The Eye of Istar: A Romance of the Land of No Return
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Le Queux William. The Eye of Istar: A Romance of the Land of No Return
Chapter One. The Blast of the Onbeia
Chapter Two. Sun and Silence
Chapter Three. Azala
Chapter Four. The Mark of the Asps
Chapter Five. The Black Eunuch
Chapter Six. Rage and Remorse
Chapter Seven. The White City
Chapter Eight. Veiled Men of the Desert
Chapter Nine. An Audience of the Khalifa
Chapter Ten. By Imperial Request
Chapter Eleven. Tiamo the Dwarf
Chapter Twelve. Mysteries of Eblis
Chapter Thirteen. The Prism of Destiny
Chapter Fourteen. A Sign Afar
Chapter Fifteen. Tales of the Story-Tellers
Chapter Sixteen. A Secret of State
Chapter Seventeen. Flight
Chapter Eighteen. The Alarm
Chapter Nineteen. Mohammed El-Arewa
Chapter Twenty. The Father of the Blue Hand
Chapter Twenty One. In the Wilderness
Chapter Twenty Two. Zu, the Bird-God
Chapter Twenty Three. The Forest of Perpetual Night
Chapter Twenty Four. A Pagan Land
Chapter Twenty Five. Avisibba
Chapter Twenty Six. The Ivory-Raiders
Chapter Twenty Seven. Ngalyema
Chapter Twenty Eight. Pigmies of the Forest
Chapter Twenty Nine. Facing Malec
Chapter Thirty. A Prophecy
Chapter Thirty One. On the Horizon
Chapter Thirty Two. The Great Sin
Chapter Thirty Three. Where Dwelt the Devourer
Chapter Thirty Four. The Land of the No Return
Chapter Thirty Five. A Visitant from the Mists
Chapter Thirty Six. The Torture-Wheel
Chapter Thirty Seven. Ea
Chapter Thirty Eight. Istar
Chapter Thirty Nine. Foretokens
Chapter Forty. The Festival of Tammuz
Chapter Forty One. The Temple of Love
Chapter Forty Two. Crooked Paths
Chapter Forty Three. Doom
Chapter Forty Four. The Talisman
Chapter Forty Five. Conclusion
Отрывок из книги
We were leaving Omdurman, on an expedition to the far west, beyond the high misty mountains of Marran and the great glaring Saharan plains. Our forces, consisting of over fifteen thousand armed warriors, were assembling to parade and receive our Ruler’s blessing ere we departed.
Red and fiery the sun rose, the houses shone milk-white against the intense blue of the sky, the monotonous thumping of the nahas continued, the yelling of the fanatical multitude increased, and the black silken standard, planted in the centre of the parade-ground, stirred by a breath of hot wind, suddenly spread itself out lazily, revealing its inscription in sprawly Arabic characters of bright yellow. The excited populace, the black-faced warriors of the Tumali, the Tegele and the Fajelu, regarding this as a good omen, shouted themselves hoarse in cursing our enemies, but a few seconds later the sound of loud trumpets echoed across the square, and a silence, sudden and complete, fell upon the multitude. Drawn up in long lines, we were facing in the direction of the Holy City, ranging ourselves in order, attending the commands of Allah and the Khalifa and celebrating the divine praise. From where I sat I had full view of the great arched gate of the Palace, which next second was thrown open as the Khalifa himself, stout, dark-bearded, and hawk-eyed, rode forth, accompanied by his officers and bodyguard. Mounted on a fine camel, and wearing a suit of golden mail armour and a helmet with spotless plume, he was surrounded by about two hundred horsemen also clad in mail, with thick, red turbans around their helmets, their horses all wearing brass head armour to protect them from sword cuts. Four onbeia blowers walked in front, and, in turns, sounded the great elephant’s tusk, while, headed by the dreaded sable standard and moving very slowly, came the Khalifa, stern, stately, statuesque, with drawn sword. Behind, followed the gaudily-attired mulazimin, or body-servants, riding, while his black guards, veritable giants in stature, formed a compact square around him.
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“But if thou givest unto me a pledge that thou wilt render explanation, I will be content,” I said.
“Not only will I, when the time is ripe, explain the strange secret unto thee, but, likewise, shall I seek thine assistance in elucidating a strange and incomprehensible mystery.”
.....