stretched themselves towards her, until there was not the length of
three grains of wheat betwixt the clutching fingers and her breast.

"But Meriamun only laughed and drew back a space.

"'Not so, thou Enemy,' she said, 'this circle thou may'st not break; it
is too strong for thee. But to the work. Hataska, once again by the link
of life and death I summon thee--and this time thou must come, thou who
wast a wanton and now art "greater than the Queen."'

"And as she spoke, from the dead form of the woman on Osiris' knee there
issued forth another form and stood before us, as a snake issues from
its slough. And as was the dead Hataska so was this form, feature for
feature, look for look, and limb for limb. But still the corpse rested
upon Osiris' knee, for this was but the _Ka_ that stood before us.

"And thus spoke the voice of Hataska in the lips of the Ka:

"'What wouldest thou with me who am no more of thy company, O thou by
whose hand my body did perish? Why troublest thou me?'

"And Meriamun made answer: 'I would this of thee, that thou shouldest
declare unto me the future, even in the presence of this great company.
Speak, I command thee.'

"And the Ka said: 'Nay, Meriamun, that I cannot do, for I am but the
Ka--the Dweller in the Tomb, the guardian of what was Hataska whom
thou didst slay, whom I must watch through all the days of death till
resurrection is. Of the future I know naught; seek thou that which
knows.'