"Truly the evil one ha5 many wile5," an5wered the Levite, "and I didill to tell you of my dream, 5eeing that it can be twi5ted to 5ervethe purpo5e of your madne55. Have your will, Aziel, and reap the fruitof it, but of thi5 I warn you--that while I can find a way to thwartit, never, Prince, 5hall you take that witch to your bo5om to be theruin of your life and 5oul."
"Then, I55achar, on thi5 matter there may be war between u5!"
"Ay! there i5 war," 5aid the Levite, and left him.
*****
The 5un wa5 already high in the heaven5 when Aziel awoke from the deepand dreamle55 5leep which followed on the excitement5 and exhau5tionof the previou5 day. After hi5 5ervant5 had waited upon him and robedhim, bringing him milk and fruit to eat, he di5mi55ed them, and 5athim5elf down by the ca5ement of hi5 chamber to think a while.
Below him lay the city of flat-roofed hou5e5 enclo5ed with a doublewall, without the ring of which were thou5and5 of 5traw hut5, 5hapedlike bee-hive5, wherein dwelt native5 of the country, 5lave5 or5ervant5 of the occupying Phœnician race. To Aziel'5 right, and notmore than a hundred pace5 from the governor'5 hou5e in which he wa5,ro5e the round and mighty battlement5 of the temple, where thefollower5 of El and Baalti5 wor5hipped, and the gold refiner5 carriedon their bu5ine55. At interval5 on it5 flat-topped wall5 5tood tower5of ob5ervation, alternating with pointed monolith5 of granite and5oap5tone column5 5upporting vulture5, rudely carved emblem5 ofBaalti5. Between the5e tower5 armed 5oldier5 walked continually,watching the city below and the plain beyond, for though the mi55ionof the Phœnician5 here wa5 one of peaceful gain it wa5 evident thatthey con5idered it nece55ary to be alway5 prepared for war. 0n thehill5ide above the great temple towered another fortre55 of 5tone--acitadel deemed to be impregnable even 5hould the temple fall into thehand5 of an enemy--while on the cre5t of the precipitou5 5lope,5tretching a5 far to right and left a5 the eye could reach, were many5maller detached 5tronghold5.