared me for the fray. And the eyes of all, from highest to
lowest instantly became fixed upon me. But I stood still, summoning
certain forces within me, and silently saying the _Spell_ called _The
Summons which must be Answered_.
And, forthwith, Thalos my foot-boy (whose life was bound to mine)
came from the misty meadows of asphodel, where he and Neandros and my
silver chariot were waiting for me. Fearlessly he came, entering the
judgment-hall of Hades, thinking of naught but his duty to his lord.
And it was very strange to see a mere boy, mortal, but alive and very
healthy, wearing his usual sandals and short mantle, running toward me
through so vast a throng of naked shades. But the dead all made way
for him, being beaten back and most dreadfully worried: for he was (as
I was) immune against death by reason of my magic and also by reason
of the grace of his own luminous innocence. And, having come to me, he
went over the clasps of my armour in the usual manner, saying nothing.
But, when he had done his service, he went (at my command) and crouched
by the feet of long-robed Helen.
Then, again, I called, calling (this time) as Master.
And forthwith there came in Delphic Phoibos Apollon as Knight of the
Sun, and Arkadian Hermes as Knight of East and West and North and
South, and lordly Ares as Knight of Kadosh, and Lemnian Hephaistos
as Knight of the Brazen Serpent, and Theban Herakles (who, they
say, changed wives with Zeys) as Knight of the Sword of the East,
all gloriously triumphant, and, also, beardless Dionysos as Noahite
Patriarch, and pale Death and dusky Sleep as Princes of Mercy, and
immortal Eros as Prince of the Royal Secret, each one giving me the
greeting of his own degree. But to them I responded as Master. They
seated themselves on the bench with the judges Aiakos, Minos, and
Rhadamanthos. And I remember how that the shade of accursed Thersites,
humpty-backed, blameless, took a mind-grieving toss from lordly Ares,
having presumed (as his wont was) to thrust himself unbidden into the
pews of his betters. And inextinguishable laughter arose among the
shades, when they saw the staggering unhappiness of that chatterbox
Thersites.
But, when all was ready, I took my place, having kissed the still brow
of Golden Helen. But the touch of the goddess, though her mien was
strange and unresponsive, put strength into my shoulders and knees, and
placed in my breast the boldness of a fly, which persists in biting,
although often driven away by a mortal man whose blood is its most
delicate sweetmeat. For I burned with an insatiable desire for slaying,
nor to surcease therefrom till all were gone who stood between me and
Golden Helen. For I was in face of her, for pious reasons.