CHAPTER III - CASCA

In a kingdom so arbitrarily limited in extent, with a population never exceeding half a million souls, having no political relationship with the outside world, and grounded so completely in communal interests that every native, except the Queen, stood on a common equality; with unknown wealth accessible to all, a code of unwritten and unchanging laws handed down from nomadic days, which had attained an almost divine authority; and a people almost as innocent of vice as poverty, the duties and functions of the Queen-mother were little more than a sinecure. In fact the office was nothing more than that of the ancient mother of the tribe under a more imposing title, assumed to honour their chief in accordance with the prosperity of the people, and to raise her to the dignity of the heads of other and less affluent nations.

This honest and appreciative motive was no doubt a laudable one, but in all essentials of pomp and regal state the court of Sahama never had any approach to existence; such an idea was as foreign to their natures as it would have proved destructive of their traditions, which were most tenaciously upheld; therefore the change of name and title was introduced, but the old regime rigorously maintained, and the new offices of state were simply the old distinctions conferred upon the more intimate circle of friends.

This will explain how the hopelessly prostrate Queen was prevailed upon to maintain her rule, especially when her daughter and successor naturally shrank from assuming the duties hitherto discharged with such wise consideration and tact by her mother, who was recognised and beloved as the wisest and best of Saham's long line of honoured rulers.

Among such a fortunate people, where labour was more a recreation than necessity, with a climate comparatively perfect, and their few simple desires almost automatically supplied by a more than bounteous nature, the ardour and energy of youth found an innocent and manly expression in all kinds of athletic sports and pastimes, rather than intellectual development, by which physical more than mental excellence had been secured as a national and distinctive feature.

In these invigorating and laudable employments Sahama had never possessed a more enthusiastic patron, formidable competitor and champion, than was found in Glarces, the Incomparable, as he was universally designated by the people, who idolised him for the magnificent qualities of his mind and the considerate justice they were ever sure to receive at his hands.

After his return from Nineveh, when he became assured of the freedom of the lions from vice, the intrepid Prince conceived the idea of further developing his athletic ability by friendly contests with the brutes. Such exercise would contribute to greater flexibility of movement, agility, and strengthen his muscles beyond the usual work of the gymnasium. But a much more important thought, to him, was that it would create a new interest and pleasure for his sister, Vedrona, for whose welfare he had not only a brotherly anxiety, but also the concern of a prospective husband. Symptoms of her mother's weakness were not strictly absent from the daughter, and the only hope of evading development lay in cheerfulness and mild excitement uprooting the disposition to melancholy and lack of energy.

For this purpose Glarces held his morning combat with his pets in the presence of his sister, who acted as judge and umpire in a miniature arena in the gardens. But last night Vedrona's sleep had been disturbed, and she was not disposed to venture out of doors, but desired the lions to be brought into the peristyle and await her wish. It was in furtherance of this command that we have seen Maphir in the atrium.

Proceeding towards his appointed place on leaving Tasha, with his mind full of the thought that his long desired opportunity had at length arrived, he lost all consciousness of the presence of the lions, and for once gave himself up to the anticipation of his return home, under the influence of which he became so moved that his throat trembled and his eye grew dim.

The pleasant dream was rudely dispelled by a simultaneous growl from both the lions, and almost before he was fully aware of what he did, his powerful grip was on the mane of each, and he jerked them back as they essayed to spring.

“Quiet! How dare you! Down!” he cried. But his herculean strength had already compelled obedience, and the animals made no further attempt to dispute the point.

At the instant they were near the corner of the corridor, and as Maphir threw the lions backward, Casca, the Queen's chamberlain, confronted them with the short, quick, insolent step which so thoroughly indicated his character.

This man was the one masculine blot on the royal household. His presence was both a mystery and an uneasiness to all who knew him. As a boy he had in some way obtained an influence over the Prince which no one had been able to fathom or understand, neither had any carefully devised attempt to break it been successful. His conduct in the presence of his patron was always so specious and blameless as to disarm suspicion or reports of a doubtful character which had been more than once cautiously hinted at, and the Prince, generously estimating all men at his own incomparable standard of rectitude and fidelity, had intimated his unwillingness to allow any reflections to be cast upon his friend at the risk of his personal displeasure. In what peculiar virtue the infatuation arose, or by what perversion of moral judgment the certainty of this man's traitorous intent was concealed, could never be discovered, but certain it was that Glarces placed the most unbounded faith in his pretensions, which Casca knew and secretly profited by to its full extent.

It was the approach of this man against which the lions protested with that unerring instinct that enables them to discriminate between the true and false in individuals. In this case, however, both instinct and experience confirmed each other, for the despotic tyrant never failed to seize any opportunity of showing his contempt for all who were unfortunate enough to come within his power.

The lions gave a second defiant snarl as Casca stopped short almost within reach of their jaws, and nervously turned as if contemplating a retreat from such undesirable company; but knowing the hunter's strength as well as his command over the brutes, and dreading the ridicule to which such a course might subject him, he arrogantly composed himself as much as possible to order a withdrawal of the danger of which he always stood in such mortal dread.

“Did I not tell you to keep those objectionable beasts from this part of the palace?” he enquired.

“Your excellency did so, but -”

“Then remove them at once, and I will deal with you afterwards for this act of disobedience.”

“But the -”

“Take them away, I tell you, at once.” “The Princess -”

“Will you remove those beasts, or by the gods, I will have your ears from your head.”

He made an unguarded step forward as he spoke, and in an instant the lions snarled and made as if to spring, at which Casca, in more consideration for his bodily welfare than maintaining his insolent dignity, retired to a safe distance during the rest of the negotiations.

“My instructions are to wait at yonder door with the lions until I hear further from the Princess,” Maphir replied with a calmness contrasting very favourably with the eunuch's perturbation.

“I am the authority here. Take those brutes away, or by the great gods I will have your life.”

“I would obey your excellency at once, but my duty to the great Princess forbids me.”

“S'death! and has it come to this, that I am to be openly defied by a slave?” “I have no choice since you command me to disobey my mistress.” “But you shall obey me.”

“I will always do so when possible; but I cannot do so now.”

“You shall take them to the terrace as I told you.” “Not unless the Princess commands it.”

“By the gods you shall or I will kill you where you stand.”

“That may be as your excellency may choose, and the lions allow, but I cannot move. Still, I would remind you that I am a slave, and the noble Glarces allows no interference with his slaves save through the Tabah.”

The reminder of this inviolable principle of government by which the Prince had insured that no punishment, however trivial, should be administered to slaves without full and complete enquiry, only tended to further exasperate the enraged Casca, who was also painfully aware of the fact that of all slaves none were so secure from the reach of his revenge as the keeper of the lions. The Princess, it was well known, had no possession she valued equally with her tawny pets, and the preservation of their condition and innocence could only be assured through the careful management of Maphir, who not only understood their habits and moods so completely, but, by his recognised sympathy, maintained such desirable control over them. Casca hated the animals because, in the first place, he thought the Princess gave to them the affectionate consideration he was vain enough to hope he might otherwise have secured for himself, for it was no secret among a section of the court that he had designs in that direction, even though he knew of the arrangement otherwise made with Glarces. Still, he was scarcely fool enough to imagine that he would be allowed to interfere with their comfort and well-being with impunity, the Prince's favour for himself notwithstanding. This it was that gave an added sting to the hunter's timely reminder.

He knew not how to act in the unfortunate extremity to which his intolerant temper had forced him. Whatever might be the consequences the suggestion of bending to the inevitable could not possibly enter into his mind; better to be shattered at once into a thousand pieces, and by one blow to be cast into oblivion, than live to bear the taunts following such an ignominious defeat. Therefore with a sudden impulse he drew a pipe from his pouch and blew a shrill call for such assistance as might be available.

The unusual summons attracted the attention of others than the desired guards and slaves to the further discomposure of the excited Casca. Tasha was one of the first to appear, and from an opposite direction the still more unwelcome Zachra, the scribe, who would be certain to find in the incident a fund of humour for the delectation of Glarces.

“Call the Tabah instantly!” Casca cried to one of the slaves, and as the fellow hurried to do his bidding, he continued, for the information of the rest, “and I will warrant me these lions will soon be honoured, or cursed, with another keeper.”

“Can I do anything to help you?” enquired Tasha.

“No!” he answered furiously at the thought of a woman offering assistance to him, “I want a man, not a slave.” That unfortunate reply was the most serious blunder he had yet committed, and he was aware of it before the words were off his tongue, but it came too late to save himself. All who heard it knew that Tasha had but to report it to the Queen-mother or Glarces, and Casca's disgrace would be instant and irremediable. She, however, was not of the eunuch's disposition; her cheek tingled for the moment under the sting of the unwarranted insult, but beyond that she felt capable of administering a rebuke such as was equal to her requirement for the occasion.

“I beg to crave forgiveness from the Eunuch Prince,” she replied, with the most profound satirical obeisance, “but I was wrong when I thought it was a man that had so disturbed your excellence; I had for the moment forgotten it was but a slave in the form of a man!”

Poor Casca! That musical sarcasm cut deep and took its merited revenge.

“The apology should be mine, most noble mistress,” he answered, clumsily, anxious to make what reparation he was justly bound to attempt, “but the insolence I have endured at the hands of this Edomite prevented my recognition of your gracious presence.”

Tasha gave him a sharp intelligent smile, but without further reply to his apology enquired,

“What is this I hear, Maphir?”

“His excellency demanded my instant removal of the lions.” “But the Princess commanded you to await her orders here.”

“So I told my lord Casca ; but he insists that I take them back to the terrace, while he learns the will of my royal mistress.”

“And did you aught beside refuse to disobey her orders?” “Nothing, lady, and my lord Casca can frame no other accusation.”

“You were quite right my friend,” and upon the epithet she laid an emphasis full of meaning to the discomforted eunuch, and then adopting a tone of authority she was warranted, but rarely ventured to assume, she continued, “I find it is still necessary for some persons to be instructed that the Tabah is the chief of the slaves, and I will take precaution that the same shall be made known. Yet, lest our presence should defile the precincts of my lord's jurisdiction, follow me, Maphir, and we will seek the Princess elsewhere.”

With that she swept past the crestfallen eunuch and led the hunter into the royal apartments at once.

The rebuke was a weighty one, and took to itself an additionally tormenting power, so far as the chamberlain was concerned, by the vague suggestion it made as to Tasha's future action concerning it. In all Casca's arrogant tyranny he had hitherto contrived to prevent any open breach with the Queen's great favourite, whom he secretly hated because of the power she had, even beyond himself, with the Prince. Had her near presence been known, Maphir might have lodged his lions in the peristyle for a whole year without objection, and Casca would have waited quietly to obtain his secret revenge in discharge thereof. It was the discovery of this mistake which so exasperated him as to blunder into his first insult, just as it was the uncertainty of her meaning as to what future action she intended to take that made him oblivious to everything for the moment save the thought that he was not quite alone in his misfortune.

Yet, save for the Prince, there was no man in all Sahama who was more really isolated from his fellows than Casca. In heart an ambitious traitor, every freeman held him in most healthy contempt, and only consented to tolerate his company in the presence of Glarces; to slaves he was habitually, though secretly, cruel, even Shamer, the Tabah, being afraid to report his conduct, but assigning accident to the Prince to cover the inquiries occasioned by his treatment of the slaves who unfortunately were compelled to be near the heartless eunuch.

It may therefore readily be conceived how Tasha's action was appreciated by all who had been attracted to the spot by the unusual sound of Casca's pipe. Especially to the humorous Zachra did the occasion appear to be too fortuitous to slip without advantage, and no sooner had Tasha disappeared than he approached the chamberlain, addressing him with a mock commiseration Casca in his excitement disastrously misunderstood.

“I am afraid your well-known tact proved traitor to you in your emergency,” he volunteered.

“That was more than your insolence could do” he replied. “Nay, Casca, do not misunderstand me. No man is more than mortal, and my wit has shown me wherein lies your mistake, and I would point it out in case another such necessity should arise.”

“And you are not trying to fool me?”

“By the great gods I would as soon attempt to fool myself.”

“The let me hear your counsel, Zachra, if you think it will assist me. But tell me also what you would advise should this Iranian devil carry this matter to the Queen.”

“That will require thought, my noble Casca, and must be dealt with as the gods shall direct when the occasion arrives; but in this instance I saw your mistake at once, and wondered how your usually cool intelligence could so far forsake you.”